This keto ice cream recipe is the perfect treat to enjoy on a hot summer day. It’s rich, creamy, and super refreshing. Plus it’s a no churn keto ice cream that doesn’t require any fancy gadgets.
We were due for a low carb ice cream recipe when we created this heavenly chocolate mix. If you’ve never had custard based ice cream, you’re in for a real treat – the texture is creamier and fattier, while the taste is richer. Believe me when I say you won’t be able to stop eating it.
To make it as easy as possible I’ve created a recipe video below showing you the exact steps to making this incredible low carb ice cream!
Is Ice Cream Keto?
Sadly one of the worlds favorite treats is not keto. Ice cream is typically made with cream, egg yolks, and sugar. While it is nearly perfect for keto, the sugar is what hinders it from being a healthy low carb choice.
A typical ice cream can have anywhere from 15-32 grams of sugar a serving and even the fro-yo style “healthy” options can have just as much!
It’s best to make your own healthy low carb vanilla ice cream and spice it up how you like, rather than buying regular not so diet friendly ice cream.
Can you Have Ice Cream on a Keto Diet?
While homemade is the best option, and regular ice cream isn’t on the table there is one option we haven’t quite explored. That’s store-bought keto ice cream varieties.
There are brands out there that have begun experimenting with ingredients to make freezer friendly low carb ice creams.
If you want to pick up a fancy flavor of keto ice cream it’s best to try something like:
- Enlightened– One of the best keto ice creams out there by far based on flavor and macros. They have everything from cookie and brownie dough to movie night caramel and popcorn.
- Halo Top– Another OG to the low carb ice cream scene halo top has been pumping out flavors for almost 10 years!
- Rebel Creamery– Rebel creamery has the best ingredients by far for a keto frozen dessert. The taste is pretty good, the ice cream is super creamy, and again the ingredients are unbeatable.
- Make our Almond Milk Ice Cream recipe for a dairy free take on this creamy classic.
If you are in the market for ice cream try something from each of these brands and we promise you won’t be disappointed!
Our Sugar Free Keto Ice Cream
To make keto ice cream you are going to need some kind of low carb/ keto friendly sweetener to keep it sugar free.
The benefit to using keto friendly sweeteners is that unlike sugar, these store bought keto sweeteners will not spike your blood sugar. A typical serving of ice cream can have up to 29 grams of sugar, talk about a blood sugar spike and crash!
There are a few different options for sweeteners out there, but we went with the tried and true powdered sweetener with a 1:1 ratio to sugar. We found powdered sweeteners to work best because they will mix into the keto ice cream without becoming grainy or crystalized.
Other sweetener options for the keto condensed milk include:
- Powdered Erythritol-This is one of the original keto friendly sweeteners that is used in a lot of ice cream recipes and ice cream keto options you’ll see in stores. It’s pretty affordable, but is also a little less sweet compared to sugar so you will need more to make a traditional ice cream’s level of sweetness.
- Powdered Swerve– Another 1:1 sweetener option for sugar, but unlike the Lakanto brand Swerve does not use monk fruit in their blend.
There are other liquid sweetener options that you could add into the heavy cream like stevia or monk fruit, but we find they can end up a little bitter. It’s best to sweeten your creamy keto soft serve with a regular powdered sweetener.
An Ice Cream Maker Free Recipe!
The huge upside to this recipe is that you don’t need an ice cream maker. First of all, we don’t have one in our household and second, we don’t want to invest in one when you can make ice cream on the stove!
There are a couple simple steps to ensuring you come away with ice cream. First, boiling the cream and sugar to create a condensed milk. Second, combining the “condensed milk” and yolks thoroughly to form a custard.
Finally, whisking the two until you get some froth. Once in the freezer we highly suggest giving it a mix every hour or so until you’ve hit your desired consistency (about 4 hours for us!).
Can I Make This Keto Ice Cream Recipe Faster in My Ice Cream Maker?
While we chose to make this recipe ice cream maker free, you can still use an ice cream maker if you want to enjoy your sweet treat right away.
The only downside is that the custard will be hot off the stove, so you will have to allow it to fully cool before you can put it into your ice cream maker.
Once the ice cream recipe has cooled pour it into your ice cream maker and mix like normal. It should churn in 20-35 minutes.
Even though we didn’t use an ice cream maker to make this recipe, if you are in the market for one, the best selling, most affordable and highly reviewed ice cream maker we found is this Cuisinart.
Can I Make Keto Chocolate Ice Cream Dairy Free?
A commonly asked question is whether or not the ice cream mixture can be made dairy free with coconut milk instead of heavy whipping cream. Coconut milk and coconut cream both make great easy keto ice cream recipes, but they shouldn’t just be subbed in for a heavy cream based version.
Coconut milk has more water which can crystalize when frozen and make a rock solid ice cream recipe that isn’t smooth and creamy, rather hard and icy.
The only real possibility would be using coconut cream which is just the fat from canned coconut milk. It’s thick, viscous, and high fat meaning it will make the ice cream nice and creamy while still being low in net carbs.
The nutrition facts will also change as heavy whipping cream is virtually carb free unlike canned coconut cream and coconut milk which has higher amounts of net carbs in each serving.
You should be able to follow this recipe the same way, just sub coconut cream for the heavy cream. If the mixture isn’t thickening properly you may need to also add a pinch of xanthan gum while cooking.
How Many Carbs are in Keto Ice Cream?
Like most recipes the nutrition facts really depend on how you customize it. Our gluten free chocolate ice cream per serving has 231 calories, 22.5 grams of fat, 1.75 grams of protein, 5.5 grams of carbs, and 4.75 net carbs.
If you made the ice cream double chocolate, chocolate chip; the calories and fat macros would go up. However, just following the base recipe given with cocoa powder those are the macros you’re looking at.
Can I Eat Keto Ice Cream Everyday?
The great part about making homemade keto ice cream is that you can make a big batch, save a ton of money versus store bought pints, and yes, eat ice cream every day!
You can eat keto ice cream everyday because it is low in sugar to prevent blood sugar spikes and high in fat to keep you full and satiated for hours.
While we don’t recommend pounding low carb ice cream as the sweetener can upset your stomach, this recipe is still a great option for that late night craving to prevent breaking your diet.
Picking an Ice Cream Flavor
Although we made several different flavors our first go around, we decided to first share chocolate with you to keep it simple.
All you really need is some unsweetened cocoa powder to create this flavor. Most people also love chocolate as a reliable flavor to go to in times of need.
Chocolate isn’t the only flavor you could make though. Keto vanilla ice cream is always good, or any other traditional flavor mixed into this sugar free ice cream base. Some of our favorite ice cream flavor ideas are:
- Mint Chocolate Chip– This soft and scoopable creamy ice cream is a great low carb keto dessert idea. Simply add a few drops of peppermint extract and some
chocolate chips and chunks to the cooled custard before freezing. - Butter Pecan– If you are making sugar free ice cream without an ice cream machine it never hurts to have a little extra fat to help with scooping. Add a few tablespoons of melted butter and chopped pecans for a tasty butter pecan ice cream.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter– This is an easy adjustment to the recipe that’s currently here. Make the chocolate ice cream base like normal without an ice cream machine and then swirl in lots of peanut butter ribbons.
- Strawberry– We have to make a keto Neapolitan mix now! Try mixing in some strawberries blended with heavy cream to give you a super yummy strawberry ice cream base. You can also chop in extra bits of strawberry for a change in texture.
This is the benefit to making homemade ice cream and keto friendly ice cream, you can customize the vanilla ice cream base however you like to make your perfect blend.
How to Make This Keto Ice Cream Recipe
Summer is here and soon ice cream season will be a memory of the past, so let’s get churning (or more accurately not churning).
Ingredients
To make our gluten free keto vanilla ice cream base you will need heavy cream, keto friendly sweetener, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and egg yolks.
The vanilla extract is essential to any good ice cream, not just basic keto vanilla ice cream. You can also use vanilla beans if you are just making vanilla ice cream instead of chocolate, but they are expensive so don’t think they are 100% necessary to make good keto ice cream.
The egg yolks in this recipe are meant to thicken up the custard and condensed milk. Egg whites are great in baked goods, but for this recipe all we want is rich fatty yolks to make a soft and scoopable keto ice cream.
Making Homemade Ice Cream
To make this low carb ice cream begin by heating the cream and sweetener on medium heat. Let it sit until boiling and then reduce heat to a simmer.
Once simmering use a whisk to beat in the cocoa powder and break apart any chunks.
In another bowl combine your eggs (preferably room temperature) and vanilla extract. Continue stirring the cream mixture while simmering until it has thickened.
When the keto condensed milk mixture has thickened remove it from the heat and allow to cool for five minutes.
After cooling slowly pour the condensed milk into the eggs and stir quickly to prevent any curdling. When you finish mixing there should be a slight froth on top.
Place the mixture into the freezer and allow to freeze for 4-6 hours, stirring every hour.
NOTE: If you’ve made ice cream before you know that if the ice cream freezes rock solid after hours in the freezer you will have to allow it to defrost a bit before serving. Our perfect time in the freezer was about 4 hours.
Storing Keto Ice Cream
So you made this recipe and somehow there is still a little bit left. No need to fear, thankfully ice cream is a freezer food and stores great for a long time. If you’re going to store it in the same container you froze it in make sure to cover the top with plastic wrap.
The plastic wrap should just touch the top of the ice cream to cover it all and prevent ice crystals from forming. Freeze again and then allow to soften for 10-15 minutes when you’re ready to enjoy.
More Sweet Keto Treats
If the ice cream got you excited for more keto desserts ahead, look no further than our desserts section. All of our treats are sugar free, keto friendly, gluten free, and low carb so you can enjoy everything guilt free.
Some of our favorite keto dessert recipes are:
- Mason Jar Ice Cream– Yet another quick ice cream recipe that requires NO ICE CREAM MAKER! We went with a smooth butter pecan, but feel free to change up the recipe and switch out the mix-ins.
- Keto No Bake Cheesecake– Cheesecake is a delicacy that isn’t enjoyed nearly enough. We wanted to change that with our super easy keto no bake cheesecake. It requires no oven and no fancy water baths.
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies– Can I interest you in a warm and gooey chocolate chip cookie topped with a scoop of this homemade keto ice cream?
Our blog is full of dessert recipes for every occasion. There are treats for fast and easy week night desserts, and more complex dishes for dinner parties and get togethers. No matter what the reason, we have the perfect treat just waiting to be prepared.
The Best Keto Ice Cream Recipe
There’s nothing better than no churn keto ice cream that requires just a little bit of time to make something so delicious!
If you’re looking to step this dessert up a notch, maybe because it’s your birthday or you just feel like you owe it to yourself, you should make our favorite Keto Mug Cakes to top with keto vanilla ice cream or keto chocolate ice cream!
You could also use our keto no bake cookies to make low carb ice cream sandwiches! If you miss what ice cream tastes like and don’t want to pay $6 for a sugar free vanilla pint, you should make our low carb ice cream bars and keto frosty today!
Recipe can be quickly added to MyFitnessPal – Search “KetoConnect – Low Carb Chocolate Ice Cream”
Keto Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe – No Ice Cream Maker!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/3 cup Low Carb Sugar Substitute
- 1.5 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 large yolks
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Combine the heavy whipping cream and swerve confectioner into a medium-high heat sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.
- Once simmering add in the coco powder and combine well. Try to get a many chunks out as possible.
- In a separate bowl combine 2 egg yolks and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Continue to stir as cream, sugar and coco powder mixture starts to thicken. Once thick (as shown in video) remove from heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Once cooled slowly add the cream mixture to the yolks as you whisk with a fork or hand mixer.
- Once it is all throughly combined whisk until you get a slight froth at the top.
- Place into freezer for 4-6 hours, checking on it and stirring it every 1 hour. Ours was set and ready to eat at 4 hours.
- TIP: If you freeze it over night you will want to let it sit out for a bit for it to be scoop-able. Enjoy!
Notes
Written by
Megha Barot
Megha has always been a passionate cook, but she took this to a new level after starting her keo journey in 2015. She loves creating new recipes and producing educational content for KetoConnect, which she co-founded in 2016 with Matt. Her passion for healthy eating and personal development continues to thrive. She's the proud mom of two awesome kids.
CHope says
First recipe I tried on this website and OMG SO SO GOOD!! I doubled the recipe, because, well…it’s ice cream! However, I’m sad that I am the only one in my household that liked it. I’m also the only Keto here so…well, more for me! Thanks!!
Andrea says
I’m trying this tonight with special dark cocoa, I am excited to enjoy this treat. You two are great. I am curious to know why you both have been eating Keto and if you had any specific reason for choosing this lifestyle.
Matt Gaedke says
Let us know how it turns out!
Andrea says
The first time I tried it, I don’t think I simmered it long enough for the cocoa to fully desolve and it came out a little grainy but almost fudgy. Still amazing though. I have since made it a second time and it was much smoother and still amazing. Makes a perfect chocolate treat when you need one.
Steve Herrmann says
Hey Guys,
So I just made this for my wife and I and first and foremost, it is delicious.
I followed the directions to a tee, including using the Swerve confectioners sugar that I purchased from Amazon just to make this ice cream. The problem though was that it hardly made ANY ice cream, I mean there isn’t even a full cup of ice cream, guessing I’d say maybe 3/4 of a cup at most and that’s supposed to make 4 servings? What gives, where did I mess this up?
Also, after putting it in the freezer for only 1 hour it looked nothing like yours from the video. It was already nearly solid and couldn’t be stirred at all…
Matt Gaedke says
Hey Steve, I think you may have reduced the cream a bit too much. You really just want to melt the sweetener into the cream and then throw it into the freezer. Feel free to multiply the recipe if you want a bigger batch.
Angie says
I just wanted to say thank you for this recipe! My husband and I have been trying to be on keto for several months now, but we have a real sweet tooth. My husband’s is for ice cream. This was so creamy and so delicious! The whole family loves it!
I added about 1/4 cup of semi-finely chopped 70% Dark Chocolate Chips to the mixture during the last 5 minutes of stirring (we used our Kitchen Aide Ice Cream maker BTW and it works great in there too if you have the gadget and want to use it). I think it really added a nice chewing component that I enjoy with my Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream I USED to eat. 😉
Speaking of which, I also plan to experiment with different flavors. I am going to try adding mint extract next time. And I’ve been wondering if I can add orange extract (I LOVE mixing orange sherbet with chocolate ice cream) or even some peanut butter powder with the coco/cream mixture. Just some thoughts. Anyway, thanks again and keep up the great work. I love your site and your videos!
Matt Gaedke says
So glad you liked it! We actually have made a mint chocolate chip recipe that we’ll be publishing soon. Adding some extract is the perfect way to change up the flavors.
Anita says
HI, thanks for sharing. This looks amazing. I do have an ice cream maker and will give it a try this weekend. Regarding searching for this recipe on My Fitness Pal – is the search recipe function only available for paid membership? I have a free membership and couldn’t seem to find an option to search for recipes. (sorry if this has been answered, but I couldn’t find out how to search for recipes on MFP). Thanks.
Mandi says
Can you see any reason that a liquid sweetener wouldn’t work for this, or do you need the granular-ness of a powdered sweetener? (I prefer using EZsweetz drops)
Matt Gaedke says
I think a liquid sweetener would work. The powdered sweetener we use just has less of a noticeable aftertaste to it.
Beulah says
Have you tried this without the cocoa? Just wondering how this would be as just vanilla ice cream.
Matt Gaedke says
We have not, but it would be good. I’m not sure if the vanilla extract would be enough, but if you can find a vanilla bean and throw it in as the cream boils it would be delicious.
Destiny says
Hey Matt speaking of making this vanilla flavored, have you guys worked with vanilla bean powder. I have recently tried a starbucks drink with it in it and subtituted it with your Keto approved ways to order drinks. I am not sure about the carbs/cal count with the vanilla bean powder? Do you guys recommend a vanilla bean powder to use for recipes such as this ice cream instead of extract?
Cass (KetoConnect) says
Just pure vanilla bean scraped from the bean would be your best option!
Annette says
Can I just make plain vanilla leave out the cocoa?
Matt Gaedke says
Yep!
Elizabeth says
Hey guys, what different flavors did you try? I’m personally a vanilla/chocolate chip fan myself… How would one go about making this into vanilla ice cream instead of chocolate? I have coconut oil powder if I need something to sub in for the weight/powder of the cocoa.
Matt Gaedke says
You should be fine with just leaving out the cocoa powder and adding in chocolate chips after the mixture cools a bit. Throwing a vanilla bean in there would make it extra tasty.
PJette says
I made vanilla choc chip by leaving out the cocoa powder and using the clear vanilla extract and adding in SF choc chips. I also tried adding coconut oil to replace the volume of the cocoa powder and it had a coconut flavor that cancelled out the vanilla extract, but I love coconut flavor so next time I’ll add coconut extract instead w/ almonds – sort of like an Almond Joy bar 🙂 I do notice an improvement to the final gelato when adding butter or coconut oil. It seems easier to scoop.
PJette
sarah says
Hi, i hope this is a dumb question. I have Erythritol by now real foods and its like granules,or looks like regular white granulated sugar. Can i use this or is confectioners a powder or different texture? Thanks in advance (:
Angie says
I’m no expert, but I think it needs to be the confectioners/powder because they either melt differently or they don’t have enough time to melt completely and then you will have grainy ice cream. I might be wrong, but that’s my two cents. 🙂
Amy A Cole says
I am trying to mostly avoid dairy. Would this work with coconut cream? Thanks!
Matt Gaedke says
Ya it should work, it might just be slightly more icy since the coconut cream usually has a bit more water in it.
Vyci says
This works great with coconut milk. I used it and it was still really creamy smooth. This is the best ice cream recipe I have ever had! Thank you. I am wondering how to try other flavors…I will try some for myself soon. Thank you for a great recipe!
Kasia says
Did you by chance use canned coconut milk or the runny boxed stuff? Thanks!
Loretta says
Canned coconut cream works great. It’s best to heat it with sweetner, Xanthun gum, pinch of salt, and vanilla. Cool this mixture and then add to whipped heavy cream. Then freeze!
A.J. says
You guys are awesome. I love your recipes and your videos. Your a godsend for the low carb community and you’re cute on film together. Keep up the good work. You give me inspiration to go forward with this diet/ lifestyle when I start to miss some of the comfort foods I used to enjoy.
Maham Siddiqui says
Hey, would this work with light cream (5% cream)?
Matt Gaedke says
It would be much higher carb and more icy, less creamy.
Regina says
Could I add a scoop of vanilla powdered MCT oil to the cooking cream?
Cass (KetoConnect) says
Sure, you could try it! Not sure how it will turn out.
Reggie says
is it possible to use truvia or no?
Matt Gaedke says
Ya, pretty sure that would work well.
John says
Just curious on how the carb count is calculated? Is this counting the Swerve as carbs? I am showing 1 cup of heavy cream as 6.6 carbs and 1.5 carbs for cocoa powder. So I am under 10 grams total….
Alex says
How much volume does this make? Would you say its about a pint?
Mark Stone says
Looking at the ingredients, I would say that it would be no more than a cup and a half. Maybe slightly more, or less depending on how much air get mixed in
Fatema says
This looks delicious. Can we substitute equal amount of truvia with the swerve?
Matt Gaedke says
Ya, that should work!
Yajaira says
This looks amazing!! Definitely need to get me some SF confectioners sugar!
Megha Barot says
A lot of people have mentioned being able to grind up erythritol or normal swerve in a coffee grinder and get the confectioner product!
Monique Realivasquez says
I grinded up xylitol in a coffee grinder and it came out awesome!! Thanks for mentioning this!!
Maham Siddiqui says
Do you guys think this recipe would work with light (5%) cream?
Abby Keuhn says
Does your heavy whipping cream have carbs? My container says 0 for each serving. However, I don’t know the carb count on it if I use a lot more than a tablespoon.
Erin says
Hey Abby 🙂 All heavy whipping cream has carbs – but US labelling laws allow anything that’s less than 1g per serve to rounded down and labelled as zero. It’s around about .5g per tablespoon, so make sure you’re accounting for that. Some of the MyFitnessPal database entries don’t account for this as they’re user added according to the nutritional panel on the cartons, so even adding 1 full cup still shows as being zero. Be careful! 🙂
abby says
Ahh yes. I remembered that a few hours after I posted this. Thanks for the reply.
Abby Keuhn says
Ahh yes. I remembered that a few hours after I posted this. Thanks for the reply.
Tamara Harden says
yes. 1 TBsp has .5 carbs, but because it is only half a carb, manufacturers don’t have to list it on the container. So every 2 TBSP contains 1 carb.