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My Keto Ice Cream Recipe Tastes Like The Real Deal
Aside from keto cheesecake, the number one low carb dessert that people ask me for is keto ice cream. And while you can turn this one into many flavors, my first priority was a classic low carb ice cream to use as a base. Here’s why it’s my favorite:
- Scoopable, smooth, and creamy texture – Many keto ice cream recipes turn out rock hard or gritty, mainly due to the sweetener. Mine is scoopable almost right out of the freezer, and it’s smooth and creamy without any weird gritty feel.
- Sweet with no aftertaste – Again, it’s a big area where sugar free ice cream usually fails. This one tastes like it’s made with sugar!
- Ultra low in carbs – At 3.3 grams net carbs per serving, it’s easy to fit this treat into a keto diet. It’s also refined sugar free, gluten free, and egg free.
- Clean ingredients – Just 5 of them. There weren’t many store-bought options when I developed this keto friendly ice cream back in 2019, but even now, my homemade version is cleaner and tastes creamier.
- Easy to make – You just need a little patience.
This recipe has gone through so many iterations — I’ve tested it dozens of times, including different flavors! After this much (delicious) experimentation, it’s the best keto ice cream I’ve tried… and it’s even more amazing over a keto brownie, keto apple crisp, or keto apple pie. Make it with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my homemade keto ice cream recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
To give some context, this is not a custard-based ice cream like my almond milk ice cream or protein ice cream. Instead, I use my keto condensed milk as a base. You’ll need these 5 ingredients:
- Heavy Cream – Full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream should work as a dairy-free substitute, but the recipe still won’t be fully dairy-free because of the butter (below). If you’d like to lighten up the calories, you can replace some (or all) of the cream at the end (not in the condensed milk) with coconut milk beverage or almond milk.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – VERY important! I used to make this with powdered erythritol, but now highly recommend against it. Erythritol and most other sugar substitutes have a higher freezing point than sugar (result: rock-hard ice cream), and even worse, they don’t dissolve well (result: gritty texture). This is why I only use Besti Powdered Sweetener for all my low carb ice cream recipes, including this one. It keeps your ice cream scoopable and creamy, with no aftertaste or grainy specks. The only alternatives that will work the same way are plain powdered allulose or liquid allulose (you’ll need an extra couple tablespoons because these are less sweet), or granulated Besti (which actually dissolves well enough).
- Almond Milk – I didn’t have this in older versions, but now always include it because heavy cream alone can make this ice cream too dense and buttery. You can use store-bought or homemade almond milk. For a nut-free option, use coconut milk beverage (the kind in a carton in the dairy section). I’ve also used regular dairy milk when I wanted just less sugar/carbs, but it wouldn’t be totally keto.
- Butter – I add just a touch to the condensed milk base for texture.
- Vanilla Extract – For keto vanilla ice cream. Sometimes I also add a teaspoon of vanilla bean seeds. See my flavor variations below for other add-ins!
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
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How To Make Keto Ice Cream
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Make the condensed milk. This is the same process as my sugar free condensed milk recipe: Melt the butter in a large saute pan or skillet (not a saucepan!) over medium heat. Add powdered Besti and heavy cream. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick, coats the back of a spoon, and volume is reduced by half. It will also pull away from the pan as you tilt it.
- Cool and add vanilla. Pour the condensed milk into a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add the milk and cream, then chill. Whisk in the almond milk (or coconut milk beverage) and more heavy cream, until smooth. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until very cold.
- Churn, then freeze. Pour the keto ice cream base into the frozen ice cream maker bowl (I have this one and love it!) and churn until the consistency resembles soft serve. You can enjoy it as-is, but if you prefer firmer ice cream like me, transfer to a glass container (this pan is perfect) and freeze for 2-4 hours before scooping.
My Recipe Tips
- Powdered Besti is key for keeping this keto ice cream soft and scoopable. I can’t emphasize this enough — other sweeteners will make it very hard.
- Use the largest pan or skillet you’ve got for the condensed milk. More surface area means it thickens faster. It typically takes me 30-45 minutes in a large skillet, but can be well over an hour if you use a saucepan!
- Do you have to refrigerate the mixture before churning? No, but I highly recommend that you do. The texture of this low carb ice cream recipe turns out much better if you churn when the mixture is very cold.
- Freeze your ice cream maker bowl for at least 24 hours in advance. If it’s not frozen solid, the ice cream will stay runny when churning, and the final result will be icy.
- Don’t have an ice cream machine? You can make this no churn keto ice cream, but it’s more work. You’ll need to remove the container from the freezer and stir every half hour for the first 2 hours, then every 60-90 minutes for a few hours after that. It will be icy if you don’t, so I recommend investing in a quality ice cream maker if you’ll be making ice cream regularly. Otherwise, you might prefer my mason jar ice cream to avoid the hassle of frequent stirring.
- What happened to the MCT oil? I had 1/4 cup in an older version of this keto ice cream recipe, and its purpose was to lower the freezing point and help make the ice cream soft and scoopable. However, I no longer include this because: a) using Besti solves the problem of rock-hard ice cream, and b) the oil can make the ice cream taste, well, a little oily. You can still at it if you like, but it’s not my favorite anymore.
- Freeze promptly after churning. If the ice cream starts to melt a little, it’ll re-freeze much harder. Regular ice cream does the same thing.
- Run your scoop under hot water before scooping. This makes it easier. I don’t even dry it after. This is my favorite ice cream scoop!
- Let it sit out for 5 minutes. This won’t be rock-hard like low carb ice cream made with sugar alcohols, but it doesn’t have processed ingredients, so it’s still best to let it sit for 5 minutes before scooping. I find that quality ice cream brands made with sugar are the same way!
Keto Ice Cream (The Best Low Carb Ice Cream)
By
This keto ice cream recipe is the best low carb ice cream I've had! It's sweet and creamy, with just 5 ingredients and 3.3g net carbs.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
How To Make Keto Ice Cream:
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Melt the butter in a large saute pan or skillet (not a saucepan!) over medium heat.
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Add powdered Besti and 2 cups of heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick (like condensed milk), coats the back of a spoon and volume is reduced by half. It will also pull away from the pan as you tilt it. (This will go faster if you use a larger pan.)
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Pour the condensed milk into a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla extract.
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Whisk the almond milk and remaining heavy cream, until smooth.
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Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. (You can skip this step if you really want to, but the texture will be better if you chill it.)
Ice Cream Maker Instructions:
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Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions, or until the ice cream is the consistency of soft serve. Mine takes about 20-25 minutes. (If you want to add mix-ins, add them toward the end of the churning process.)
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Enjoy immediately, or for firmer, scoopable ice cream, transfer to a freezer container and freeze for 2-4 hours, until firm.
No Churn Instructions:
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Transfer the mixture to a freezer container (like a 9×5 in (23×13 cm) loaf pan) and smooth the top with a spatula. Line the surface with a piece of parchment or wax paper to keep ice crystals from forming.
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Freeze for 4-6 hours, until firm. Stir the ice cream during the freezing process, every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours and every 60-90 minutes for 2-3 hours after. (If you want to add mix-ins, gently stir them in after the first hour.)
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/2 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get a creamy, scoopable texture, speed up the process, and tips for scooping.
- Flavors: See my flavor variations for chocolate, strawberry, hazelnut, mint, and more flavors you can make using this base.
- Lighter option: If you’d like to lighten up the calories in this sugar-free ice cream, replace some of the heavy cream in step 4 with coconut milk beverage or almond milk instead. However, don’t replace any of the cream in step 1.
- Storage: Store this low carb ice cream recipe just as you would any other ice cream — in the freezer. It’ll be good for at least 6 months.
- Updates: This keto ice cream recipe was first published in 2019 and has been updated several times to improve texture.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Freezer Meal System and Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Keto Ice Cream
Flavor Variations
Now that you know how to make keto ice cream the basic way, try one of the other flavors I’ve made with this recipe base:
- Chocolate – Whisk in 1/4 cup of cocoa powder before refrigerating. Sometimes I need to heat slightly to help it dissolve. I also have a custard-based keto chocolate ice cream recipe that uses egg yolks.
- Strawberry – My keto strawberry ice cream recipe is the best way. You can also just simmer fresh strawberries with powdered Besti or my sugar-free strawberry syrup to your taste, until soft, then add to the ice cream when churning.
- Hazelnut – I have this recipe in my Easy Keto Cookbook, and it reminds me of my favorite gelato in Italy!
- Mint – Add a teaspoon mint or peppermint extract with the vanilla. You can also add natural green food coloring — this is my favorite.
- Chocolate Chip – Add them in the last few minutes of churning. I like these sugar-free ones!
- Cookie Dough – Make my keto cookie dough in small pieces and add toward the end. You can even use leftover crumbled keto chocolate chip cookies.
- Sea Salt Caramel – Swirl in my homemade sugar free caramel syrup, or combine it with my sugar free chocolate syrup. I prefer streaks, so I add the syrup(s) only when the low carb ice cream is almost ready.
- Butter Pecan – Toast a cup of chopped pecans and a tablespoon of Besti in 2 tablespoons of butter for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Cool completely, then churn in the buttery pecans towards the end.
721 Comments
S
0Can I use coconut oil instead of butter?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi S, I don’t recommend using coconut oil in place of the butter in this recipe.
Donna
0One question. What is the purpose of the butter? Is it needed?
Thanks
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Donna, The butter contributes to the overall texture and mouthfeel. I recommend using it in the recipe.
Lisa
0I followed the recipe exactly and used a new cuisinart ice cream maker. My ice cream is all crumbles!!! What did I do wrong????
Mary
0How are you getting 3 net carbs? My heavy whipping cream and butter don’t have any. 1 tsp of vanilla extract is negligible and allulose isn’t counted from my understanding.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Mary, Heavy whipping cream does usually contain some carbohydrates, but if it’s under 1 gram, the manufacturer can put 0 carbs on the label. According to the USDA food database, heavy whipping cream contains .4 grams of carbs per tablespoon. I hope this helps!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lisa, It sounds like the ice cream base was either over whipped when incorporating the heavy cream or over churned in the ice cream maker.
Karey
0I had a Cuisinart ice cream maker and found it whipped more than I like, especially since I prefer to make Gelato, which requires a slow stir. So I found the Kitchen Aid ice cream maker way better! And Maya, I’m going to do my typical ice cream using egg yolks for the creaminess, but using your sugar.
Lisa
0Thanks. I didn’t whip the cream so over-churned it is! I am new to this so thank you. I will try again!
Sane Constantine-Xavier
0Hi, I want to try this recipe but it seems impossible to get allulose in the UK. I have tried erythritol in other recipes but it causes too much gas. I’ve stuck with stevia in my tea/coffee and never had issues thus I was wondering if this ice cream recipe can substitute liquid stevia for allulose?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sane, Stevia will work in this recipe. You will get harder ice cream after you freeze it, so be sure to take it out a good ten minutes or more before serving.
Fiel Cotta
0Can you tell me how long I can keep the condensed milk in the fridge before I need to make it into ice cream? I’ve made too much for my ice cream maker so I thought I’d make half now and a second batch later. I want to stop once I’ve added the oil and and vanilla. I’ll separate the portion I need for tomorrow’s ice cream and add the HWC, and continue with the recipe. The rest I want to store for the next batch.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Fiel, The condensed milk should keep for 5-7 days tightly sealed in your fridge.
Laila Hopkins
0Thank you for posting this recipe. Is it possible to make it dairy free?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Laila, Yes, you can make this recipe with coconut milk! Enjoy!
Alicia
0Can I use powdered erythritol instead?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Alicia, Yes, you can use powdered erythritol in this recipe, but you will get a different final texture. Allulose will produce softer, more scoopable ice cream. Erythritol will freeze much harder, but the recipe will work.
jodi
0This is so yummy! I like putting it over keto chocolate chip muffins
Lise
0Can you put the mix in a Vitamix? My machine has an ice cream feature.
Lori
0Did you try using your Vitamix for this ice cream? What did you do & how did it turn out? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lise, Perhaps if you froze the 2 cups of whipping cream that isn’t used for the condensed milk into ice cube trays? When you make the ice cream, you will pour the condensed milk at the bottom, then add the frozen whipping cream ice cubes on top. You may need to use a little additional liquid to keep your blender from packing up. If you decide to try it, let us know how this works for you.
Colleen
0Can you replace the powdered sweetener with a sugar free syrup from say, skinny mixes? I thought with all flavors it would be nice to try different varieties. To use the sugar-free syrup how much should we use to replace the powdered sweetener?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Colleen, I don’t recommend that brand of syrups. Some of them have artificial sweeteners, and the ones that don’t still are not ideal for scoopable ice cream. The allulose in the Besti powdered sweetener used in this recipe is what gives the ice cream the right texture. If you want to use a flavored syrup, you can try my Wholesome Yum sugar-free vanilla syrup (also comes in hazelnut) – that is a blend of monk fruit and allulose just like the powdered sweetener, so will give your ice cream the best texture.
Līga
0Just made this in a premium, industrial ice cream maker (Musso Stella). The result was done in about 5 minutes and certainly has a strong resemblance to whipped butter unfortunately. Will definitely do 1/2 almond milk vs all cream in the future.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Liga, I’m sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected. Did you whip the cream before churning the ice cream? This can cause the ice cream to turn into butter. I recommend lightly whisking the condensed milk in with the heavy cream, but not whipping, as it can create over churned ice cream.
Liga
0I used 35% Heavy cream (as I am under the impression anything less does not whip well).
Pam
0Turned out a little marshmallowy. Don’t know what I did wrong. I used an ice cream maker
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Pam, I’m not sure what you mean by marshmallowy…like a sticky texture or the flavor of marshmallow?
Monica Syaraswafi
0Hello! Your recipe is amazing, I would like to make some modification by adding dragon fruit juice to make it more colorful hehe, do you have any recommendation about how much dragon fruit juice should I add?
Thank you in advance, have a great day!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Monica, I am sorry, I don’t know how much you would add. If you are adding juice, then your ice cream will likely become icy.
Zulma Alamos
0I have a problem with my ice cream and I don’t know why I followed all the recipe instructions but didn’t add MCT oil (I don’t have that ingredient and I have an ice cream maker so I figured I wouldn’t need it) The base was quite thick before churning, but then turned to butter after a few minutes and some minutes later the ice cream maker couldn’t keep turning. I reheated the mixture, but it separated like sour milk. I used a blender to bring the mixture back together and put it to cool in the fridge again. What can I do now?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Zulma, You are correct, the MCT oil is really only needed if you are not churning in an ice cream maker. How much condensed milk did you end up with once you let it simmer? The yield should have been around 1 cup or slightly more. Did you whip the remaining half of the heavy cream, or just whisk to combine. Whipping the cream can turn it to butter, so it’s important not to overwork the ice cream base. Have you tasted the ice cream mixture at this point? It likely separated because it got too hot. If your base tastes like scalded milk, then I would throw it out and start over. If it doesn’t then try freezing it as is, without churning in the ice cream maker. I hope it turns out for you.
Zulma Alamos
0The condensed milk turned out really good, just over a cup, but I did whip the remaining half of the cream… The last version was okay in the end, but it tasted more like cheesecake… so I added some chopped strawberries to it and didn’t freeze it anymore… I’ll try again and I won’t whip the cream, Got it!
AS
0Hi, keto sweeteners are not suitable for me as they give me GI issues and I’ve been using honey as an alternative. Will that work in this case? Heavy cream is also not suitable for me, can I use half and half milk instead? I’m wondering if the recipe will work different or come out different with these changes.
Wholesome Yum M
0I am not sure that you will get exactly the same results, but the recipe should work with those changes. Just be sure not to overcook the honey, as you don’t want it to crystalize in your ice cream.
austin
0you recommend using Wholesome Yum Allulose sweetener, I only haveBesti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend. would the taste/texture different?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Austin, Yes! Cut down the amount to 1/4 cup and you will get a similar sweetness level of pure allulose. Enjoy!
austin
0LOL I made it before your reply, so I used 1/3 cup Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend {did not cut down} my husband said it’s no sugar taste at all “taste like frozen milk”. I don’t like very sweet stuff and it wasn’t sweet enough for me neither. so if I increase the sugar do I need to increase the liquid?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Austin, No need, just increase the amount of sweetener to taste!
Staci
0Yikes. MCT is ok, bit of allulose is ok, put’em together and you get 24-36 hours of PAINFUL gas and intestinal distress. It’s nice to have it scoopable and it does taste good, but I’ll be going back to the old sweetener and just letting it thaw in the fridge for a while before I try to scoop. :/
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Staci, I am sorry this recipe didn’t agree with you! Both ingredients help to make the ice cream scoopable, but using just one will work too.
Sarah williams
0Hi, I’m so happy with this ice cream, easy and very very tasty. Thanks so much
Austin
0You made comments to several readers
“It sounds like the cream you used was on the high side for fat content” None of the cream brands I could find has the percentage of milk fat in the heavy cream carton. Is there a particular brand that you use?
Your instructions are confusing on beating the heavy cream. In the tips section, you said “I used to beat the cream to stiff peaks first. I actually found this resulted in sugar-free ice cream that was too dense and almost like butter.” However, on MARCH 9, 2020 you reply to the reader “Did you whip your heavy cream before incorporating the condensed milk and heavy cream? That should help thicken the mixture before it goes into the ice cream maker.”
Then, on JANUARY 27, 2020 you replied to the reader “Beating the whipped cream does change the texture of the ice cream. I suggest skipping that step next time for softer, creamier ice cream.”
So, which is it? the heavy cream should be whip or not?
I just wanted to make sure I will have a successful result your brand sweeteners are expensive.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Austin, I am sorry the instructions are confusing. Each of the replies to the comments are addressing specific issues from readers. Heavy Cream fat percentages can vary widely, so that will change the final outcome (creaminess) of your ice cream. The newest update to the recipe in July 2020 addresses this issue by no longer suggesting that the cream be whipped prior to freezing or churning. Skipping the whipping process gives more consistent results regardless of the fat content of your cream. I hope this provides the clarification you need. Enjoy your ice cream!
Austin
0Thank you so much, ordered Wholesome Yum Powdered Allulose, I will make it as soon as I receive them.
Karen
0We liked the recipe but would like to make the ice cream sweeter and with a little more flavor. Is it possible to add more allulose and vanilla or will that change the consistency? Could we add strawberries, and if so, at what point in the process? The heavy cream I bought did not indicate the milk fat content, only how many grams of fat. Is there a way to find out that information? Thanks.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Karen, Yes, feel free to adjust the sweetness/vanilla flavor to suit your preferences. If you would like to add strawberries, then add them either while your ice cream is churning (if using an ice cream machine) or gently fold them into the finished ice cream base just before freezing. You will need to carefully stir the strawberry pieces as your ice cream begins to harden in the freezer. To figure out the percentage of your cream, divide the serving size in grams into the grams of fat. For example: if a single serving is 1 tablespoon (15 grams) and the nutrition facts stated 6 grams of fat per serving 6/15 = .40 so this cream is 40% milkfat. I hope this helps!
Redhead
0I didn’t care for this one. I think there’s too much fat in the second step. I’d definitely only use coconut milk in the second step, not more heavy cream. ( I actually used a cup of almond milk and a cup of heavy cream, as suggested) I also think a few egg yolks added at the end of the cooking process would help this to have a much better texture, like a traditional ice cream recipe.