This keto ice cream recipe is an easy dairy free, sugar free, and low carb frozen dessert that everyone can enjoy, even if you’re not on a keto diet!
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The best keto ice cream recipe
This creamy keto ice cream is absolutely delicious!
Serve in bowls, ice cream cones, or on top of Keto Cheesecake.
Without question, the most popular request I’ve been getting from readers in the past few months has been for more low carb and keto recipes.
You definitely do not need to be on a ketogenic diet, or any special diet at all, to enjoy this homemade and no sugar ice cream.
With just four ingredients, endless customization options to make different flavors, and the same luxurious creaminess of regular dairy ice cream, what’s not to love???
Also try these Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
Vanilla or chocolate keto ice cream
The vanilla keto ice cream recipe is listed below. You can use either pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Or scrape out the seeds of one vanilla bean.
To make chocolate ice cream, simply stir in one fourth cup of regular unsweetened cocoa powder along with the other ingredients. That’s it!
You can also recreate your favorite Halo Top, Rebel, or Enlightened ice cream flavors at home. Turn the basic keto ice cream recipe into unlimited new flavors, simply by experimenting with different extracts and add-ins.
Stir in diced strawberries to make strawberry ice cream, pecans and butter extract for butter pecan, half a teaspoon of instant coffee, a handful of shredded coconut, or pure peppermint extract and chopped dark chocolate to get mint chocolate chip.
Readers also love this Chocolate Keto Cake
Sugar free ice cream recipe video
Above, watch the step-by-step keto ice cream recipe video
Keto ice cream ingredients
You need just four ingredients for this recipe: coconut milk, sweetener of choice (such as xylitol or erythritol), pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
Be sure to look for full fat canned coconut milk, not lite coconut milk or the cartons of coconutmilk beverage sold in the dairy case. I have not tried substituting heavy cream.
Sugar free options that work well for the sweetener include granulated erythritol or xylitol, a low-glycemic and natural sugar alternative with 40% fewer calories that is absorbed more slowly than sugar and doesn’t have the same effect on insulin or blood sugar levels. (Just like chocolate, raisins, and avocados, it should not be fed to dogs.)
If you’re not counting carbs or watching sugar intake, you can absolutely feel free to use your favorite all purpose sweetener, such as sugar, honey, or pure maple syrup.
I have not tried allulose or stevia in this frozen dessert and therefore cannot personally recommend it here. Be sure to report back if you experiment.
The recipe is based on my Avocado Ice Cream and Coconut Ice Cream
How to make keto ice cream
Stir together the milk, sweetener of choice, salt, and pure vanilla extract. If making chocolate ice cream, stir in the cocoa powder too.
If you have an ice cream maker, prepare the machine according to the manual specific to your brand and model. (Some models need to be frozen ahead of time.)
Churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. I have a Cuisinart ice cream machine, which takes around fifteen minutes to make ice cream.
For a no churn version without an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in ice cube trays, which can be purchased for as little as two dollars at most grocery stores or home stores like Bed Bath Beyond.
Then blend the frozen ice cubes in a Vitamix, or thaw enough to blend in a food processor or a regular blender. I like to scoop it out with an ice cream scoop for an authentic ice cream shape.
The homemade keto ice cream recipe can be vegan, paleo, egg free, dairy free, low carb, sugar free, soy free, and gluten free.
If you are looking for a low fat or fat free frozen dessert recipe, I recommend this creamy Banana Ice Cream or my favorite Lemon Sorbet.
Keto Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups canned coconut milk
- 1/3 cup erythritol, xylitol, or sweetener of choice
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- optional ingredients for desired flavor
Instructions
- Be sure to use full-fat canned coconut milk, not lite or coconutmilk beverage. If desired, you can use the seeds from a vanilla bean instead of the extract. To make the keto ice cream: Stir together the milk, sweetener, salt, and vanilla extract. If you have an ice cream machine, simply churn according to manufacturer’s directions. Or to make it without an ice cream machine, freeze the mixture in ice cube trays, then blend the frozen cubes in a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix OR thaw them enough to then blend in a food processor or regular blender. Eat as-is, or freeze an hour or so for a firmer texture. Due to not having any preservatives or stabilizers, the keto ice cream is best the day it’s made, but you can technically freeze leftovers up to a month and thaw before serving.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Healthy Keto Recipes
Keto Cookies (Low Carb, No Sugar)
Keto Muffins, or these Keto Blueberry Muffins
Hello, I want to try this but am wondering – does it tastes like coconut? Thanks!
I don’t think so at all! But you can make it a mint chocolate version if you want to add a little pure peppermint extract, and then it DEFINITELY wouldn’t taste like coconut because the mint would hide that. But still, I don’t think the original version tastes like coconut. (On the other hand, if you DO want a coconut flavor, just add a little coconut extract.)
I’m looking at the nutrition label info for this recipe, and see that by using full-fat coconut milk it ends up with one serving containing almost 17 grams of saturated fat that alone is 85% of an adult’s daily allowance.
I understand the value and attraction of offering up low sugar recipes for all kinds of different reasons. But to talk about “healthy” recipes and then offer up one serving of an ice cream recipe that contains almost the same amount of saturated fat as two entire Big Mac hamburgers (8g sat fat each) seems very wrong!
How about some ice cream recipes that are not heavy on sugar and also NOT laden with saturated fat, which isn’t healthy by anyone’s definition. If I want that much saturated fat in my diet, I’ll go and buy Ben and Jerry’s…
Hi JFC, this recipe is meant specifically for those on the keto diet or looking for keto-friendly recipes, which are by definition high in fat, and people have different beliefs as to how much fat is healthy. Katie has a lot of other recipes on her site for those not interested in the keto diet: https://lett-trim.today/category/healthy-ice-cream-recipes/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Hope that helps!
Thanks for the prompt reply… I do understand you’re catering to an audience with varying diet/nutrition objectives. But I think, 17g of saturated fat per serving is A LOT by any dietary standard. Cheers!
JFC – yes…it is high in fat…because it is Keto.
The Keto diet, by definition is not only just low sugar/low carb, but high fat.
Hello. I’ve been wondering. If real ice cream is made with
cream, eggs and sugar. Couldn’t you still use same
authentic ingredients just replace sugar?
Hey Katie,
I don’t know much about the Keto diet, but this ice cream is fabulous! I can’t wait for summer to try this recipe… 🙂
First, you can’t just say ‘salt’ for keto. Keto only allows certain salts. No table salt! All salts taste diff So when salt is added to a keto recipe it needs to be listed as a specific salt! When I read ‘salt’ in a recipe, i automatically think table salt. Himilayin salt is keto, but doesn’t taste like table salt.
Also, why not use heavy whipping cream instead? I don’t/ can’t use coconut cream / milk.
Is coconut milk even keto friendly at all? Most keto guides I’m reading says coconut cream is keto grade A but coconut milk is to be limited as it has more carbs. Wondering if swapping the coconut milk out with the cream would work in terms of texture? Anyone?
Coconut cream works! 🙂
anybody have a recipe for low carb cones to go with this? LOL. going to get some coconut milk today. ice cream is a weaknes for me
Is placing the mixture in ice cubes and then blending the ice cubes the best way? Just wondering what’s the different between doing that and just pouring it all in a pan and freezing it that way 🙂
Loving the keto recipes!
I am allergic to coconut so Keto is proving difficult. Is there a suitable substitute for ice cream?
There is! https://lett-trim.today/2018/08/06/almond-milk-ice-cream-recipe/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
What is a serving size? 1/2 cup or 1 cup? And is a single serving 184 calories? Or 184 calories for 5 servings?
Can this ice cream be made with something other than coconut milk? I am allergic
This one is coconut free and can easily be made keto using a keto friendly sweetener https://lett-trim.today/2018/08/06/almond-milk-ice-cream-recipe/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
so delicious, rich, and creamy!! I made the vanilla ice cream, which of course also has a strong coconut flavor but I LOVE coconut. I used granulated Swerve for the sweetener and only used 1/4 cup instead of 1/3 cup and it was still really sweet! I also added way more vanilla than the recipe called for but that’s what I like. I have a cuisinart ice cream maker and churned it in that for 30+ minutes while scraping the sides pretty frequently, then transferred to a glass Tupperware to freeze. While the ice cream was churning I made Keto chocolate fudge brownies from gnom-gnom.com. While the brownies were still warm from the oven I put some in a bowl and topped with the ice cream. It was the best brownie sundae I’ve ever had! Thanks Katie for the amazing recipe!
I just made this tonight and used stevia and it really taste terrible. This is my first time using stevia or any sweetener that’s not sugar. Any suggestions?? I was really hoping this would work out. Maybe I could omit the sweetener all together? Thanks in advance for anyone who can help!
Hmm what brand of stevia are you using? Brands of that can be really hit or miss!
I MUCH prefer erythritol for sugar free baking. Have you tried that yet? This is the brand Katie lists in her recipes: https://amzn.to/2N6rIwI
Hi! I want to make this but I just realized I only have coconut cream. Can I use this in place of the coconut milk? Do I need to dilute it? I’m not sure what consistency I’m going for. I imagine heavy cream would be the best option for dilution?
Thanks!
No need to dilute it! Coconut cream works really well here 🙂
Hi Katie, flavor wise and effort this is a great recipe, but my coconut milk didn’t miss up smoothly, no matter how long I wisked it which let little small lumps in my ice cream. Any suggestions for next time?
Hey Vicky, it should have still gotten smooth in the vitamix… Or did you use a different method? If you used an ice cream machine and for some reason still had lumps (finicky can of coconut milk?), you could always blend the mixture before putting it into the machine and that should work too!
Jason
I have a big problem with all these keto recipes that use xylitol and similar sugar alcohol sweeteners. They are VERY toxic to dogs. …And don’t tell me to just keep it away from my dog, accidents happen, kids do dumb things and never underestimate the cleverness of a dog that wants to get ahold of something they are not supposed to have.
Well the same could be said for chocolate, avocado, and raisins. All of those things are poisonous to dogs. Unfortunately yes, it means one has to be careful and absolutely should never feed anything to a dog without being sure it’s ok.
Jason
If you have a dog, you should know what they can and cannot without everyone publishing recipes for a completely different species being required to add a warning label for you.