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
I’m all set. I heated the mixture slightly on the stove top. All incorporated. (The interior of my house is below 70 degrees. LOL!)
Made this last night in our Cuisinart ice cream maker, and it came out incredible! We used Lakanto Monkfruit sweetener instead of Xylitol (we’ve read that it spikes sugar a little bit), and served it with some keto chocolate sunflower butter brownie cookies that we baked alongside the ice cream. SOOO GOOD!!
Question: How much cocoa (or cacao) powder would you recommend adding to the recipe for chocolate ice cream?
Hi! I would just use this one 🙂 https://lett-trim.today/2015/08/03/vegan-chocolate-ice-cream/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
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!