For those following a ketogenic diet, the idea of indulging in ice cream might seem like a distant dream. The keto diet involves drastically reducing your carb intake while eating the majority of your calories from fat and a moderate amount of calories from protein. Classic ice cream, with its high sugar content, is typically off-limits. However, the growing popularity of the keto lifestyle has led to the development of low-carb ice cream options that allow you to enjoy a sweet treat without derailing your dietary goals.
Most ice cream is high in carbs, but there are low carb versions made with plant fibers and sugar alcohols instead of added sugar, making them suitable for the keto diet. Keto ice cream can also be made at home using a combination of fat and sugar substitutes.
Understanding Keto Ice Cream
What Makes Ice Cream Keto-Friendly?
Traditional ice cream is loaded with sugar, which is a big no-no on the keto diet. Keto ice cream replaces sugar with alternative sweeteners and often incorporates higher fat content to align with the ketogenic macronutrient ratio.
Key Ingredients in Keto Ice Cream
- Alternative Sweeteners: Common sweeteners include erythritol, monk fruit, stevia, and allulose. These sweeteners provide the desired sweetness without significantly impacting blood sugar levels.
- High-Fat Base: Heavy cream, coconut milk, and egg yolks are often used to create a rich and creamy texture while increasing the fat content.
- Fiber: Some keto ice creams include added fiber, such as chicory root fiber or soluble corn fiber, to improve texture and reduce net carbs.
Net Carbs vs. Total Carbohydrates
When evaluating keto ice cream, it's essential to understand the difference between net carbs and total carbohydrates. Net carbs are the carbohydrates that the body digests and can impact blood sugar levels. To calculate net carbs, subtract the grams of fiber and sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrates.
Net carbs is a term used by food manufacturers to describe the carbohydrates left after you subtract sugar alcohols and fiber from total carbohydrates. However, the term isn’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A lack of regulation on product labels may lead to consumer confusion based on how net carbohydrates are calculated and the potential differences between brands and labels (1). Both net carbs and total carbohydrates are listed for each variety of ice cream so that you can make the best decision for your diet.
Read also: Quick Keto Sour Cream Dip
Top Store-Bought Keto Ice Cream Brands
Here are some popular store-bought keto ice cream brands, known for their flavor, texture, and adherence to keto guidelines:
1. Rebel Creamery
- Price: \$5.99 per pint
- Key Features: Rebel uses cream instead of skim milk in its ice cream. This shows in the nutrients, with many flavors topping 20 grams of total fat and over 200 calories per serving. As with all keto-friendly ice creams, the varieties are low in net carbs, but Rebel also emphasizes using low glycemic index ingredients to set itself apart from other keto-friendly ice creams on the market. Low glycemic index ingredients may be beneficial for blood sugar management in certain populations (2).
- Flavor Highlight: Butter Pecan (2 grams of net carbs per serving)
- Nutrition Facts (Per 2/3 cup serving of Butter Pecan): Calories: 230, Fat: 24 grams, Carbs: 13 grams, Fiber: 3 grams, Sugar Alcohol: 8 grams, Net Carbs: 2 grams, Protein: 3 grams
- Ingredients (Butter Pecan flavor): cream, water, roasted pecans (pecans, butter, coconut oil, salt), erythritol, vegetable glycerin, egg yolks, chicory root fiber, milk protein isolate, natural vanilla flavor, salt, Peruvian carob gum, guar gum, monk fruit
- Other Flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Fudge, Mint Chip, Strawberry, Coffee Chip, Black Raspberry, Cherry Chip, Triple Chocolate
2. Arctic Zero
- Price: \$5.29 per pint
- Key Features: This keto-friendly, dairy-free ice cream is made with a combination of plant fibers and faba bean protein. The Arctic Zero company touts the benefits of faba bean protein as being both allergy- and environmentally-friendly (5). Arctic Zero stands out in the keto-friendly ice cream market because of its lack of sugar alcohols. This may make the brand a better choice for those with a digestive condition that makes them sensitive to sugar alcohol intake (6). In addition to the lack of sugar alcohol, Arctic Zero ice cream is lower in calories than other keto-friendly ice creams.
- Flavor Highlight: Cake Batter (8 grams of net carbs per serving)
- Nutrition Facts (Per 2/3 cup serving of Cake Batter): Calories: 50, Fat: 0 grams, Carbs: 11 grams, Fiber: 3 grams, Sugar Alcohol: 0 grams, Net Carbs: 8 grams, Protein: 2 grams
- Ingredients (Cake Batter flavor): purified water, organic cane sugar, allulose, sugarcane fiber, and/or vegetable fiber, faba bean protein concentrate, gum blend (acacia, tara, guar), natural flavors, sea salt, turmeric, monk fruit concentrate
- Other Flavors: Classic Vanilla, Pistachio, Cookie Shake, Purely Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Hint of Mint
3. Enlightened Keto
- Price: \$9 per pint
- Key Features: Enlightened Keto offers a variety pack of keto-friendly ice creams that comes with eight pints. The brand also offers other types of ice creams, including dairy-free and light varieties in addition to the keto-friendly line. The product line also includes cheesecakes, cookies, and various other desserts.
- Flavor Highlight: Chocolate Peanut Butter (7 grams of net carbs per serving)
- Nutrition Facts (Per 2/3 cup serving of Chocolate Peanut Butter): Calories: 230, Fat: 21 grams, Carbs: 14 grams, Fiber: 4 grams, Sugar Alcohol: 3 grams, Net Carbs: 7 grams, Protein: 5 grams
- Ingredients (Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor): cream, water, peanuts, egg yolks, non-GMO soluble corn fiber, erythritol, allulose, dutched cocoa, peanut oil, milk protein concentrate, vegetable glycerin, tara gum, guar gum, monk fruit extract, salt
- Other Flavors: P.B. Cookie & Brownie Dough, Caramel Chocolate Double Dough, Butter Pecan, Red Velvet, Chocolate Glazed Donut, Peanut Butter Fudge, Mint Chocolate Chunk, Coffee Chocolate Chunk
4. Halo Top
- Price: \$5.99 per pint
- Key Features: Halo Top is a low carb option that’s higher in protein than most other keto-friendly ice creams. The brand offers 10 flavors of keto-friendly ice creams with a range of 5 to 10 grams of net carbs per pint and 200 calories or less per serving.
- Flavor Highlight: Macadamia Nut Cookie (3 grams of net carbs per serving)
- Nutrition Facts (Per 2/3 cup serving of Macadamia Nut Cookie): Calories: 150, Fat: 11 grams, Carbs: 15 grams, Fiber: 3 grams, Sugar Alcohol: 9 grams, Net Carbs: 3 grams, Protein: 6 grams
- Ingredients (Macadamia Nut Cookie flavor): ultrafiltered skim milk, cream, erythritol, eggs, vegetable glycerine, soluble corn fiber, inulin, macadamia nuts, sugar, skim milk, contains 1% or less of natural flavors, coconut oil, corn starch, salt, stevia leaf extract (Reb M), sunflower lecithin, stevia leaf extract (Reb A), citric acid, cellulose gel, cellulose gum
- Other Flavors: Mint Chocolate Cookie, Turtle Cheesecake, Banana Cream Pie, Brownie a la mode, Caramel Butter Pecan, Chocolate Caramel Lava Cake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Vanilla Bean
5. So Delicious No Sugar Added Coconutmilk Frozen Dessert
- Price: \$5.99
- Key Features: So Delicious offers a full dairy-free product line that includes cheese and yogurt alternatives, plant-based beverages, and plant-based frozen desserts. The dairy-free no sugar added ice creams are a keto-friendly alternative to dairy-based varieties.
- Flavor Highlight: Vanilla Bean (10 grams of net carbs per serving)
- Nutrition Facts (Per 2/3 cup serving of Vanilla Bean): Calories: 130, Fat: 9 grams, Carbs: 24 grams, Fiber: 10 grams, Sugar Alcohol: 4 grams, Net Carbs: 10 grams, Protein: 2 grams
- Ingredients (Vanilla Bean flavor): organic coconutmilk (filtered water, organic coconut), chicory root extract, acacia gum, erythritol, vegetable glycerin, pea protein, guar gum, sea salt, locust bean gum, monk fruit extract, natural flavor, vanilla bean specks
- Other Flavors: Mint Chip, Chocolate, Butter Pecan, Cookies N’ Cream
6. KETO Foods
- Price: \$9.99
- Key Features: KETO Foods, founded in 2018, has a line of products including ice cream pints, ice cream bars, and chocolate all made with the keto diet in mind. Using a combination of cream, egg yolks, and erythritol as primary ingredients makes this keto-friendly ice cream high in fat, but relatively low in total carbohydrates.
- Flavor Highlight: Keto Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl (3 grams of net carbs per serving)
- Nutrition Facts (Per 2/3 cup serving of Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl): Calories: 250, Fat: 23 grams, Carbs: 22 grams, Fiber: 7 grams, Sugar Alcohol: 12 grams, Net Carbs: 3 grams, Protein: 5 grams
- Ingredients (Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl): cream, water, peanut butter cup (unsweetened chocolate, erythritol, cocoa butter, steviol glycosides, sunflower lecithin, peanut butter (peanuts, salt), coconut oil, peanut oil, whole milk powder, soy lecithin), egg yolk, erythritol, peanut oil, chicory root fiber, milk protein concentrate, tapioca fiber, cocoa processed with alkali, cocoa, whey, sea salt, vegetable glycerin, vanilla extract, sunflower lecithin, guar gum, steviol glycosides, monk fruit extract, gum acacia
- Other Flavors: Cake Batter, Triple Chocolate Brownie, Black Raspberry, Butter Pecan, Cherry Chip, Cookie Dough, Strawberry, Peanut Butter Cup, Mint Chip, Sea Salt Caramel
7. Breyer’s Carb Smart
- Price: \$4.99 per pint
- Key Features: While the Breyer’s Carb Smart ice cream is lower in fat than many other keto-friendly ice creams, it can still fit into a keto diet due to its total carbohydrate content. The total carbohydrates per serving of this ice cream are amongst the lowest when compared with other brands listed.
- Flavor Highlight: Coffee Cookie Crunch (5 grams of net carbs per serving)
- Nutrition Facts (Per 2/3 cup serving of Coffee Cookie Crunch): Calories: 120, Fat: 6 grams, Carbs: 17 grams, Fiber: 4 grams, Sugar Alcohol: 8 grams, Net Carbs: 5 grams, Protein: 2 grams
- Ingredients (Coffee Cookie Crunch): skim milk, cream, maltitol syrup, water, polydextrose, coconut oil, glycerin, coffee extract, whey, less than 2% of: sugar, dutched cocoa (process with alkali), soluble corn fiber, enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), mono and diglycerides, vegetable oil (soybean, palm), guar gum, carob bean gum, dried cane syrup, natural flavor, cocoa, soy lecithin, corn starch, sodium bicarbonate, milk, salt, acesulfame potassium, sucralose
- Other Flavors: Brownie a la Mode, Mint Fudge Cookie, Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Mint Chip, Vanilla Chocolate
Making Keto Ice Cream at Home
For those who enjoy experimenting in the kitchen, making keto ice cream at home is a simple and rewarding process. Here are a couple of easy recipes to get you started:
Homemade Vanilla Keto Ice Cream
- Ingredients:
- 2 cups (500 mL) canned full-fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup (48 grams) erythritol
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
- Instructions:
- Whisk together all ingredients.
- Pour into ice cube trays and freeze for a few hours.
- Add the frozen cubes to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth.
- Nutrition Facts (Per 1/2 cup serving): Calories: 226, Fat: 24 grams, Carbs: 3 grams, Fiber: 0 grams, Sugar Alcohol: 12 grams, Net Carbs: 0 grams, Protein: 2 grams
Homemade Strawberry Keto Ice Cream
- Ingredients:
- 2 cups (500 mL) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) sour cream
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) fresh strawberries
- 1/3 cup (64 grams) erythritol or Swerve
- Instructions:
- Blend all ingredients together.
- Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan and freeze for 3-5 hours, until hard.
- Nutrition Facts (Per 1/2 cup serving): Calories: 454, Fat: 45 grams, Carbs: 6 grams, Fiber: 0 grams, Sugar Alcohol: 16 grams, Net Carbs: 0 grams, Protein: 5 grams
General Homemade Keto Ice Cream Recipe
- Ingredients:
- Heavy cream (also known as double cream or thickened cream; do not use reduced fat or light versions)
- Powdered allulose (or other preferred sweetener)
- Xanthan gum (thickens the ice cream and prevents crystallization)
- Optional: Vanilla extract (or other flavorings)
- Instructions:
- In a deep jar, add all the ingredients and gently mix.
- Add the xanthan gum. Churn the ice cream.
- Cover the jar and place it in the freezer for at least 4 hours, stirring every 40 minutes, to ensure it doesn't become too icy.
- Remove from the freezer and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
- Dairy-Free Adaption:
- Swap the heavy cream for full-fat coconut cream (from a can).
- In a deep and wide jar, add all your ingredients and mix.
- Using an immersion or stick mixer, beat everything together until it thickens and soft peaks form.
- Cover the jar and place it in the freezer for at least 4 hours, stirring every 40 minutes, to ensure it doesn't become too icy.
- Remove from the freezer and let sit for 15 minutes, before serving.
Tips for Homemade Keto Ice Cream
- Use an Ice Cream Maker: While not essential, an ice cream maker can help create a smoother and creamier texture.
- Chill Mixing Tools: Chilling your mixing bowls and utensils beforehand can help the ice cream freeze faster and more evenly.
- Prevent Ice Crystals: Store homemade keto ice cream in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper pressed directly onto the surface. You can also store ice cream in pint-size containers or an ice cream storage tub.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Keto Ice Cream
When selecting a keto-friendly ice cream, keep the following factors in mind:
- Total Carbohydrates: Pick a keto-friendly ice cream that’s low in total carbohydrates relative to the rest of your daily carbohydrate intake. For most keto-friendly ice creams, this number will fall between 10 and 20 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
- Type of Fat: Following a ketogenic diet requires that the majority of total calories come from fat. However, the type of fat in the diet is important for health. A low carb diet consisting of majority saturated fat has been associated with negative health outcomes (8). When choosing a keto-friendly ice cream, opt for a variety that is lower in saturated fat.
- Type of Fiber: Many keto-friendly ice creams have added fiber. Ice cream isn’t a traditional source of added fiber, so it’s important to consider its presence in the context of your diet. Additionally, inulin, a prebiotic fiber, may result in digestive upset for some people. It’s important to check the ingredient list for the fiber source.
- Sugar Alcohols: Adding sugar alcohols to keto-friendly ice creams helps achieve sweetness while also keeping total carbohydrate and sugar low. However, for some people, the addition of sugar alcohols can be an issue. If you need to avoid sugar alcohols, opt for a keto-friendly ice cream made with an alternative sugar substitute such as allulose.
- Allergens: Many keto-friendly ice creams are made with common allergens like dairy, nuts, and soy. Be sure to check the ingredient list if you have any food allergies or sensitivities.
- Sweeteners: Ice cream flavors sweetened with monk fruit, stevia, or Swerve (and nothing else) are safe to consume on the keto diet. Always choose brands that use these products instead of artificial sweeteners.
The Misleading Nature of "Keto-Friendly" Labels
Ice creams labeled as “low-carb,” “keto-friendly,” or “perfect for a low-carb lifestyle” are misleading at best. These are not regulated terms, so do your part to read the nutrition label.
Common Misconceptions
Many people think adopting a keto diet means you have to completely miss out on your favorite sweets. However, with the rise of keto-friendly alternatives, you can still enjoy treats like ice cream in moderation.
Read also: Sweet and Savory Keto Cream Cheese
Serving Suggestions
No ice cream treat would be complete without your favorite toppings. You can make yourself a sundae and top your low-carb ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate fudge. Add a scoop of keto ice cream to a sugar-free cookie for an ice cream sandwich, or drizzle it with sugar-free chocolate fudge. Pair it with chocolate mascarpone truffles for a decadent sweet treat. Blend in berries: Blend 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries (or any other berries) and fold into the cream mixture.
Read also: Ultimate Guide: Heavy Cream & Keto