Indulge in Sweet Nostalgia: Homemade Keto Cotton Candy Ice Cream Recipes

Craving a taste of childhood fairs and sugary delights without the guilt? Look no further! This article explores several ways to recreate the magical flavor of cotton candy in a creamy, frozen dessert, including keto and sugar-free options. Whether you have an ice cream maker or prefer the ease of a no-churn recipe, there's a perfect cotton candy ice cream waiting for you.

No-Churn Cotton Candy Ice Cream: A Simple Delight

Learn how to make this easy No Churn Cotton Candy Ice Cream Recipe. You don’t need an ice cream maker or any fancy equipment to make this treat, and the entire recipe is super easy without eggs. Enjoy homemade ice cream without any fancy machines and complicated ingredients. Each bite is so sweet and tasty with a vanilla base. It is a family favorite around here and the kids just love it! It requires on a few ingredients to make this fun and full of flavor ice cream. It’s so much better than what is at the grocery store or Baskin-Robbins. This recipe comes out so sweet there is no need to add in granulated sugar.

Ingredients

• Heavy Whipping Cream: Needs to be very cold. Don’t remove from the fridge until ready to use.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: Refrigerate before using.
• Cotton Candy Flavoring: You can also add vanilla extract.
• Food coloring: Feel free to use any color you prefer.

Instructions

1. Freeze the Loaf Pan. Place the loaf pan or container in the freezer at least 30 minutes before you begin.
2. Beat the whipping cream in a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer bowl.
3. Stir together the sweetened condensed milk and cotton candy flavoring until smooth.
4. Freeze the cotton candy ice cream recipe overnight to get the desired consistency.
5. Scoop and serve. Serve with cotton candy on the side if you like.

Tips and Tricks for No-Churn Perfection

• Soft Serve Style: This homemade ice cream is soft serve and melts quicker than store bought ice cream. We recommend not leaving it out for long periods of time.
• Flavor Enhancement: Cotton Candy Flavoring can be found in the baking section at most craft stores, or in the candy making area.
• Fun Add-ins: You can also add sprinkles if you like. The kids love to add sprinkles and they go crazy over this recipe.
• Colorful Creations: We used pink and blue food coloring, but you can use what you have.
• Proper Storage: Store inside an airtight container in the freezer. To ensure freshness, you might also want to put a piece of wax paper directly on top of the ice cream. This extra step will help to prevent ice crystals from forming on top. If you do not have a container with lid, you can freeze in the loaf pan. As long as its stored properly, this ice cream will last about 1 month if covered. We do recommend serving this ice cream within about 2 weeks of making it.

Keto Cotton Candy Ice Cream: Guilt-Free Indulgence

For those watching their sugar intake, a creamy, sugar-free cotton candy ice cream is entirely possible. Here are a couple of approaches, one using a Ninja Creami and another adaptable to other ice cream makers.

Ninja Creami Keto Cotton Candy Ice Cream

Creamy Sugar Free Cotton Candy Ice Cream made with the Ninja Creami machine! With 0g of sugar, only 1g carb, and 7g of protein, it's a perfect sweet snack for those mindful of their health.

Ingredients:

• Vanilla Protein Powder: We use a low carb protein powder that adds protein to boost nutritional value and contribute to the creamy texture.
• Liquid Stevia: A natural sweetener that provides sweetness without adding sugar or carbs.
• 1.5 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 scoop low carb vanilla protein powder
• ½ teaspoon cotton candy flavoring
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 drop natural red food coloring
• ¼ teaspoon guar gum
• 10 drops liquid stevia
• 1 oz of heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients (except the heavy whipping cream) in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds until smooth.
2. Pour the mixture into the Ninja Creami pint container, seal, and freeze for 24 hours.
3. Take it out, place in the Ninja Creami outer container, and lock it in.
4. Once the spinning is complete, if needed, create a well in the ice cream, add 1 oz of heavy whipping cream down the center, and use the "Mix-In" function to evenly distribute.

Ninja Creami Cotton Candy Protein Ice Cream

A childhood favorite made to keep you full and have zero guilt.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Ingredients:

• 1 Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker
• 1 11.5oz Fairlife Strawberry protein shake or shake of choice
• 5-6 Drops Cotton candy extract
• 1 TBSP Simply Delish vanilla pudding mix or sugar free pudding mx
• Blue food coloring
• Salt

Instructions:

1. In the Ninja Creami pint container, add the protein shake, cotton candy extract, pudding mix, food coloring and pinch of salt
2. Mix everything until well combine (use a mini blender if needed to combine well)
3. Place the pint lid on and place the container into the freezer for 24 hours
4. Once ready, take the pint lid off
5. Place the pint into the Creami bowl with the bowl lid and blade attachment.
6. Set the machine to the “Light ice cream” mode
7. Once the cycle is done, press the “Light Ice Cream” mode button again
8. Press the “re mix” button a few times after and between the mixes take the back of a spoon and scrape the edges down
9. Once the ice cream is nice and creamy enjoy

Tips and Considerations for Keto Ice Cream

• Milk Alternatives: Yes, you can substitute regular milk for almond milk if preferred. However, keep in mind that it may alter the flavor and nutritional content of the ice cream.
• Protein Powder: Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with different flavors of protein powder to customize the taste of your ice cream.
• Guar Gum: While guar gum helps improve the texture of the ice cream, you can omit it if desired. However, the final consistency may be slightly different.

Classic Cotton Candy Ice Cream with an Ice Cream Maker

For those who prefer a more traditional approach, using an ice cream maker is a great way to achieve that perfect creamy texture.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup cotton candy syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• food coloring

Instructions

1. Before mixing ingredients, ensure that your chosen ice cream maker is ready to churn ice cream (attachments frozen, ice added, etc).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together heavy whipping cream, milk, sugar, cotton candy syrup, vanilla extract, and salt until sugar is dissolved.
3. Using food coloring: Depending on brand of cotton candy syrup used, ice cream mixture might already have some color. If you'd like to adjust it, keep in mind that only a small amount of food coloring is needed to create noticeable changes. Start with a drop or two, mix. If desired hue has not been reached, continue to mix in food coloring until it's to your liking.
4. Pour mixed ice cream mixture into chilled bowl/attachment of your ice cream maker.
5. Churn ice cream for 25-30 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.
6. If you'd like soft ice cream, serve cotton candy ice cream immediately as desired. Store ice cream in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 2 months. For best taste and texture, consume within 2-4 weeks.

Dairy-Free Cotton Candy Ice Cream

This homemade remake is perfectly sweet, it's naturally colored with blue Spirulina and dragonfruit, and it's gluten and dairy free! So go ahead and indulge!

Ingredients:

• blue Spirulina powder
• dragonfruit juice
• raspberry extract

Instructions:

1. Process your ingredients, minus colorants & raspberry extract, together until smooth
2. Divide in half
3. Stir in blue spirunila powder into one half
4. Stir in 2 tsp dragonfruit juice and raspberry extract to the other half

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

• Cotton Candy Syrup: The star of the show! This ice cream relies on whole milk and heavy cream to get that smooth, creamy texture we all know and love. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend directly substituting the dairy here.
• Milk and Cream: Ice cream makers work by freezing and churning a dairy mix at the same time. Churning adds air to the mix (like whipping cream), while freezing keeps the ice crystals small.

Ice Cream Maker Options

• Stand-Alone Machines: These come in varieties like classic, compressed, or soft serve. Most of them chill a removable bowl or use ice around the churning bowl to freeze the mixture.
• Mixer Attachments: Brands like KitchenAid offer ice cream maker attachments for their stand mixers. This is how I made the ice cream for this recipe, and it’s my go-to option.

Addressing Common Concerns

• Re-freezing Ice Cream: The short answer is yes, but it comes with some caveats.
  • Air is lost: Ice cream’s creamy texture comes from the air that gets mixed in during churning.
  • Graininess: When ice cream is freshly churned, it has small, smooth ice crystals.
  • Food safety concerns: If the ice cream sat out for too long or got too warm, it could be unsafe to eat.

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

tags: #keto #cotton #candy #ice #cream #recipe