Indulge Guilt-Free: Homemade Keto Drumstick Ice Cream Recipe You Can't Miss!

These homemade keto drumstick ice cream cones are a delicious and healthy alternative to the classic store-bought version. They'll take you back to your childhood, chasing the ice cream truck for your favorite frozen treat, but without the refined sugar and processed ingredients. These keto-friendly drumsticks are perfect for anyone following a low-carb lifestyle or simply looking for a healthier dessert option.

Why Make Your Own Drumsticks?

Ice Cream Drumsticks were a favorite treat for many. This old school treat, with its sweet crunchy cone filled with ice cream, topped with a chocolate shell and sprinkled with chopped peanuts (and don't forget the chocolate surprise at the bottom of the cone!), is hard to resist.

Making your own ice cream cone drumsticks allows you to customize them with your favorite flavors and ingredients. Plus, they are so much better than the store-bought version!

Two Approaches: Cones or Cake?

This article will explore two approaches to recreating the drumstick experience in a keto-friendly way:

Keto Drumstick Ice Cream Cones: Recreating the classic cone with keto-friendly ingredients.
Keto Drumstick Ice Cream Cake: A cake version that captures the essence of the drumstick flavor profile.

Keto Drumstick Ice Cream Cones

Ingredients

Sugar Cones: While traditional recipes use sugar cones, for a keto version, you'll need to find or make keto-friendly cones.
Hot Fudge Sauce: For the bottom of the cone.
Ice Cream: Vanilla and chocolate are classic choices. Opt for keto-friendly ice cream.
Semisweet Chocolate: Either chips or a bar.
Coconut Oil: To mix with the chocolate to make a "Magic Shell" for coating the ice cream. You can also use a neutral oil.
Sprinkles: The traditional topping is chopped salted peanuts or a nut topping mixture. You can also substitute your favorite sprinkles.

Instructions

Prepare the Cones: Place the ice cream cones in the freezer for about 15 minutes to get them cold. To make the cones stand up you can use small juice glasses that you have on hand. You could also use upside down styrofoam cups with holes cut into the bottom to hold the cones. Some recipes call for an empty egg carton where you poke holes on the closed top and the egg holder inside holds the cone erect.
Add the Fudge and Chocolate (Optional): Spoon about a tablespoon of hot fudge sauce into the cone and then, using the back of a small spoon, paint the insides of the cone with the chocolate. This step is optional, but it helps keep the cone from getting soggy as the ice cream softens.
Freeze Again: Return the cones to the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Fill with Ice Cream: Next, using a small spoon, fill the cones to the top with ice cream, smoothing the top so that it is flush with the edges of the cone.
Add the Scoop: Place the filled cones back into the freezer for about 15 minutes. If necessary, let the ice cream soften just enough to make it scoopable. Using an ice cream scoop, create a round scoop and place it on top of the cone, making sure that it is secure.
Freeze Again (Longer): Return the cones to the freezer for at least 30 minutes. An hour is better.
Make the Chocolate Shell: While the cones are chilling, combine the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate with the coconut oil in a bowl and microwave it in 20 second bursts, stirring in between, until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Let the chocolate topping cool a bit before using it so that it doesn't melt the ice cream (I learned the hard way). Have your sprinkles or nuts ready to go.
Coat and Sprinkle: Spoon the chocolate topping over the ice cream scoop, covering it completely, and let the excess drip off back into the bowl. Immediately sprinkle with the nuts or sprinkles before the chocolate hardens.
Final Freeze: Return the cones to the freezer for an hour. Once they're fully frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container in the freezer.

Recipe Variations

Ice Cream Flavor: Use any ice cream flavor you like.
Chocolate Type: You can also make the chocolate shell with milk chocolate or bittersweet chocolate. Even white chocolate would work as long as it's fresh.
Flavor Surprise: You could also place a layer of caramel, nutella, or peanut butter on top of the chocolate "plug" at the bottom of the cone for a fun flavor surprise.
Toppings: You could also use finely chopped candy, sweetened coconut, or cookie crumbs for the sprinkles.

Storage

Keep these cones, individually wrapped in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for about two weeks, although you'll probably have no trouble finishing them sooner. This recipe can easily be doubled.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Keto Drumstick Ice Cream Cake

This version offers a twist on the classic drumstick, transforming it into a shareable cake.

Waffle Cone Flavored Crust

The crust is made just like a graham cracker crust but instead of graham crackers you use ice cream cones. Crush them up, add a little melted butter, and you’ve got yourself a unique pie crust.

Ingredients for the Crust

Ice cream cones
Melted butter

Instructions for the Crust

Put the cones in a food processor and process until they are finely ground. You should end up with somewhere around 1 1/2 cups of crumbs.
Mix the crumbs with the melted butter in a medium sized mixing bowl, tossing as you add the butter, until they are completely mixed.
Lightly spray a 9 inch pie plate and gently but firmly press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides.
Put the crust in the freezer while you make the filling.

Ganache Filling

Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat, until it just comes to a simmer.
Take off the heat and add the chocolate.
Let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth.
Let it cool slightly, then pour into the cold crust, and push it up the sides a little bit.
Put back in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Ice Cream Layer

Take the ice cream out and set it on the counter for about 10-15 minutes to soften. Then spoon it into the cold pie shell and smooth it out.
Fill the shell and mount it slightly. You may not need the whole 1 1/2 quarts. Put the pie back in the freezer until the ice cream is hardened.

Chocolate Topping

To make the chocolate topping melt the chocolate and the coconut oil in the microwave - heat for 45 seconds, then stir. Heat in small 15 second intervals if necessary, stirring in between to melt completely.
Pour the chocolate over the ice cream to cover completely. Immediately sprinkle the nuts over the surface before the chocolate hardens.
Put the pie back in the freezer until you are ready to serve.

Final Touches

Remove the cake a few minutes ahead of time to make cutting easier.

Note: Some of you had trouble slicing through the chocolate topping, so I’ve updated the recipe to be thinner and more slice-able. Let your pie sit out for a few minutes before attempting to cut. Use a sharp knife dipped in very hot water (and quickly dried off) before each slice. If you’re entertaining and want a neater presentation, you could add the final chocolate shell AFTER cutting the pie.

Drumstick Inspired Ice Cream

Why this recipe works

The vanilla ice cream base is so simple. You can make it as a no-churn ice cream or bust out that ice cream maker and do it the old fashioned way! It uses just a few simple ingredients to get that delicious, homemade ice cream taste that’s so creamy. Then, you literally just layer the ice cream with the other ingredients you’d find in a drumstick. Melted chocolate, chopped roasted peanuts, and waffle cone pieces.

And while you may wonder why anyone would make an ice cream when you can just buy a drumstick, I’d argue that the reason is how well-distributed the ingredients are. Every bit is that perfect bite. Chocolate. Peanuts. Waffle cone. Creamy ice cream. That’s why adding the ingredients in layers is ideal, to help make each bite perfection.

Key ingredients

Egg yolks: Needed to thicken the custard and provide that rich custardy base.
Sugar: Granulated sugar is used.
Vanilla: Necessary to get that rich, creamy ice cream base.
Whole milk: This is heated into the custard, so avoid using nonfat to get the best texture.
Heavy cream: You can either whip this separately and fold it into the custard OR stir the two together and churn it all in an ice cream maker. Both work relatively the same, with an ice cream maker giving a bit fluffier of a result.
Waffle cones: Don’t get the flat bottomed kind-you want a waffle-style cone.
Roasted peanuts: I had already roasted peanuts that I chopped, but you can buy pre-chopped or even raw peanuts then roast and chop them yourself.
Chocolate: You can use chips or baking chocolate. As long as it’s something you can melt, it’ll work.

How to make drumstick ice cream

Make the ice cream

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. This takes a few minutes, so feel free to use a hand mixer. You want it pale yellow and fluffy-it should increase in volume by at least 50%.
Heat milk and vanilla until steaming. Heat in a medium saucepan over medium and stir frequently so it doesn’t burn.
Slowly whisk (temper) milk into yolks. You want to pour slowly and whisk quickly. It can take practice, so take breaks as needed and be sure you have a bowl that stays put (some of mine start spinning as I whisk).
Heat the custard until thickened. After all the milk is tempered into the eggs, pour it all back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until it’s roughly the thickness of instant pudding before it sets.
Chill until set. Place a piece of plastic wrap wright on the custard so it doesn’t form a skin. Refrigerate at least an hour.

For a slow-churned ice cream

Combine cooled custard and heavy cream. Stir well so everything is evenly mixed.
Churn according to machine directions. Be sure you have enough ice and rock salt or that you’ve frozen your maker’s insert well in advance (some require 24 hours).
Melt the chocolate. Melt the chocolate while the ice cream churns so it’s cooled by the time the ice cream is done. Heat in the microwave at half power in 15 second intervals. Or, you can use a double boiler (bring 2” water to a boil in a medium saucepan, turn it down to low, then set a heatproof bowl with the chocolate in it over that and stir until nearly melted, removing from heat and stirring until completely smooth).
Layer into container with toppings. Start with about 1/3 of the ice cream base. Drizzle 1/3 of the chocolate. Sprinkle 1/3 of the waffle cone bits and 1/3 of the peanuts (or as much as you want-it’s a flexible recipe). Repeat this process two more times until all of the ingredients are layered.
Freeze 3-4 hours or overnight. It’s soft-serve consistency right away, but that gets a little messy with the swirl. It’s best to freeze it at least a few hours.

For a no-churn ice cream

Melt the chocolate. Melt the chocolate first so it’s cooled by the time the ice cream is done. Heat in the microwave at half power in 15 second intervals. Or, you can use a double boiler (bring 2” water to a boil in a medium saucepan, turn it down to low, then set a heatproof bowl with the chocolate in it over that and stir until nearly melted, removing from heat and stirring until completely smooth).
Whip cream until soft peaks. You want sturdy peaks but the cream should still be shiny and just starting to turn matte in spots.
Fold into cooled custard. Do this in thirds so you don’t deflate the cream.
Layer into container with toppings. Start with about 1/3 of the ice cream base. Drizzle 1/3 of the chocolate. Sprinkle 1/3 of the waffle cone bits and 1/3 of the peanuts (or as much as you want-it’s a flexible recipe). Repeat this process two more times until all of the ingredients are layered.
Freeze 4-8 hours.

Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe

Is slow-churned better than no-churn?

I notice very little difference between the two. The biggest thing I’ve found is that no-churn is harder straight from the freezer and needs a few minutes to soften on the counter. Once it has, it tastes just the same!

What if my eggs scrambled?

Sometimes, the eggs scramble just a bit. If they’ve scrambled a lot, with large chunks of egg, you should start over. However, if you’re unsure or think you see some tiny egg bits, just use a large fine mesh sieve to strain the custard before chilling. It’ll remove any egg that didn’t temper properly.

Can I make this without eggs?

Yes! I personally prefer the taste of egg-based vanilla ice creams, but you can make this recipe by using one 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk instead of the egg yolks, milk, and sugar (so replacing the custard). You’ll simply melt the chocolate chips and let them cool slightly stir them, the vanilla, and the cocoa powder into the sweetened condensed milk in a large mixing bowl. The replaces the custard, so you can then either add the heavy cream and churn with an ice cream maker or follow the no-churn option above.

Coat the waffle cone in chocolate

One thing that can happen after a few weeks in the freezer is that the waffle cone bits will get soggy. It shouldn’t happen right away, but I noticed it toward the end. To prevent this, you could do one of two things. You could coat the waffle cone bits in chocolate before making the ice cream. You’d need to toss them in melted chocolate then let them dry on a wire cooling rack. Alternatively, you could drizzle more chocolate on top of them right after layering them into the ice cream. This should help seal in the crispness for longer.

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

General Tips for Keto Drumstick Creations

Sweeteners: Use your favorite keto-friendly sweetener in the ice cream and chocolate shell. Erythritol, stevia, and monk fruit are all good options.
Chocolate: Opt for dark chocolate with a high cocoa content for a richer flavor and lower carb count.
Nuts: Choose your favorite nuts for the topping. Pecans, almonds, and macadamia nuts are all great keto-friendly choices.
Cone Alternatives: If you can't find keto-friendly cones, consider serving the ice cream in a bowl or making a keto-friendly waffle cone alternative.
Magic shell recipe: Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper and place it into the freezer. Place 2 ounces of chocolate chips in a small bowl and microwave in 30 seconds intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir in 1 teaspoon of coconut oil until smooth.

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