Indulge in Keto Rocky Road Ice Cream: Decadent, Guilt-Free Delight You Can't Resist!

For those following a ketogenic lifestyle, the desire for a sweet, comforting treat can be a challenge. However, with this keto rocky road ice cream recipe, you can indulge in a classic favorite without derailing your diet. This recipe delivers a rich chocolate flavor, creamy texture, and satisfying crunch, all while remaining sugar-free and low in carbs.

What Makes This Ice Cream Keto-Friendly?

Traditional rocky road ice cream is loaded with sugar, making it unsuitable for a keto diet. This recipe replaces sugar with keto-friendly sweeteners and uses low-carb ingredients to create a delicious and guilt-free alternative.

Key Ingredients and Their Role

Heavy Whipping Cream: Provides the base for the ice cream, offering a rich and creamy texture. Heavy cream and whipping cream are essentially the same for keto ice cream purposes. Whipping cream must have between 32% and 35% milk fat, and heavy cream must have at least 35% milk fat, but both work in this recipe. For a dairy-free option, coconut cream can be used in place of heavy whipping cream. However, coconut milk ice cream tends to freeze a little harder than those made with heavy cream.
Powdered Swerve: A fine, powdery erythritol-based sweetener that blends well into the ice cream base. While Swerve Confectioners is ideal, the granular form can also be used.
Allulose: This is key to keeping keto ice cream from freezing too hard. A combination of an erythritol-based sweetener, such as Swerve, with allulose or BochaSweet works best.
Xanthan Gum: A common stabilizer in keto ice cream, xanthan gum helps prevent ice crystal formation, resulting in a smoother and creamier final product.
Cocoa Powder: Dutch process cocoa is recommended for its rich chocolate flavor and ability to blend seamlessly. If using natural cocoa or cacao powder, ensure thorough whisking to eliminate clumps.
Unsweetened Chocolate: Provides a deep, intense chocolate flavor without any added sugars. Note that unsweetened chocolate and sugar-free chocolate are not the same thing. Sugar-free is sweetened with alternative sweeteners, whereas unsweetened chocolate has no sweeteners whatsoever. It has 100% cacao.
Unsweetened Nut Milk: Used to thin and lighten the ice cream base without adding extra carbs. Almond or macadamia milk are excellent choices, with only 1 to 2g of carbs per cup. Hemp milk can be used for a nut-free option. Cow’s milk contains 12g of carbs per cup.
Vodka (Optional): A trick for reducing iciness in keto ice cream, but it can be omitted if desired.
Chopped Nuts: Pecans are often preferred, offering a delightful crunch and nutty flavor. Many recipes for rocky road call for chopped peanuts but you can use pecans or walnuts instead.
Keto Marshmallows: Homemade keto marshmallows are recommended, as many store-bought sugar-free versions may not be very keto-friendly.

Making Keto Marshmallows

You need to make these in advance of the ice cream. While there are a few sugar-free marshmallow brands out there, I don’t recommend them as very keto-friendly. But it’s incredibly easy to make your own, I promise! And you can store them in the freezer or fridge for future recipes.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare the Marshmallows: If you don’t already have keto marshmallows ready to go, you want to make these first. They take a full day to set and dry out properly. But once you have them, you can refrigerate or freeze them for up to several months.
Simmer the Cream and Sweeteners: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream and both sweeteners. Whisk to dissolve the sweeteners, and let the mixture cook until it becomes thicker and a little syrupy, about 10 minutes.
Incorporate Xanthan Gum: Remove from heat and sprinkle the surface with xanthan gum. Whisk quickly to combine.
Add Chocolate and Cocoa: Add the cocoa powder and chocolate and let sit until the chocolate melts. Whisk until smooth.
Chill the Mixture: Chill the mixture 2 hours.
Whisk in Nut Milk, Vodka, Vanilla Extract, and Salt: At this point, your mixture will be very thick. Whisk in the almond milk to thin it out, then whisk in the vodka, vanilla extract, and salt.
Churn the Ice Cream: Add the mixture to an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's in instructions.
Add Marshmallows and Pecans: Once churned, transfer to an airtight container and stir in the chopped marshmallows and pecans.
Freeze Until Firm: Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to overnight. If you use allulose in this recipe, it may take up to overnight to firm up properly.

Tips for Perfect Keto Rocky Road Ice Cream

Prep Your Ice Cream Maker: Don’t forget to freeze the canister if you own a model that requires this step. It often takes 12 hours for the canister to be ready for churning.
Use Quality Ingredients: Opt for high-quality cocoa powder and sugar-free chocolate for the best flavor.
Chill the Base Thoroughly: Refrigerating the ice cream base is a key step if you want rich flavorful ice cream that is soft and creamy. Chilling the ice cream mixture before churning allows the ice cream maker to freeze the ice cream faster which decreases the size of ice crystals formed when churning or freezing.
Don't Overchurn: Churn the ice cream until it reaches a soft-serve consistency. Overchurning can result in a grainy texture.
Be Patient: Allow the ice cream to freeze completely before scooping for the best texture.
Add Mix-Ins at the End: Stir in the chopped marshmallows and nuts after churning to maintain their texture and prevent them from becoming too hard.
Store Properly: Store ice cream covered in a freezer safe container in the freezer up to 2 weeks. Like with most homemade ice creams, allow to soften 10-15 minutes before scooping.

Variations and Substitutions

Dairy-Free: Use full-fat canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Other nut milks like cashew milk, hemp milk or almond milk can be used in place of macadamia nut milk. Make sure you add the xanthan gum and vodka to make it softer.
Nuts: Experiment with different nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or macadamia nuts.
Chocolate: Use sugar-free chocolate chips or a chopped sugar-free chocolate bar. Chop the sugar-free chocolate into small, evenly sized pieces so they distribute nicely when churned into the ice cream.
Marshmallows: I recommend homemade keto marshmallows, but you can also use Max Mallows if you prefer. They are made with xylitol so make sure you keep them away from your dogs, if you own them!

Serving Suggestions

This chocolate ice cream is so rich and satisfying, you’ll be happy with a small serving size. Scoop into a bowl, cone or waffle cup. Now you can indulge in chocolate ice cream to your heart’s content!

Rocky Road Variations Around the World

Rocky road is truly wonderful in that you can pretty much do what suits your taste buds’ desires (and turns out it varies a bit from country to country)! From the UK version with digestive biscuits (i.e.

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Health Benefits

We all know that sweet foods (even ones without sugars as I’ve been reading in this article), trigger a brain response that releases dopamine, which has a whole host of benefits. These include: increased motivation, anticipation of pleasure, focus, extraversion, memory/learning, creativity, etc, while also decreasing inflammation and nausea). I like almost any flavour, but rocky road is a good choice for someone going through a sad time, with all the cocoa and dark chocolate, you definitely get a significant dose of flavonoids that are powerful anti-oxidants help boost your immune system and can also help improve mood. Marshmallows (ones made with marshmallow root tea), brings a soothing character to the ice cream. Not only can marshmallows and their soft, chewy texture remind us of good times in our youth.

Why This Recipe Works

This easy sugar-free keto chocolate ice cream recipe delivers ultra-rich chocolate flavor in a creamy, scoopable frozen treat. Cocoa powder provides intense chocolate flavor without any bitterness since it is balanced with a sugar substitute called allulose. Using a sugar-free alternative is key to keeping the carbs and calories low.

Comfort Food

Round two of comfort food recipes. This time I made a keto-friendly, low-carb rocky road ice cream, a solid choice for a comfort food when you’re sad, depressed, grieving or even for helping soothe you when you have a cold (provided that you don’t have bad reactions to dairy… I’ve always found ice cream to be a comfort food. As a child, it was one of the foods I might get to eat as a treat when I was home sick.

Making it a Rocky Road

Whisk together the egg yolks and cocoa powder in a pot over medium heat. For best results, use high-quality cocoa powder that is dark and has a strong chocolate flavor. Add the powdered allulose along with the rest of the macadamia milk. Mix until smooth. Pour in the heavy cream and mix again until fully incorporated. Simmer the mixture for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken and can coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and pour into a jug or large measuring cup. Once chilled, pour into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions for about 20-30 minutes. In the last few minutes of churning, add the chopped nuts, sugar-free marshmallows and keto chocolate (if using). Mix until evenly distributed. Transfer the churned ice cream to a lidded container and freeze for 2-4 hours until firm.

Can I make this dairy free?

To make dairy free rocky road ice cream, use full fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream.

Can I make this without an ice cream maker?

To make no churn rocky road, use an electric mixer to whip the chocolate mixture after refrigerating. Then pour into a freezer safe container and freeze for 4-6 hours or until hardened. No churn ice cream can be made in a mason jar by pouring the mixture in a mason jar and shaking until thickened. Then freeze the jar.

Is refrigerating the ice cream base necessary?

Yes, refrigerating the ice cream base is a key step if you want rich flavorful ice cream that is soft and creamy. Chilling the ice cream mixture before churning allows the ice cream maker to freeze the ice cream faster which decreases the size of ice crystals formed when churning or freezing.

Paleo and Keto Rocky Road

This paleo and keto rocky road, in its no-bake glory, is ridiculously easy to whip up! This rocky road has our keto marshmallows as the star ingredient (though see ingredients section for a store-bought variety!). And it turns out that, unlike their sugar counterparts loaded with additives and corn syrup, these sugar-free marshmallows are not too bad health-wise at all.

Choosing Ingredients

The keto marshmallows are our very own (extra fluffy!) recipe. Choose quality ingredients (such as this grass fed gelatin) for a top notch collagen packed treat! For the sugar-free chocolate, any chocolate chips (or bar!) will do really. My one advice is that you love its taste solo (so avoid the 100% unsweetened bars)! (Grass-fed!) butter… or ghee/coconut oil/nut butter! You are eating the butter raw, so going organic and grass-fed really is advisable. Because, aside from the taste being 1,34049 times better, grass-fed butter has a completely different nutritional profile to regular butter. It is loaded with Vitamin-K2 (which de-calcifies your arteries), anti-inflammatory fatty acid called butyrate, among many other perks. For the nuts I like to do a mix of hazelnuts and almonds. Dried berries are totally optional, but they add a wonderful tang that livens up the mix and I cannot recommend them enough!

Easy to Whip Up

Not much to it guys, as rocky road might just be one of the easiest candy out there to whip up! Maybe the one thing to consider is how thick you want it. I went for an 8×6″ mold… but because of how rich rocky road is, it’ll do better in an 8×8″. This paleo and keto rocky road, in its no-bake glory, is ridiculously easy to whip up! Whip up a batch of our keto marshmallows (you can always do half the batch, but leftovers are always a good idea in my book!), or buy a sugar free version (see notes!). The one difference is that you'll want to spread the batter onto a baking sheet so it's roughly 3/5-1" thick. Allow to set for 5 hours or overnight. Slice into bite-sized pieces. Toast the hazelnuts and almonds in a dry skillet or pan over medium/low heat until golden and fragrant, tossing them about every so often (about 5 minutes). Set aside to cool while you prepare the rest. Line an 8x8" baking pan with parchment paper, set aside. Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a water bath, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature (important so as to not melt your marshmallows!). Add the nuts, marshmallows and blueberries (optional, but highly suggested!) into the chocolate and stir to coat. *If you prefer not to make your own keto marshmallows (they're easy guys!), you can buy these sugar free marshmallows (just keep in mind they're not the cleanest and have Maltitol… **I like to do a mix of salted and unsalted (just 50/50) for a more complex flavor kick (remember salt is chocolate's bff)!

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tags: #keto #rocky #road #ice #cream