The Best Low Carb Keto Ice Cream Recipe

Directions

• How To Make Low Carb Ice Cream (For BOTH Methods – No Churn or Ice Cream Maker)
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 2/3 of the heavy cream (2 cups (473 mL)) and powdered erythritol. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick, coats the back of a spoon and volume is reduced by half. It will also pull away from the pan as you tilt it. (This will go faster if you use a larger pan.)
• Pour into a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla extract, and seeds from the vanilla bean, if using. Whisk in the MCT oil or MCT oil powder if using – this is highly recommended in general, and a must if you don’t have an ice cream maker.
• Whisk the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into the sweet mixture in the bowl, until smooth.
• How To Make Keto Ice Cream With An Ice Cream Maker
• Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions, until the ice cream is the consistency of soft serve. (My ice cream maker took 15-20 minutes.)
• Enjoy immediately, or transfer to a freezer container and freeze for 2-4 hours, until firm.
• How To Make Keto Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Maker
• Transfer the mixture to a freezer container (like a 9×5 in (23×13 cm) loaf pan) and smooth the top with a spatula. (If you want to add mix-ins, gently stir them in at this step, and also sprinkle some on top.) Line the surface with a piece of parchment or wax paper to keep ice crystals from forming. (You can use an ice cream maker if you have one.)
• Freeze for 5-6 hours, until firm. Stir the ice cream during the freezing process, every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours and every 60-90 minutes for 2-3 hours after. (Ice cream will get hard in the freezer after longer periods. Let it soften on the counter for 10-30 minutes before serving, and use a wet ice cream scoop to serve.)
• Recipe Notes
• Serving size: 1/2 cup
• This keto ice cream recipe was updated in June 2018 and again in July 2019 to improve texture. The changes included ingredient amounts and method, but nutrition info has not changed much. Nutrition info below reflects the current sugar-free ice cream recipe shown here, not including optional MCT oil/powder. The video still shows the old method of whipping the cream, which you don’t need to do – just whisk the liquid directly into the condensed milk instead.
• If you’d like to lighten up the sugar-free ice cream a bit, you can replace some of the heavy cream in step 1 with coconut milk or almond milk instead (it may take longer to reduce). However, you don’t want to replace any of the cream in step 4.
• Low carb ice cream does harden if it’s in the freezer too long. Using MCT oil or MCT oil powder in the recipe helps.
• After more than 6-8 hours in the freezer, you will likely need to soften the sugar-free ice cream on the counter before serving.