What’s better than keto chocolate ice cream? One with a ribbon of peanut butter swirled into it, of course! This Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream is ultra-rich and creamy, and stays soft and scoopable in the freezer. Every bite is a little bit of heaven!
Low Carb Baskin Robbins Copycat Recipe
Once up on a time, I was a Baskin Robbins fanatic. We had a store a few blocks away when I was growing up, and we loved to grab a scoop or two on a hot summer night. Chocolate peanut butter was probably my favorite flavor.
For years now, I’ve been trying to recreate that sweet memory in a keto-friendly fashion. I’ve made some pretty tasty versions, but I’ve struggled to get the right balance of flavors. Unlike other brands of ice cream, the Baskin Robbins version features a dark chocolate base, and many of my previous attempts were too light.
But I have finally done it and it’s everything I want it to be. Rich and chocolatey, with sweet and salty chunks of peanut butter. It takes me back to my childhood and I bet it will for you too!
★★★★★
Wendy says: “I made this for my father on Father’s Day and he loved it. I did too! The depth of chocolate flavor was fantastic, and I liked the way you added in the peanut butter so that it did not completely mix in and disappear. I’m certain I will make it again. Thank you Carolyn!“
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Heavy cream: Ice cream should be made with real cream (crazy, right?). You could try coconut cream for a dairy-free version but I find that it always turns out more icy.
- Low carb milk: A little nut milk or other low carb milk can lighten the ice cream and not make it feel so heavy.
- Sweetener: The trick to a scoopable consistency is the combination of sweeteners. I use a combination of erythritol and allulose. Please see the Sweetener Options for more details.
- Cocoa powder: For that really rich chocolate base, I recommend a good Dutch process cocoa powder like Guittard. Natural cocoa powder will work but will result in a lighter chocolate.
- Xanthan gum: This helps thicken the ice cream base and prevents the formation of ice crystals.
- Peanut butter: I recommend using a natural peanut butter with no added sugar or sweetener.
- Butter: A little butter helps melt the peanut butter more smoothly.
- Vodka: While this is entirely optional, it does help the consistency of the ice cream, making it less icy.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla and salt
How to Make Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
- Whisk the cream, almond milk, sweeteners, and cocoa powder together in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the vodka, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Then whisk in the xanthan gum. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate 2 hours.
- Pour into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Melt the peanut butter and butter together, stirring until smooth.
- Swirl the chocolate ice cream and the peanut butter together in a freezer safe container.
- Return to the freezer until firm.
Carolyn’s Tips for Success
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.
I highly recommend a dutch process cocoa, for the richest chocolate flavor. It also dissolves more easily into the liquids.
When adding a thickener like xanthan gum, I like to whisk with one hand while I lightly sprinkle it over the surface of the mixture. That keeps it from clumping up too much when it hits the warm liquid.
You need to work quickly when combining the chocolate base and the peanut butter, so that the ice cream doesn’t get too melty.
Sweetener Options
You have some choice in sweeteners here but it’s important to understand how they will affect your results. I use a combination of erythritol and allulose so that the ice cream is both firm but scoopable.
I do not recommend using only erythritol, as it will freeze very hard and be difficult to scoop. But using only allulose causes the ice cream to melt very quickly and it can take a long time to firm up in the freezer. (You can see from my photos that it was getting very soft as I tried to get photos, and that’s only with half allulose!).
If you wish to eliminate the erythritol altogether, I recommend still using 1/3 cup of allulose (or xylitol) and adding more sweetness with a concentrated extract like stevia or monk fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups (315.45 ml) heavy cream
- 2/3 cup (157.73 ml) unsweetened almond milk
- 1/3 cup (66.67 g) erythritol sweetener
- 1/3 cup (66.67 g) allulose, or xylitol
- 6 tbsp (30.43 g) cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp vodka, (optional)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- Salt
- 1/2 cup (129 g) peanut butter
- 1/2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Whisk the cream, almond milk, sweeteners and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan until cocoa powder is mostly dissolved. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 to 10 minutes, until somewhat thickened.
- Whisk in the vodka, if using, the vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle the surface with the xanthan gum and whisk quickly to combined.
- Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
- Pour mixture into canister of an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions.
- While the ice cream is churning, melt the peanut butter and butter together in the microwave, or in a pan over low heat on the stove.
- Working quickly, transfer about half of the churned ice cream to a freezer safe container. Drizzle with about half the peanut butter. Add the remaining ice cream and the remaining peanut butter and swirl with a knife to spread evenly.
- Freeze until firm, another 3 to 4 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks for all you do to help us stay on our journey w/keto!
very very delicious perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter soft I will make again and again I wanted to skip my diet and eat a few Reese’s I googled keto chocolate peanut butter ice cream your recipe looked more like what I wanted thank you for the recipe
Oh.My.Gosh. I’ve been making the no churn strawberry ice cream for over a year and thought that was the best. This is the first time using my Cuisinart ice cream maker and the first time making your chocolate peanut butter ice cream. I had no idea how delicious it could be. Bravo, Caroline on this outstanding ice cream recipe.
Glad you like it!
Oh.My.Gosh. I’ve been making the no churn strawberry ice cream for over a year and thought that was the best. This is my first time using my Cuisinart ice cream maker and I are the first time making your chocolate peanut butter ice cream. I had no idea how delicious it could be. Bravo, Caroline on this outstanding ice cream recipe.
What is the consistency like after refrigerating for 3 hours? I did mine overnight and it was like pudding. I’m wondering if I cooked it too much. The taste is fantastic, but the consistency after putting it in the ice cream freezer is still more like frozen pudding.
Did you use only allulose as your sweetener? If so, that’s why it’s taking so long to firm up.
No I used both sweeteners as the recipe called for. After preparation, I refrigerated over night, and that was when it looked like pudding. Then I put it in the ice cream freezer, and it didn’t take long before it was soft- serve consistency. I’m going to try some tonight and see how it is.
Really not sure, then!
Freezer bucket in the freezer. Picked up what I needed just now. Making this over the weekend. Anybody who knows me is well aware that my favorite milkshake is the Peanut Butter Fudge milkshake at Cookout drive-thru. This is going to be yummy, I know. Thanks Carolyn.