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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What ice cream maker do you use. I think I better get one…this recipe sounds amazing
The standard cuisinart model works well.
Hi Carolyn,
I just started Keto and bought your book “Keto Baking” be when I read in the preface “ I was mourning a very important part of my identity: my baking self.… My love of baking was a huge part of who I was – how could I be me without it?“. So true. I was a HUGE bread, pie and dessert maker. I am learning a lot from the book. Thank you.
I made your chocolate and peanut butter ice cream and it was unbelievable! So creamy and delicious. No one knew it was sugar-free.
My question is there are no fat grams listed in the Nutritional Facts. What are the # of grams per serving?
Thank you for the baking “text book” and wonderful site.
Could we substitute the peanut butter with almond butter?
Your other ice cream recipes have about 2 tablespoons of vodka but this one calls for 4. Is there a reason for this
There’s always a reason for things. This helps keep it softer.
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!
So glad you liked it!
Caroline I made this recipe just a few days ago at a friends house who had the ice cream machine. She does not like peanut butter so we just make the chocolate base. Once it was frozen it still tasted bitter and not sweet like the commercial sugar free ice creams. I was disappointed. Today I sweetened some trader joes sugar free peanut butter with powdered swerve and poured some over a serving of my chocolate and what do you know “I think I like it”. Thanks for making this sugar free journey a little easier. Leslie
What is a serving size? Half a cup? I just put this recipe in cronometer and I’m coming up with 17 net grams of carbs per serving?!?! What am I doing wrong?
You’re not subtracting the erythritol. Yes, a serving is about 1/2 cup.
Is the amount of vodka correct here? Made this & tasted good but had a pretty strong alcohol taste. Just seemed like a lot for the small amount of ice cream
What about using flavored vodka – like chocolate? I don’t have any vodka in the house so I was wondering if I should get that for a more chocolatety flavor?
This sounds absolutely wonderful, but I’m really sensitive (taste-wise) to sweetners that aren’t real sugar. I can taste them a mile away (stevia is one of the worst!) I’m not eating sugar and I miss it and would love to know if Swerve is really, really safe and doesn’t set off artificial sweetener alarm bells! I’ve looked it up online, but can’t decide if it’s worth the investment or not. I’d appreciate your thoughts… thanks!
Hi Rebecca. Every palate is different so there is no way I can assure you that Swerve won’t taste like something to you. For me, however, it was the ONLY sweetener that didn’t leave an aftertaste. That’s why I love it. Many readers find the same, whereas other readers prefer other sweeteners. It’s a matter of experimentation.
Thank you! I’ll buy a bag and give it a try. We’re trying very hard to stay low carb and I miss dessert!
Have you tried Bochasweet, Rebecca? It’s a 1:1 exchange with sugar, and it’s the only non-sugar sweetener I’ve found with no weird aftertaste. Even swerve has a fairly strong “cooling” effect I avoid.
I just made this (minus the P.B.) and it was amazing! I couldn’t stop licking the spoon, ice cream maker bowl, and churning piece. So good!
What if you don’t have an ice cream maker to churn it?
You really do need one for this.
Can you ommit the alcohol in the ice cream as we don’t do alcohol?
Sure!
I’m planning on making this recipe with what I have on hand. I have erythritol, guar gum and powdered stevia. I’m thinking I should measure the erythritol the same as the Swerve as you suggested to another person. The powdered stevia would then be increased, but I’m not sure how much to try. I think the guar gum would be a little more than xanthan gum, right?
Thanks for any help and for sharing the recipe!
You can use the erythritol and the guar gum in the same amounts but the powdered stevia is likely a LOT stronger than my liquid stevia. I would only use half, and then I would taste and see if I thought the custard needed more sweetener.
I Just made this and it is awesome!! However, it never really got hard. It is still the consistency of soft serve even after being in the freezer for several hours. I’m not complaining as it is delicious but I am curious if you have any theories. I just love your site!!
Well that’s very interesting. Most low carb ice creams get TOO hard, even with all the tricks to keep it soft. Did you possibly add too much xanthan gum? Sometimes that makes ice cream really gummy and it never gets hard. But you’d have to add a lot to get that result.
Made this ice cream over the weekend according to the recipe except I used rum since we didn’t have any vodka in the house. It worked just as well.
This recipe is amazing! So rich. I’m so glad to finally have ice cream that TASTES and FEELS like what I’ve craved for so long.