If you’re a coffee lover like me, chances are that it’s also one of your favorite flavors of ice cream. That magical combination of creamy coldness with the heavenly aroma of roasted coffee beans… what’s not to love? This no-churn keto ice cream is your shortcut to frozen happiness. It’s easy to make with no special equipment – the hardest part is waiting for it to freeze!
❤️ If you love coffee-flavored desserts, be sure to try Keto Tiramisu or Keto Coffee Cheesecake next!
I own a ridiculous amount of kitchen gadgetry, including a very good ice cream maker. But I love experimenting with different techniques, and when I started seeing no-churn recipes all over the internet, I had to give it a try. It was so simple! All I had to do was modify my Keto Condensed Milk recipe slightly, whisk in some coffee, and fold in the whipped cream.
This recipe has quickly become one of my favorite ways to make keto ice cream. And I’ve used it to make other wonderful treats like Keto Ice Cream Cake. The best part is that it stays scoopable, even after days in the freezer!
What readers are saying…
“Fantastic! So creamy and flavorful! Added in some chopped Lily’s sugar-free dark chocolate chips because, well, why not. We loved the recipe, you make keto so fun. Next up, your Maple Walnut ice cream… Thank you, Carolyn!!! Oxox” — Dianne
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Heavy whipping cream: Some is used in the first step, to create low carb condensed milk. The other portion is whipped and folded in to create a consistency similar to churned ice cream.
- Low carb milk: I use nut milk like almond or macadamia. But any low carb milk works here, including coconut milk or hemp milk.
- Sweetener: A combination of both erythritol and allulose gives this ice cream a scoopable consistency. If allulose is not available to you, you can use xylitol instead.
- Xanthan gum: This ingredient is important for two reasons. It thickens the milk/cream mixture properly, but it also inhibits the formation of ice crystals. You can try other thickeners like glucomannan but it may affect the texture of the ice cream.
- Instant coffee: You can use espresso powder, Via packs, or regular instant coffee. If using regular coffee, you will want about 1 tablespoon. I usually use decaf Via packs.
- Pantry staple: Vanilla extract and salt.
How to Make Keto Coffee Ice Cream
- Prepare the “condensed milk: Over medium heat, combine some of the heavy cream and the almond milk. Whisk in the sweeteners and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes
- Add the thickeners: Sprinkle the surface with xanthan gum and whisk vigorously to combine.
- Add the flavor: Whisk in the instant coffee, vanilla extract, and salt. Let cool to room temperature.
- Whip the cream: In another bowl, whip the remaining whipping cream until it holds stiff peaks. Gently fold in the cooled coffee mixture until well combined.
- Freeze: Transfer to a container and freeze until firm.
Carolyn’s Tips for Success
Prepare the cream/milk mixture in advance so it cools completely. If you attempt to proceed while it’s still warm, the whipped cream will become a liquidy mess and the ice cream won’t set properly.
How much coffee you add depends on how strong you want the flavor to be. I like mine fairly strong, but I also use decaf so that it doesn’t keep me up at night.
You can also adjust the sweetness to taste. Keep in mind that frozen treats often taste less sweet than they do when they are room temperature.
Do note that no-churn ice cream takes longer to firm up and freeze properly. Be patient and consider making it the day prior to when you want to eat it.
Best Sweeteners for Keto Ice Cream
I have made a lot of keto ice cream in my day and I believe I have achieved the perfect creamy consistency. Much of that is due to the correct combination of sweeteners.
For this recipe, I like to use a combination of an erythritol-based sweetener, such as this one from Impact Sweeteners, and an allulose-based sweetener. Using them in equal parts allows the ice cream to firm up properly while also remaining scoopable straight out of the freezer.
Using erythritol sweeteners alone will cause the ice cream to freeze rock hard. And I find that allulose sweeteners alone make the ice cream too soft and it melts far too quickly. But together, they balance each other out for a firm but creamy smooth consistency.
Of course, you are free to experiment and use different amounts or other sweeteners. Just be aware that it can affect the end results.
Keto Coffee Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (532.32 ml) heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) unsweetened almond milk, (or hemp milk for nut-free)
- 1/3 cup (63.33 g) erythritol-based sweetener
- 1/3 cup (66.67 g) allulose, or xylitol
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 to 1 1/2 tsp espresso powder, (I use decaf!)
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup of the cream and the almond milk. Whisk in the sweeteners. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- Remove from heat. Sprinkle the surface with xanthan gum while simultaneously whisking in to combine well.
- Whisk in the instant coffee, vanilla extract, and salt, until the coffee has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
- Whip the remaining 1 1/4 cups whipping cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Gently fold in the cooled coffee mixture until well combined.
- Transfer to a container and freeze until firm, about 5 or 6 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, I have not had much luck making this keto coffee ice cream with ingredients like coconut milk or coconut cream. It always freezes very hard and has an icy texture. So I do not have a good dairy-free equivalent.
Once your ice cream has set, store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
This keto coffee ice cream recipe has 2.2g of carbs per half cup serving.
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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So delicious!! Creamy and tasty! 😋
Hi Carolyn, I made your death by chocolate ice cream and really love the taste. It was a bit hard to scoop though. We did enjoy it though.
Now, I would like to make the coffee ice cream, can I put in an ice cream maker and churn it? Can all no churn ice creams be churned?
Love your recipes.
Margareta
If you want to churn it, simply don’t whip the additional cream. Whisk it in and pour everything in your ice cream maker when it’s chilled.
This ice cream is truly amazing, I love the coffee taste and it stays amazingly scoopable for so long! Honestly, the most amazing part was that there was ice cream left to scoop! I was really craving a coffee flavour and this really hit the spot.
For anyone else who wants to make this, but doesn’t have instant coffee, I can tell you what I did. I didn’t want to swap the instant coffee directly with espresso, because the dry vs liquid ratio would be different. Instead I added about 1/2 cup of coffee to the condensed milk halfway through the process, i.e. 20 minutes before the condensed milk was done simmering. The end result was very thick, especially when the xanthan gum was added, so I think the coffee could be added later on in the process, maybe 10 minutes before the condensed milk is done. Also, definitely worth remembering for coffee condensed milk in general, because it tastes amazing!
My hubby loves Michigan Cherry coffee and international delight coldstone sweet cream creamer. International delight changed their recipe, so he’s been quite disappointed. WIFEY TO THE RESCUE! I made your coffee ice cream and added fresh chopped cherries. (He’s not keto). He loved it! Now I’m trying to find a cherry alternative so I can enjoy too. Any suggestions?
Can almond milk be added to your original keto sweetened condensed milk recipe at the same ratio as it is in this recipe ? Of all of the KSCM recipe’s I’ve tried, yours is the absolute best, however I’ve wondered how I might reduce the heavy cream amount if possible. Thanks !!
You can, it’s just thinner in the end.
Can you use regular cows milk instead of almond milk?
Yes, but it’s higher in carbs.
would you give me your churning directions?
did you use recipe as written?
Would love to try this recipe. I have read through some of the old posts and most of my questions about a dairy free version have been answered except one. Can the butter be replaced with butter flavored coconut oil?
Thank you
Linda
I think so!
Awesome recipe! I churned it using the guidelines for the vanilla ice cream. The only addition was dark chocolate shavings: I froze them while the ice cream was churning, then added once it was almost ready. So good!! Thanks you!
I don’t see any condensed milk in the list of ingredients. Is it not used?
It’s built right into the recipe itself. The first few ingredients ARE the condensed milk.
Carolyn – have you tried using fresh espresso (cooled) in place of the powdered coffee and less almond milk to compensate for the additional liquid?
Just a note to say bravo on this coffee ice cream recipe! I did follow your suggestions for using my ice cream maker. I am smitten! Thank you for all of your wonderful recopies and the time you take to perfect them for us.
Have a beautiful day!
Cheers! Vicki Morgan
So glad it worked out!
Carolyn- one other quick question, I am not seeing vodka in this recipe… Does this one not need the vodka to help keep it soft so it doesn’t freeze hard?
Could I use espresso powder instead, if so how much? I bought the ingredients for Jamoca almond fudge not realizing it was a churn recipe. So was was going to do this and add the fudge ripple.
Yes, absolutely! Use 1 to 2 teaspoons. Since there are no eggs, taste the mixture after you add it and decide if you want it stronger.
Thanks so much Carolyn, can’t wait to make it today.
I just made this and it’s currently in my freezer. My spoon tasted good, so I’m excited! I made the ice cream vanilla by omitting the coffee and doing a tbsp of vanilla extract and then swirled keto Caramel Sauce and some keto brownie chunks. Can’t wait to try it later! And I just want to say I’ve tried several of your other keto recipes and they have been great! It’s why I chose this recipe.
So great to hear!
Carolyn, Do you have a recipe for churned coffee ice cream, like your salted caramel… my husband loves that one and I need a new flavor ???? or any other custard churn ice cream flavors…. I did made this one, it is in the freezer right now. The spoon tasted wonderful
You can make this into a churned recipe simply by not whipping the cream and folding it in… just whisk it in and then churn the entire mixture. Take a peek at my vanilla ice cream, it’s the same method there.