This keto ice cream recipe has a rich vanilla flavor and a super smooth, creamy consistency. It’s easy to make and stays soft and scoopable in the freezer. It’s the sugar-free ice cream of your dreams!
Well it’s about time I updated this recipe for keto ice cream. It’s one of my all-time favorites and it always gets rave reviews.
Don’t panic, though. I didn’t change the recipe itself, since it’s absolute perfection as it is (she says humbly). I’ve been making this delicious low carb vanilla ice cream recipe the exact same way for over 10 years now. And I make a batch every few weeks so that I have it on hand when I want it. It’s absolutely sublime with some Keto Caramel Sauce drizzled over it.
But I truly want everyone to get the best out of my recipes. With that in mind, I have updated the helpful information and added tips in this article. Because you deserve to have the creamiest, dreamiest sugar free vanilla ice cream in your freezer too!
Why you will love this recipe
Prepare to be AMAZED! This is no ordinary keto ice cream recipe. Oh no, my friends, not at all.
This ice cream has magical properties and should not be underestimated. Sure, it looks like regular vanilla ice cream and tastes like regular vanilla ice cream. It even behaves like regular vanilla ice cream.
And that, my dear readers, is exactly the point. It has the truly astonishing property of staying soft and scoopable, even after several days in the freezer. And it’s entirely egg-free and has no added sugars, which makes it all the more astonishing.
If you’ve ever made your own sugar-free ice cream at home, you know that this is no small feat!
Why it works
The magic of this stay-soft keto ice cream comes down to a few little tricks.
The first is using my keto condensed milk as the ice cream base, which contains a mix of both allulose and erythritol. These sweeteners have a symbiotic relationship, with each one making up for what the other lacks. If you’ve ever made ice cream with just erythritol, you know how rock hard it gets in the freezer. I’ve tried doing just allulose but then it never firms up at all and stays like soft serve. Together, they are perfect.
The condensed milk also contains a little bit of xanthan gum. Xanthan is often in commercial ice creams because it inhibits recrystallization, so the ice cream doesn’t get icy.
This sugar free ice cream recipe also contains a touch of alcohol. This raises the freezing point of liquids so it also reduces iciness. It is not enough to affect even a child (yes, I do feed my kids this ice cream), as it amounts to about half a teaspoon per serving. That said, the choice to include it is up to you.
Reader Reviews
“Best ice cream EVER. Have made it numerous times and it turns out perfect and delicious. Thanks, Carolyn!” — Anna
“I have tried several vanilla ice cream recipes and haven’t been pleased. This one is delicious. The salted caramel recipe was also delicious. I can’t wait to try all the other flavors that she has created.” — Becky
“Once again, you’ve hit the mark. I used your adaptation to make your Browned Butter ice cream and the result was exactly as you said. Thanks for continuing to work on Keto everything.” — NK
Ingredients needed
- Sugar Free Condensed Milk: You will need to make my recipe for sugar free condensed milk prior to making this ice cream.
- Heavy cream: If you want to lighten the ice cream a little, you can replace half of the cream with nut milk or other low carb milk.
- Additional sweetener: Using a powdered sweetener avoids any grittiness in the ice cream.
- Vodka: This is optional, but it does help reduce iciness from occurring. Don’t worry, it only amounts to about 1/2 teaspoon per serving
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract and salt.
Step-by-step directions
1. Prepare the condensed milk: Make the sugar-free condensed milk according to the directions and let cool to room temperature.
2. Add the remaining ingredients: Whisk in the heavy cream, powdered sweetener, vodka, vanilla extract, and salt.
3. Taste test: Taste the mixture and adjust sweetener to taste. You can use additional Bocha Sweet or allulose here but because it’s granular, you will need to whisk for a while to dissolve it properly.
4. Refrigerate and churn: Chill the mixture at least one hour and up to overnight, then pour into the canister of an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions.
5. Freeze: Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
Tips for Success
I highly recommend churning this in a proper ice cream maker like this Cuisinart model. I had one for years and it always worked well for me (I now have a larger compressor-style model). Don’t forget to freeze the canister for at least 12 hours before you churn!
The ratio of sweeteners is very important. Too much erythritol and it is less scoopable. Too much allulose and it becomes so soft, it takes days to firm up properly. It also melts very quickly when out of the freezer.
If you can’t access allulose, try using xylitol. Just remember that it is toxic to dogs so keep it away from your pets.
No ice cream maker?
Don’t want to purchase yet another piece of kitchen equipment? You can still make this recipe. While churned recipes have better texture, I also have plenty of experience with no churn keto ice cream. It’s a relatively simple adaptation.
To make this keto ice cream without an ice cream maker:
- Make the condensed milk as directed. Let cool to room temp and then whisk in the vodka and salt.
- Whip the heavy cream with the powdered sweetener and vanilla extract until it holds stiff peaks.
- Pour in the condensed milk and fold these two together until no streaks remain.
- Transfer to a container and freeze at least 6 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
This keto vanilla ice cream recipe has 2.4g of carbs and 0g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.4g net carbs per serving.
Once your ice cream has set, store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Unfortunately, I have not had much luck making this with ingredients like coconut milk or coconut cream. It always freezes harder and has a more icy texture. So I do not have a good dairy-free equivalent.
More delicious low carb ice cream recipes!
- Keto Strawberry Ice Cream
- No Churn Coffee Ice Cream
- Keto Chocolate Ice Cream
- Maple Walnut Ice Cream
- Jamoca Almond Fudge Ice Cream
Keto Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Sugar-Free Condensed Milk
- 1 1/2 cups (354.88 ml) heavy cream, (can replace half of the cream with nut milk, coconut milk, etc.)
- 3 tbsp (45.65 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 1/2 tbsp (22.5 ml) vodka, (optional, helps reduce iciness)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Make the sweetened condensed milk according to the directions and let cool to room temperature.
- Whisk in the heavy cream, powdered sweetener, vodka, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Taste the mixture and adjust sweetener to taste. **You can use additional allulose here but because it's granular, you will need to whisk for a while to dissolve it properly.
- Chill the mixture at least one hour and up to overnight, then pour into the canister of an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions.
- Once it reaches soft-serve consistency, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
Video
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.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Is there a substitution for the vodka? I don’t do alcohol. I know you can do it without, I was just wondering if there was another option to help with the iciness.
No sub, just skip it.
I don’t really like soft ice cream, I like it firmer, what should I do in that case?
It isn’t soft as in soft serve… it’s just scoopable out of the freezer.
I have made various ice cream recipes with regular sugar and cream but this one is by far the BEST and it’s Keto-friendly ! Thank you! The texture is perfect. I made it with BochaSweet mixed with Erythritol (“Now Foods” brand). I made my favorite peppermint with Keto-friendly chocolate chips and 2 Tablespoons of the ice cream is quite satisfying and enough for me to satisfy my ice cream craving.
I’m wondering about making this in my Ninja Creami, I just got it and haven’t used it yet. I will make this soon either way!!
OOOh I have one of those too but haven’t used it. If you use it, can you update on here how you did it?
Excellent creamy vanilla ice cream! Worth the time to make the sugar free condensed milk. I used Allulose instead of BochaSweet and it turned out perfect!
I also used salted butter vs unsalted and it was delicious.
In the ice cream recipe I did use the 1 1/2 tbsp vodka in my recipe.
I made it without and ice cream maker. I also used my Kitchen Aid counter top mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the heavy cream with the powdered Swerve Sweetener and made sure my heavy cream was at room temperature. This ice cream turned out perfect. It did not get frozen like a rock but easy to scoop right out of the freezer! LOVE THIS ICE CREAM!!!
Thank you for post acknowledging that this works with the kitchen aid mixer as that is what I have and don’t want to have to buy an ice cream maker.
Would this work adding some Peppermint extract and some Keto chocolate chips? I really miss my chocolate mint ice cream!
Absolutely!
I wonder if I could do this in my blender? Have you tried? I know you can make an ice cream in the Vitamix. May have to try it if you have not
I do not have a Vitamix.
Carolyn, maybe Santa will bring you a Vitamix. They are the best!!
What ice cream maker do you recommend?
The cuisinart ones have always worked well for me!
You advise cuisinart as a good ice cream maker in your opinion. Which cuisinart ice cream maker, do you suggest?? I’ve just googled and found them on Amazon. So many different choices, I’m so CONFUSED!! LOL Look forward to your help 😉
The basic 1.5 quart or 2 quart is fine. I had one for a very long time and it was always reliable. I upgraded to a compressor model simply so I don’t have to freeze the canister. This is the basic one I am referring to: https://amzn.to/3hOYhzK
Thank you !!
This is great ice cream! I made some of your caramel sauce and when I took the ice cream out of the ice cream maker I put in some layers of the caramel with some sprinkling of buttered pecans. It lasted about 5 days and was wonderful and stayed scoopable the whole time. So creamy. I have made it twice…and now have another batch in the refrigerator to churn in the ice cream maker in the morning!
Thank you for your great recipes ????????
Love your additions!
How do you make condensed milk?
It’s linked right in the recipe here. It will take you to the condensed milk recipe.
What is your favorite sugar free sprinkles?
Caroline at one time I received an email with ice cream recipes and I saw that you highlighted some sugar free sprinkles that are sold on Amazon can you tell me what brand that you use
Was it these? https://amzn.to/3INX195
Thank you! I didn’t see your reply and I asked a second time,sorry. I tell everyone about you, your an amazing cook and author and you inspire me with your recipes! Keto can be challenging when it comes to baking, alot to learn but we are lucky to have you as our teacher.
Thanks so much!
I made this ice cream and it is good, but different. It is not as cold as regular ice cream. It’s creamy and rich. If I try it again, I will use half almond milk, as all the cream upset my tummy.
I had never made Keto ice cream before. I received my churn yesterday, washed the bowl and placed in the big freezer. I made the recipe to the tee (Bocha Sweet costs an arm and a leg, lol), and placed the mix in the fridge to make after church today. After churning, I put it in the freezer in an air tight container. Well, I just tried some. It was really creamy and good, but different. It does not seem to be as cold as regular ice cream for some reason. But, I did enjoy it and it is really filling. I will be trying out some of the other ice cream recipes you have posted on your site. I am sure my grand kids will use the machine to make some regular ice cream soon.
I am guessing I could make a double batch of this recipe, since my churn is 2 quarts?
It should be just as cold as regular ice cream… maybe you needed to leave it longer.
How much does it this make? I looked through everything and saw a serving size is a half a cup but it didn’t say how many servings there were, unless I overlooked it somewhere. My machine is 1.5 quarts so I’m just trying to guage how much this makes to make sure it will work with my machine.
Thank you
Right at the top of every recipe, it states the number of servings.
I’m just curious as to why you add vodka? Could you sub other spirits as well?
Sorry, I read the preceding article where you explain the use of the alcohol. So would other spirits have the same effect like whiskey or rum? Thanks so much!
Yes but they have stronger flavors so you may taste them a bit.