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 ½ 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 ½ cups heavy cream (can replace half of the cream with nut milk, coconut milk, etc.)
- 3 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 ½ tablespoon vodka (optional, helps reduce iciness)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon 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.
Jocelyn says
I just made this and it was absolutely delicious. One question though; I see this makes 8 servings but when I enter the ingredients into MyFitness Pal, I’m getting a total carb count of 11 grams per serving. I didn’t count the swerve but all the milk/heavy cream (including the double serving of condensed milk recipe) added up. I can see being off a few grams due to brand used but just wondering how you came up with the 4g per serving. Don’t get me wrong…I’m not complaining. It was worth every bit and I’ll be making this one again for sure. :). Thanks so much for the recipe.
Carolyn says
Keep in mind that My Fitness Pal is not always accurate. When I first wrote this recipe, I was using MasterCook, a software that uses the USDA database of nutritional information. Now that I have a Mac, I use MacGourmet (they don’t make Mastercook for macs) and I just redid it and came to 6.25 g per serving. And it ALSO pulls from the USDA database. So seems to me that MFP is off here. Also…I said 8 serving but that’s a lot of Ice Cream. Macgourmet tells me that it’s 440 calories per serving…which is super rich, so this could easily be 10 servings. Hope that helps!
Lore says
I just got my new ice cream maker today and while the compressor needs some time to get the bubbles out of the system I searched for recipes.
Vanilla? Great, I just love it and the promise of a scoopable ice cream? That’s just brilliant. Just made the condensed milk and combined it with the cream, now it dan cool down until tomorrow to be churned. And I have to buy a bottle of Vodka as I think my usual tipple Gin will not do here 🙂
Thanks for the recipe, I’ll tell tomorrow how it turned out – the still warm ice cream base is delicious.
Carolyn says
Gin would be…interesting! 😉
Sue says
I just made this vanilla ice cream, exactly as in the recipe, and though the vanilla flavor is delicious, I think the person who made the comment about the texture being marshmallow-like was right. It just isn’t like ice cream. I’m wondering if cutting back on the low carb condensed milk, say to a 1/2 cup (1/2 of one recipe) and using more heavy cream in it’s place would do the trick. It’s just way too rich and sweet, and extremely expensive.
Lugenia says
Could I add protein powder to this? If so, when & Will it turn out right? Thanks
Carolyn says
I really don’t know, I’ve never added it to my ice cream. I’d probably whisk it in just before churning.
Dawn H says
Could one use a vitamix if they don’t have an ice cream maker? Say on the smoothie setting?
Carolyn says
Does it freeze things? I don’t own a vitamin but you need it to be freezing along with the churning.
Teresa says
Tried this today, it was AMAZING!!!!!!
Thank You sooooo much!
Ginny says
Hi can I use glucomannan instead of xanthan gum?
Carolyn says
I honestly have no idea. I don’t know how it behaves but I don’t think it has the same anti-icing properties as xanthan.
Wendywoman says
I’m sober so vodka is not an option, even in small amounts. Is there any other substitution I can make that would render similar results?
Carolyn says
No, not really. But it will still be great ice cream, it may just be a little more icy when it’s been frozen for a while. One thing to do is to divvy it up into single serving containers right after it’s made, so that you only need to let that little bit thaw every time.
Toria says
I’ve heard, but not yet tried, that using food grade glycerin instead of the alcohol works to keep the ice cream softer. Thanks Carolyn for your recipes!!
tiffany says
I just made this and it is super good!
I had the weird graininess problem too. Mine happened when I mixed the cream and the condensed milk and refrigerated overnight, when I put it in the mixer it had crunchy little chunks at that point. It didn’t effect the flavor at all, just the texture.
jo says
Oh, this was a delicious finish to tonight’s Christmas Eve dinner tonight! Accompanied with the caramel sauce: divine! Of course, d@*m it, in the midst of company and dinner and such things, I forgot to add the vodka before churning, so I’m going to be to be microwaving it for 30 seconds for the several servings. But really yummy!
Trisha T. says
Holy moly! Living in Florida where the temps have been in the 100s, I have been dying for a great low carb ice cream. I thought that the egg custard type would have been great, but waaay too rich and hard as a rock. This one is AMAZING! I did substitute unsweetened vanilla almond milk for the whole milk hoping that it wouldn’t ruin it. I didn’t! Creamy deliciousness. My eternal gratitude…you rock!
Michelle Dickman says
I’m in the middle of making this right now. Just finished step 3.
I have a vanilla bean I would love to use, am I too late to add it?
BTW, you are the most amazing foodie I have ever followed. I’ve sent your site to everyone I could think of… Thank you for giving we diabetics a safe way to have something sweet.
Carolyn says
When you use vanilla beans, you typically put them in to steep with the hot milk and cream.
Carolyn says
PS – Thank you for the lovely words!
Debbie says
When making the low carb sweetened condensed milk, can we make large batches of it to use in future recipes? And what is the shelf life? In the refrigerator or can we freeze some?
Carolyn says
No, I wouldn’t make large batches. It can refrigerated for about a week and doesn’t freeze well
Joey says
don’t vodka and rum both have gluten in them?
Carolyn says
No, actually. Most hard alcohol is gluten-free by virtue of the distillation process. http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenfreefoodshoppin1/f/Is-Vodka-Gluten-Free.htm
But rum is not made with grains, it’s based on sugar cane. And although some vodkas are grain-based, there are some that are based on other things like potatoes. There are even some that are specially certified gluten-free.
Brenda says
What about using Malibu coconut rum instead of vodka. It would flavor and prevent from freezing too hard?
jessica says
Hello Carolyn,
Also can you please maybe post a protein powder ice cream recipe?
Thank you so much!
jessica says
Hello Carolyn,
I am loving your blog. However, I am not eating heavy cream, I am on a low fat, low carb, no sugar diet. Can I use a replacement for the heavy cream? Fat free greek yogurt, fat free quark, cottage cheese, just milk, gelatin, or even maybe egg whites? Do you think it would work?
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!
Carolyn says
Hi Jessica…you may certainly try but you will find that it freezes very hard. I am on a low carb, high fat diet, so those are the recipes I create.
Seagal says
Phooey! Went back & forth copying the recipe and going to the condensed milk site, looking forward to making this wonderful recipe.
Bummer, I don’t have an ice cream maker:( Guess I didn’t read the instructions very well. Tempted to try it in freezer bowls anyway.
Carolyn says
Give it a try. I know many people who make ice cream without a maker, you just have to prepared to stir a lot during the freezing process.
Brenda says
There instructions on YouTube showing how to make ice cream with bags of salt.
Ashbags says
I make a lot of ice-cream too and came across your website looking for low-carb ideas. The reason why this recipe stays soft is because you put vodka in it. We always put a couple of caps of a suitable alcohol into our ice-cream so that we can dish it up. For instance, in chocolate icecream we usually put a bit of coffee liqueur. Alcohol has a higher freezing temperature than the other ingredients which is why it helps. Happy ice-cream eating!
Sheryl says
THANK YOU! Finally finally finally found a sugar-free ice cream recipe that is made for someone like me. Type 2 for the past 2 years; struggling to stay with low-carb eating—but when I do eat right, my glucose and cholesterol and weight fall right into line. Unfortunately, can’t stand the taste of eggs so right there, any recipe with a significant portion of egg is not for me, and low-carb recipes are often dependent on eggs. Here, you’ve created ice cream that is NOT eggally-dependent, and which DOES use dairy, which I am able to enjoy since I am not following paleo. Now if you would only move into my neighborhood and set up a home-chef business :- )
Jessie says
Thank you for this, I can’t stand eggs or anything made with them, including french vanilla ice cream! I made this and like someone else mentioned, it had a very thick, chewy texture. I used plain eurythritol (never heard of Swerve), and followed the recipe exactly. After chilling but before churning, it was solid and gooey, halfway between custard and a can of regular condensed milk – no, I know, it was the texture of soft, triple cream Brie. My thought was “way too much xanthan gum”. I was also concerned about the 2 cups of cream (vs half cream, half milk in traditional recipes) but went with it. I also thought it was too sweet. I thought it might be too thick for my machine, but it did manage to churn for the full 20 minute program at which point, it was not frozen in the least. I just put it in the freezer along with about a third of the recipe that had not fit in the machine. Both of these had the exact same scoopability when frozen, but had that too thick, chewy texture. Even as it warmed up on our pecan pie, it never melted but was like eating spoonfuls of Brie. The flavor was delicious, the vodka not detectable at all, and it had no grittiness but it did have the characteristic “cool-water” mouthfeel of eurythritol. For my next try (I WILL be working with this recipe as I too have been plagued with rock-hard sugar-free ice cream attempts), here is what I will change: will make the “condensed milk” per that recipe but in the actual ice cream recipe, will change the two cups of heavy cream to 1 C cream, 1 C milk, leave out the 1/2 C eurythritol completely (I prefer less sweet and the condensed milk is already so sweet), and reduce the xanthan gum to 1/4 tsp. I’ll try to remember to update my outcome with these changes.
Brenda says
Somebody help! Whew! My low carb sweetened condensed milk is so so sweet it blows the top of my head off. Did I do something wrong? Cooked too long or too fast? It did more than simmer a bit. I’m new at this. I shudder at the thought of adding another 1/2 C to the ice cream itself. Do I need to add it? Pleasantly sweet is excellent, but I’m afraid this will ruin my batch. Freezing? Will it freeze harder? Should I freeze in cupcake papers?
Help! How long can I wait for an answer? LOL
Brenda says
I forgot to mark notify me. So I resubmitted. Sorry.
Carolyn says
I responded, hope you see it!
Carolyn says
I don’t know if you did something wrong but the sweetened condensed milk is not usually that sweet. So something got messed up. I would make up the ice cream mixture without any additional sweetener and then taste it and see what you think. It won’t affect the freezing process.
Brenda says
Thanks so much for the response. That’s what I did and I was so concerned about this problem that I then forgot the Xanthan gum (heavy sign) and decided to add blueberries. It’s purple, and gooy. And in the freezer. Will let you know. This cooking stuff is harder than one would think. You’re my hero (ine)
Brenda says
Yay!!! It worked beautifully even with my mistakes and addition of blueberries! I was doubtful of the sweetness, the artificial sugar aftertaste, & whether I had ruined it by allowing the sweetened cream to boil a bit. At two hours in the freezer I was still skeptical. It was still very gooy in the Center but was a bit hopeful because it was freezing around the edge. After 4 hours in the freezer, it was scoopable, creamy, not grainy at all and no aftertaste. Perfect after dinner dessert! I’m so excited! Thank you Carolyn! The only difficult part was standing at the stove for an hour and a half to stir. I wonder if those little stirrer thingies that you can set in the pot really work. Alas, I think it would have overflowed if left unattended. I must get better at simmering. LOL thanks again
Carolyn says
So glad it worked out!
Brenda says
Even my husband liked it. He’s a carb freak and eats minimal sf items. He did say it was very sweet. It far more positive assessment than the first vanilla IC I made. It was rather bland and extremely hard. Impossible to scoop. Couldn’t resist a 2nd bowl late last night. Ouch all those fat calories from the cream. It was firm frozen within 6 hrs but still scoopable. Last questions:
1. any idea what the nutrition numbers are for the fat content and protein per 1/2 cup serving? I know cream is 50 calories per 2 tablespoons. Ouch! You did list the carb count at almost 4.75 mg.
2. if I added DaVinci sf flavouring will that change the freezability since it would add liquid?
3. what about dry sf jello sprinkled in? Or cookie chunks?
4. Can the vodka listed as 2T in other recipes be increased to 1/4 cup without ruining the entire batch? (Sorry for all the questions but I’m new at this.)
Thanks, Brenda.
Carolyn says
I think all of your subs and changes would be fine, although the more vodka would make it even softer. I don’t have time to run the nutritional counts on this but you can put the ingredients into myfitnesspal and it should give you the info.
Carolyn says
I have one of those “little stirrer thingies” you set in the pot. I tried using it for this and found there were two problems. One, the stirrer only stirs the bottom of the pot. This recipe tends to form a crust on the top which prevents evaporation. I had to manually stir the top every five minutes for the first half hour or so anyway. Two, the stirrers are battery operated and my batteries ran out before the milk was reduced by half.
Carolyn says
Btw, the Carolyn above with the stirrer is not the blog’s author, just another reader.
Brenda says
Thank you, Carolyn. I’ll say my $$$$. One last update on my batch. FYI. It did ultimately freeze pretty hard but was manageable in little bits at a time. Tasted very good in any case. BTW, it was pretty gooey after 30 minutes in the machine. I use the IC bowl for the kitchen aid pro 600
Mark says
Are there any new recipes maybe chocolate or strawberry?
Carolyn says
You can use the search box at the top of my blog to search for all of my ice cream recipes. Thanks!
Shirley Ho says
Hi Carolyn,
Anyway to turn this recipe into chocolate ice-cream too? Can I reduce the amount of vodka? Because I don’t drink alcohol at all and feel like the vodka going straight to my head really fast even with just one TSP of this ice-cream. By the way, I don’t have an ice-cream maker but tried this recipe last night with my Ninja food processor (1500 watts).