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.
Mimi says
Oh. My. Goodness! First off…that homemade condensed milk is the Bomb! I was skeptical because I think regular condensed milk is way too sweet. This is perfect!
And the ice cream. Wow! I found a Cuisinart at our local Goodwill for $10 and it works great. The first ice cream I made was a full sugar one (mint choc chip) for my son. It was meh. The second ice cream was this one and it is unbelievable! I just put it in the freezer and now must find something to do for a few hours before I can grab a scoop.
Thank you so very very much for all your hard work and experimenting!
Carolyn says
Thank you so much, Mimi!
Catherine Flannigan says
Hi Carolyn! Quick question…
My hubby can not eat uncooked cream, but if it is even allowed to come to a brief boil it does not bother his stomach at all. I SOOO want to make this, is there a way to make this and cook all of the cream? We love ALL of your recipes and I’m dying to make your ice cream!
Catherine
Ann says
This was the first low carb ice cream recipe I made. It was so good that I branched out, and I’m making all kinds of low carb ice creams now. What I’m finding is that pretty much any ice cream recipe will work, if you sub in a mix of Swerve and BochaSweet for the sugars. I’m having tons of fun going through the book “Hello, My Name is Ice Cream,” and making low carb versions of the recipes in that book. If you’re into ice cream, especially the science of ice cream, that is one amazing book.
What I’m having trouble with is I’m trying to switch to allulose instead of BochaSweet, because of price. It seems that allulose must have a lower freeze point even than BochaSweet, because every ice cream I have made with it so far is way too soft. I’ve found that 1/2 Swerve and 1/2 BochaSweet makes a texture that’s very close to regular ice cream in most recipes, but 1/2 allulose and 1/2 Swerve is a gloopy mess right out of the ice cream freezer, then has a very dense texture after it’s been in the freezer. The question is, have you ever gotten a good ice cream texture with a combination of Swerve/allulose? Or should I just go back to BochaSweet.
Carolyn says
I’m sorry, I don’t use allulose much as it gives me severe stomach issues.
Jean says
Did you make your own condensed milk, if so how did you make it. I don’t have a ice-cream maker. Got enough gadgets lol?
Carolyn says
Please click the link in the recipe that says “sugar-free condensed milk” as that will tell you exactly how (yes, it’s homemade).
Carole says
This updated ice cream recipe is FANTASTIC–I have had many, many attempts (and fails) at making a scoopable ice cream without an aftertaste, and THIS IS IT! Now I know I will never want to make ice cream without this particular combination of sweeteners that makes things so creamy for days in the freezer. I would like to make a chocolate version but I’m worried about adding anything that would upset the beautiful balance in this recipe. Have you tried a chocolate version of this updated recipe?
Carolyn says
Chocolate would not be an issue at all for consistency. I’ve made easy chocolate ice cream many a time. You could add some unsweetened chopped chocolate to the condensed milk when it’s warm and whisk it in. But it will get very thick as it cools, more like ganache!
Carole says
Oh, that’s so awesome to hear, thank you for your speedy response! I make a double recipe of this ice cream twice a week, because my husband eats it by the shovelful–and he’s still losing weight! Chocolate ice cream, here we come.
Doreen says
I love this ice cream and didn’t find making the condensed milk a problem or too difficult. This was the first ice cream I had ever made, low carb or otherwise. My daughter liked it too but wanted me to try a recipe containing eggs… Okay, I did and we compared the two, side by side, and this recipe won in our house as well as a guest who happened to stop by. My question is, how do I turn this vanilla ice cream into chocolate? I’ve looked at other recipes, but I still can’t figure out what to do. Please help. Strawberry would be welcome too. Rookie ice cream maker who was lucky enough to try your recipe first. Thank You in Advance… PS: Your Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup is the Bomb. Who knew the perfect chocolate syrup was so easy to make. Love your recipes.
Carolyn says
You can add about 3 ounces chopped sugar-free chocolate to the condensed milk as it is still warm and whisk it in once it melts. It will make it very thick, though and be tougher to whisk in the other cream later so have some patience there.
Kathleen Lesnau says
You mention Xanthan Gum in the copy above the receipe but it is not listed in the recipe card. Am I missing something?
Carolyn says
It’s in the sweetened condensed milk…
Keto Krazy says
Thank you for the amazing recipe. Question about servings. The recipe shows 8 servings. Base on the these portions, how many quarts does this make? I have a 2.1 quart ice cream maker and want to maximize the batch.
Thanks again!
Carolyn says
Typically 8 servings would be 1 quart (1/2 cup per serving). But this definitely makes more like 1 1/2 quarts.
Tammy says
Is there a different recipe for the base. The recipe listed doesn’t list how much BochaSweet or Xanthan gum to use. I want to make this over weekend but I think I’m missing something somewhere . Thanks
Carolyn says
You need to click through to the sweetened condensed milk… It’s a clickable link.
Sheryl says
I want to try this but just hate Swerve and other sweeteners with coolness/aftertaste. Help!
Carolyn says
I think it’s very likely you won’t get any cooling if you use the mix of sweeteners that I use here.
Christiana Hancox says
This recipe is inspired – thank you so much. I shall be adapting it with all sorts of flavours. But I have a question/problem – Bocha Sweet is not yet available in the UK but I managed to acquired a couple of bags when a nephew visited the States. I am going to need more! Having read your blogs (for years) I noticed in another recipe you suggested adding allulose if extra sweetness was needed – so my question is whether allulose behaves similarly to Bocha? And am I right in thinking allulose = xylitol? Your advice/expertise would be much appreciated. Many thanks.
Em says
I just made this and yes it DOES NOT go ROCK HARD. I had the ice cream maker. Thank you, and I can’t wait to made the Neapolitan Ice Cream cake recipe also
Carolyn says
So glad you like it!
Katie says
I’ve been waiting for a perfectly scoopable keto ice cream for, what feels like, an eternity now. This is just that.
Thank you, Carolyn, for all of the hard work and recipe testing you do. I know how expensive the development process is. I know how expensive it is for readers to try out new recipes and methods and it’s especially frustrating when they fail. I can’t tell you how much money I’ve burned through over the years trying out poorly composed recipes. Your recipes are always so carefully crafted and well-written that I never have a doubt when I decide to make something of yours.
I was so happy when I pulled this ice cream out of the freezer yesterday morning after 12+ hours and slid a spoon right through the centre with such ease, I could have cried. I made this recipe with allulose (not available in Canadian stores yet – purchased Hoosier Hill Farm brand from amazon.ca, cheaper than trying to purchase BochaSweet from Canada) and without an ice cream maker and it was absolutely perfect – the closest I’ve had to the real deal.
One of my absolute favourite recipes is your recipe for keto Nanaimo bars (Vancouver Island represent!) and I had some leftover pieces from a birthday last weekend so I chopped them up and mixed them into the ice cream. Would strongly recommend this.
Ann says
Best keto ice cream recipe ever with the current sugar-free condensed milk recipe! I made this last night and the taste, texture and scoopable softness was exactly like expensive, rich ice cream!!! I just love your recipes!
Lisa says
I sre the bocha sweet and xanthan gum are in the condensed milk recipe! Can’t wait to try this, thank you!
Lisa says
I’d love to try the new vanilla ice cream. Carolyn my recipe does not show how much Bocha sweet you’ve used, only the powdered swerve. Please update, and I’ll be trying this right away! Thank you so much for all you do! Just made your Fudgu keto brownies last night, with whipped cream, what a hit!
Lisa says
And how much xanthan gum!
Linda says
Carolyn,
You’ve outdone yourself with this recipe. Not only is it incredibly delicious, creamy, smooth and scoopable right out of the freezer, but it blows away any of the keto ice creams on the market, which are hard as a rock and when they soften, don’t have much flavor.
I did tweak this slightly. When I read the recipe for your maple ice cream, I thought the use of swerve brown in the condensed milk was downright inspired, so I did that here. I also added extra vanilla beans and steeped a scraped vanilla bean in the base overnight while it chilled down. Holy cow. I had all I could do to not drink the whole batch of base before it got into the ice cream machine 🙂 Anyway, the finished ice cream was incredible , with the notes of caramel brought in by the brown sugar swerve. I also had a difficult time not drinking all of the condensed milk when I made that.
Thank you a million times for this. I had very sadly resigned myself to the fact that great ice cream was a thing of the past, and then you went and did this!
Tanya Schroeder says
This is so soft and so perfect! Love the vodka tip!
Alli says
This is such a great recipe! I’ve been looking for a keto ice cream and this is the best one! Love it!
Aimee Shugarman says
Truly a fantastic recipe. The kids gobbled it down 🙂