Can something made with peaches possibly be keto friendly? You bet and this homemade peach ice cream proves it. It’s sweet and creamy, and the perfect dessert on a hot summer night.
I know what’s going to happen here. Trust me, I am really good at predicting the future. Here’s what’s going to happen. Someone is going to quickly glance at this recipe for keto peach ice cream and feel that it’s their job to tell me that it’s not keto.
To them I say… sorry, suckers! You are missing out. Because surprisingly, peaches are not that high in carbs, and this keto ice cream recipe is so heavenly and so utterly perfect for summer. It’s like being a kid again, when ripe juicy peaches were gracing every table all summer long.
It’s pure creamy peach heaven and it’s a throwback to simpler times. It’s worth it, believe me.
Are peaches keto-friendly?
You might be surprised to learn that you can incorporate peaches into a healthy keto diet. Per 100g, peaches have only 10g of carbs.
I really do hate the “But that’s not keto!” comments. Because it’s incredibly limiting and incredibly shortsighted. If you follow a specific keto program that stipulates that you avoid certain foods, that’s all well and good. But please remember that the overarching concept of a keto diet is simply one that keeps you in ketosis. That’s it, plain and simple.
Which means that cetain foods that aren’t super low carb can sometimes still be used in small quantities. To add a bit of flavor, perhaps, or to add an air of authenticity.
Compare the same amount of peach to some other fruits and you will see what I mean (keep in mind these are TOTAL carbs, not NET):
Per 100g, peaches have only 10g of carbs.
100g of blueberries have 14g of carbs. And blueberries are often considered acceptable on keto.
100g of strawberries have 8g of carbs.
100g of raspberries have 12g of carbs.
Did I just blow your mind or what?
That said, I am not going to sit down and eat a whole peach. A medium peach has about 14g of carbs and being a diabetic on a keto diet, that isn’t going to do me any favors. It would probably send my blood sugar up and kick me out of ketosis.
But mix a little peach puree in with heavy cream, egg yolks, and other high fat, keto inducing foods, and it’s suddenly a whole new ball game. Each generous serving of this keto peach ice cream has only 6.5 grams of carbs.
How to Make Keto Peach Ice Cream
Use an ice cream maker: This is a churned keto ice cream, so it does require an ice cream maker. If you have the kind that requires you to freezer the canister for 12 hours, don’t forget to do so!
I get asked a lot for ice cream maker recommendations. I have the big compressor model now, which I love because I don’t have to freeze the canister. But I had the basic Cuisinart ice cream maker for years and it worked beautifully.
Use ripe peaches. You will need about 3 medium size peaches that are quite ripe, so that the delicious juicy peach flavor comes through. The flesh should yield a fair bit as you gently squeeze the peach, but it shouldn’t feel mushy. Don’t get rock hard peaches, they simply won’t have enough flavor.
This ice cream has a nice light summery peach flavor. If you want a more intense peach flavor, consider adding a little of this peach flavoring. It’s intense so a little goes a long way!
Macerate the peaches. Macerating fruit helps it release its juices. Normally one would do this with sugar but we don’t use that junk! I used Bocha Sweet and lemon juice. Then you can mash the peaches to a fine pulp, with a few small bits in it for texture.
Make a custard base: This is an old fashioned ice cream recipe using egg yolks, heavy cream, and a little almond milk (use hemp milk for nut-free). The process is similar to creating a custard, wherein you temper the egg yolks with a little hot cream, and then add the yolks back into the pot and cook until thickened slightly.
Use a water bath: You can’t put the hot ice cream base straight into an ice cream maker, even a compressor model, as it won’t freeze properly. It has to chill for at least 3 hours, but you can help speed up the process a bit by putting the custard into a bowl set over an ice bath for 10 minutes.
Two different sweeteners are important: I feel like I am starting to repeat myself a lot here, as I say this in most of my newer ice cream recipes. But a combination of Bocha Sweet (or xylitol, or allulose) and Swerve works best for ice cream that stays scoopable and soft.
A little vodka helps too. You can skip this but it helps reduce iciness. And since peaches have a high liquid content, anything that helps reduce iciness is a good thing!
So creamy and delicious, and so reminiscent of summers gone by, this peach ice cream recipe is truly an amazing keto treat!
How to store homemade peach ice cream
Keto ice cream like this can be stored for several months. The best way to keep it fresh and without any freezer burn is in an airtight container. Sometimes I simply use tupperware with a tight fitting lid. I also have a good pyrex container glass container with a nice tight fitting lid on it.
But I also have two sizes of these Tavolo ice cream tubs. The large size is like a regular quart ice cream container. Then there are little individual sized ones, if you want to store your ice cream with built in portion control.
Other keto summer recipes you might like
Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
Keto Peach Ice Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 400 grams ripe peaches, peeled and sliced, about 2 1/2 to 3 medium peaches
- 1/3 cup (78.86 g) Bocha Sweet, (or xylitol)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups (357 g) heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup (118 g) unsweetened almond or hemp milk
- 1/3 cup (60.67 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp glucomannan powder, (or xanthan gum)
- 2 tbsp vodka, (optional, helps reduce iciness)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Set the sliced peaches in a bowl and toss with the Bocha Sweet and the lemon juice. Let sit 30 minutes to macerate and release their juices, then mash up with a potato masher or large fork. They should be well mashed but a few small bits and pieces are okay.
- Set a medium bowl over an ice bath and set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium low heat, combine the cream, almond milk, and Swerve. Bring to just a simmer, stirring frequently to dissolve the sweetener.
- In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the salt until smooth. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot cream into the yolks to temper, whisking continuously. Then slowly pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking continuously.
- Continue to cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture reaches 170F on an instant read thermometor, and/or thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and quickly pour into the bowl over the prepared ice bath.
- Let cool 10 minutes, then whisk in the mashed peach puree. Whisk in the glucomannan. Refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
- Whisk in the vodka and vanilla extract and pour the mixture into the canister of an ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer's directions. Once churned, transfer to an airtight container and freeze another hour or two, until firm enough to scoop.
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!
I first made this recipe as printed. I felt like the addition of vanilla tempered the taste of the peach a bit so, my second batch I used peach liqueur instead of the vanilla. Felt it added a bit more alcohol, the same as the vanilla, but intensified the peach flavor! I’m so glad you did all the hard part!!! first
Carolyn:
Thanks, I’m getting ready to churn this recipe tomorrow. I’d really like to use all of the 918 g of pitted ripe fresh peaches from our two peach trees. I’m guessing that means that I’ll be tripling your recipe in terms of ingredients, given that two cups of sliced peaches should be around 300 g. I’m also trying to figure out how many of the Peohud 6 oz. containers I am going to need to store the ice cream. When you say your recipe yielded 10 servings, do you know about how many ounces of ice cream that translated into? It would be great to hear from you soon, so I can put in my container order.
Ounces, I don’t know. It’s always about 1/2 cup per serving, though, so I bet you could google it.
Hello. Just curious, has the recipe changed? I always lose my copy or get it wet and have to reprint. I’ve made this ice cream for 2 years and it is a hit with everyone. This year, and I had really good peaches, it just wan’t. The peach flavor was barely there and I’ve never used peach flavoring before and did not this time. The flavor was just off, I just can’t put my finger on it. Any suggestions? Thanks.
NOpe, haven’t changed a thing since I first wrote the recipe.
Thanks. I wonder if it is the new formulation of Swerve. I just can’t put my finger on the change in flavor. Did you notice a difference when the formulation changed?
I don’t think so…
Updating my earlier post, after freezing the ice cream overnight, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐for perfect “scoopability” with the combination of sweeteners.
Bcause we were given some aprrcots, they were substituted for the peaches. The custard base welcomed them niclely. Very yummy, creamy end result (as always with your recipes). Thank you
Hello Carolyn, I wonder if we could use a similar method to the lemon curd one which uses whole eggs. That basically the eggs are cooked. We thought of using nectarines or the Spanish peaches, full of flavour when they ripen (eventually) I live in Spain so buying a brown sugar sweetener has been challenging but Amazon came up with something. We can’t buy bocha sweet or allulose but can buy Zylitol. The lemon curd is fantastic thank you. My friends said even though they are not ice cream fans its the best they have ever tasted.
I made this peach ice cream this weekend for the Fourth of July. I didn’t have granular swerve so I used powdered. I did use the 2 tablespoons of vodka to cut back on the iciness once frozen. It worked beautifully and did not alter the flavor of the finished ice cream. This peach ice cream turned out creamy, delicious & absolutely divine.
Can you explain as to when you should use glucomannan powder vs xanthum gum. I have noticed that some ice cream recipes state glucomannan and several others state to use xanthum gum. Thanks.
For ice cream, use xanthan gum as it inhibits the formation of ice crystals.
But this recipe calls for glucomannan ??
Thanks for all your great recipes, Carolyn! You’re our go-to recipe source multiple times each week!
Is there something unique about vodka for this recipe, or could bourbon be used in its place?
Cheers!
Sure!
I love peach season and this peach ice cream is absolutely amazing! Directions were easy and the results were fabulous! I’m making it again next week.
Delicious! I love peach ice cream, but gave up eating it, until now! I added a splash of peach sugar free skinny syrup for a little more flavor. Thank you for creating this. I also made the vanilla flavor, which is also tasty. It’s hot today, this will be a nice treat….in air conditioning. 🙂