This rich keto chocolate ice cream ice cream is for serious chocolate lovers only. Rich and creamy, it’s called Death By Chocolate Ice Cream with good reason! No wimpy chocolate flavor here, my friends.
I often write a blog post thinking about what I have to say about a particular recipe. But today we are going to flip that on its head: what does this recipe say about me? I think this one is speaking loud and clear.
This recipe is saying that I love really rich keto chocolate ice cream. This recipe says that when it comes to chocolate cravings, I don’t mess around. It also says that I am your typical woman, moody and irritable at times, and chocolate is the best way to soothe the beast.
This recipe is saying that yeah, if it’s my time to go, I wouldn’t mind drowning in a big vat of low carb dark chocolate ice cream. That’s what this recipe says about me. Now ask yourself, what does this recipe say about you?
If you love seriously chocolatey keto treats as much as I do, be sure to check out my Death By Chocolate Cheesecake too. And go ahead and check out my Fudgy Keto Brownies while you’re at it.
Updating Keto Death By Chocolate Ice Cream
I originally wrote this death by chocolate ice cream recipe back in 2015. Since that time, I’ve gotten better and better at making keto ice cream so I decided it was time to re-visit this and see if I could improve upon it.
One of the advancements in my keto ice cream making skills is the use of some BochaSweet, as I have discovered that using half Swerve and half BochaSweet produces the perfect ice cream texture. The ice cream doesn’t freeze as solidly, which means you can scoop it more easily right out of the freezer.
I also discovered that I made a bit of an error in my nutritional calculations. I should have increased the number of servings, since the churning process increases the volume of the ice cream significantly (usually by another 30 to 50%). This is an incredibly rich ice cream and I should have said it served at least 10, if not 12.
Because it makes a huge amount of ice cream, I decided to cut back on the quantities of all ingredients when I re-tested it, so this new updated version actually does serve 8 people (½ cup per serving).
How to make Keto Chocolate Ice Cream
I actually made this recipe a few times before I was satisfied with it. The first time, the custard was so thick and rich after being refrigerated that it was like keto chocolate pudding and I could hardly pour it into the ice cream maker. It was so good and chocolate-y, though, I knew I was on to something. I just had to tweak it a little to get it right.
Here are my best tips for making the best keto chocolate ice cream recipe!
Use good quality dutch process cocoa powder
Dutched cocoa powder has been treated with an alkaline solution to neutralize the acidity. It is darker than natural cocoa, and has a richer, more chocolate-y flavor. I find that it also dissolves and mixes better into liquids and cake batters.
My favorite brand is Valrhona, but it’s quite pricy. King Arthur Flour also has a nice dutch process, as does Rodelle. Hershey’s Dark is a good store-bought option as well. I don’t recommend black cocoa as it would be too dark for this recipe.
Use an instant read thermometer
I simply cannot recommend a good instant read thermometer enough. It’s ideal for making sure your meats are cooked to temperature but it’s also great for ice creams, custards, and candies. This is a custard-based ice cream, as it contains egg yolks, and being able to tell when those eggs have reached a proper temperature is ideal for both food safety and for the consistency of the ice cream itself.
Both sweeteners are important
I find myself saying this a lot lately! Trust me, I know it’s frustrating to have to purchase two ingredients to make up for what sugar would normally do, but the results are beyond compare. Using only Swerve will result in a rock hard ice cream out of the freezer. Using only BochaSweet will make it so soft, it’s more like soft serve.
The ONLY substitutions for BochaSweet are allulose or xylitol. Please do not ask if you can substitute monk fruit sweetener. Most “monk fruit sweeteners” are erythritol based, which means they are very similar to Swerve. Which also means that they will cause your ice cream to freeze very hard.
The reality is that for any keto ice cream, you can use whatever sweetener you want. But you will face issues with scoop-ability and will need to let it thaw on your counter for up to 20 minutes before serving.
The vodka is optional
But it does help a lot. Alcohol inhibits large ice crystals from forming, which helps keep your keto ice cream recipes softer and creamier. And 1 ½ tablespoons spread among 8 servings amounts to about ½ teaspoon per serving, which is not enough alcohol to affect anyone.
Thin out the custard before churning
The chocolate custard base is very thick once it’s chilled. Thinning it out with some almond milk will allow it to churn much more easily. Most home ice cream makers would not be able to handle that super thick consistency!
The richest, most chocolatey keto chocolate ice cream!
I have tried any number of keto chocolate ice creams on the market and they all suffer from the same problem… not enough chocolate flavor! I think many companies are so concerned with the final carb count, they reduce the chocolate so much it’s practically not even there.
I myself have made a few low carb chocolate ice cream recipes that simply aren’t chocolatey enough for me.
That’s why this recipe calls for both cocoa powder and unsweetened chocolate. It packs some serious chocolate flavor into this amazing sugar-free ice cream. Death by chocolate is the way to go!
Keto Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ¾ cups unsweetened almond milk, divided use hemp milk for nut-free
- ⅓ cup dark cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup Swerve Sweetener
- ⅓ cup Bocha Sweet can sub allulose or xylitol
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoon vodka optional, helps reduce iciness
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Set a bowl over an ice bath.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, ½ cup of the almond milk, cocoa powder and sweeteners. Whisk together until well combined and stir until mixture reaches 160F on an instant read thermometer.
- Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly add 1 cup of the hot cream mixture, whisking continuously to temper the yolks. Slowly add the tempered yolks back into the saucepan, whisking continuously. Cook and stir until mixture reaches 165F on an instant read thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit 5 minutes and then whisk until smooth.
- Pour mixture into bowl set over ice bath and let cool 10 minutes. Then wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Before churning, whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of almond milk milk, the vodka, if using, the vanilla extract, and the salt (the mixture will be VERY thick until these ingredients are whisked in).
- Pour the mixture into the canister of an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions.
- Once churned, transfer to an airtight container and freeze another few hours until firm.
Jackie says
Hi! I have been looking into getting an ice cream machine to go onto my Kitchenaid mixer. Will that work or do I need something different? Thank you for your recipes!
Carolyn says
I think any ice cream maker would work.
Anu says
This is truly brilliant, thank you so much! We tend to prefer a soft serve ice cream, so I used all allulose, water instead of almond milk, included the optional vodka, and added about 20 drops of liquid Stevia to suit our tastes – and it was perfect! As always, the instructions are spot on, and the results… fabulous 🙂 I will be making this often!
Kathryn says
I’ve made this twice now and the flavor is fantastic. However, I’ve had trouble when adding the chopped chocolate. The first time I added chopped unsweetened baking chocolate as directed and it left little bits and made it gritty. Still tasted great, but my husband and son didn’t like the texture. I made it a second time and melted the chocolate slowly in the microwave and added it after I took it off the burner, whisking well, and it still left some small, gritty pieces. I’m thinking my chocolate has been seizing up at 160-165 degrees, and I read online to not hear up chocolate above 130 degrees or it could seize up. Am I maybe adding the chocolate when the mixture is too hot? Or maybe I need a high-quality unsweetened chocolate instead? I used Great Value baking bar the first time and Baker’s unsweetened bar the 2nd time. I even chopped the chocolate in my food processor to help get smaller pieces. I’m hoping to get smooth chocolate ice cream at some point, as this was a hit with my family.
Carolyn says
I think you need a better unsweetened chocolate. I have made this many times as written and never had that happen.
gloria Burns says
Fabulous chocolate icecream
Jakmaw says
Recipe looks great! Can all allulose be used instead of half Swerve? Is there a technical reason that 2 different sweeteners are used? And can you explain why some of the milk is held off until right before churning?
Carolyn says
Make sure you are reading the blog post because I answered both questions there!
jakmaw says
:LOL! Serves me right for jumping right to the recipe. I made it as written (though I subbed monk fruit with erythritol for the Swerve), and it was delicious, but not particularly scoopable – somewhat dry and crumbly when scooping it out. Have others found this? Wonder if the fix is more vodka, or less Swerve/erythritol – maybe 25% Swerve and 75% Bocha/allulose?
Carolyn says
The fix is using the correct sweeteners from the beginning. Did you use allulose or BochaSweet?
Jakmaw says
I used allulose for the second sweetener.
Carolyn says
Hmmm, well I really can’t say why it wouldn’t be creamy and soft, then. It could be the kind of cocoa powder or chocolate you are using. I wouldn’t add more vodka, it will just make it melt faster. Perhaps cut back a bit on the chocolate/cocoa?
Tori says
I love this! But looking forward to and hoping you will update some of these ice cream recipes for the Ninja Creami – which I think you got for amazon prime this summer? HOPING beyond hope, lol. I know there is a group of us watching carefully. ALSO hoping to see if you can identify the use of glycerine to make the creami ice creams not freeze back to solid. Thank you, and my family loves all you do. You make our lives better.
Teri says
PS thanks for telling us about BochaSweet. I was doubtful given the nutrition label says it’s Xylitol, but it’s a variant in the pentose molecular shape and doesn’t have that weird cooling affect and seems to be safe for pets. It tastes amazing—and doesn’t trigger cravings for me—unlike erythritol nor the GI upset other keto-friendly sweeteners can. With BochaSweet, I feel like I have been inducted into the keto inner circle of secret knowledge.
Tori says
Hi Teri, have you tried the new Splenda Magic Baker? It has allulose as well, and is a mix that seems to be ok for my system. I’m using it in my breads and it is sublime!
Teri says
Amazing! A great base to get creative, too. Do the work—recipes requiring lesser work will yield lesser results! I adapted by omitting the swerve, using the just a little less than the called for amount of BochaSweet, that yielded more of a European level of sweetness that I prefer compared to the American counterparts. I added 1 TBSP of high quality instant coffee as a flavor enhancer for the chocolate, and used Montezuma’s orange 100% chocolate bar with cacao nibs—that gave it a fantastic texture in just the right proportion. I think I’ll use some peppermint extract next time!
Krista says
Would I be able to substitute Splenda for both sweeteners? That’s all I have in the house.
Carolyn says
Not if you want it to be soft and scoopable. Sorry!
Sharon Etheridge says
Oh my goodness! It’s really difficult to make Death By Chocolate Ice Cream when all you want to do is eat it warm straight from the pan cause it tastes like the best homemade chocolate pudding I had as a child! I just want to hug you! Every time I make this I just feel like a flood of memories from my childhood enter my kitchen and the only thing missing is my mom! Its the best ice cream too! I am always happy to have a yummy chocolate ice cream without junk in it! You rock as usual!
Kyre Adept says
Recipe looks great but doesn’t print, nor can I save as a .pdf.
Carolyn says
Please try a different browser because it does actually print and readers do it all the time.
Peachy says
It works … I just printed it
mary sigrist says
Hi. I didn’t rate this, but will do so as soon as I taste it!! I did use 50/50 erythritol and allulose because I looked at the Bocha Sweet site and saw it was quite high in Xylitol which I understand can be deadly to dogs. God forbid! Seems, according to VCA Vetrinarians and other vet sites,, it can cause hypoglycemia and liver failure. I won’t risk it.
Peachy says
I love Bocha Sweet and it is my sweetener of choice. You might want to check with your vet because most xylitol is made from birch and that is harmful to dogs. But the xylitol in Bocha Sweet is made from kabocha and dogs can eat kabocha squash.
Teri says
The nutrition label indicates xylitol, but it tastes nothing like it. It’s a slightly tweaked variant of the pentose molecule; I cast the same question out into the depths of the interwebs and it seems to be different enough not to be toxic. Always consult your vet, of course.
Connie Restrepo says
Is this recipe meant for an ice cream machine without a compressor? If the ice cream machine has a compressor do we need to adjust somehow? For instance the 3 hours in the fridge pre-churning? Are they necessary?
Carolyn says
It’s meant for any kind of churning ice cream maker. Compressors don’t change much. Don’t skip the chill time or your ice cream will take much longer to churn. I have a compressor model but I used to have a regular model. They both work essentially the same.
Cathy Stull says
I made this recipe and put it in my Ninja Creami containers (froze it) then gave it a spin before I ate it. Oh my goodness! It was fantastic! Definitely keeping this recipe! Thank you for all the work you do to help us all on our journey. I have purchased 3 of your cookbooks and have recommended them to several people. You have been a game changer for me. I just mixed up the strawberry ice cream recipe and it’s in the freezer now too! Thanks again!
Tricia says
Cathy, thank you for mentioning using the recipe in your Creami. I just bought one and so far I’ve only tried one sugar-free recipe. I was hoping someone would try making Carolyn’s wonderful ice creams in the machine.
Tia Bidlack says
I have allulose in a liquid form, does it also come in a powder? I keep seeing recipes that call for this but it doesn’t sound like it calls for liquid but rather powder. I have an ice cream maker coming and am anxious to try this recipe. Help me understand what sweeteners I am working with. Please and thank you!
Carolyn says
It usually comes in a granular form. I think you could still try using the liquid, but I can’t be sure.
DM says
I am sorry but I didn’t believe you that this ice cream could be scooped right from the freezer. I WAS SO WRONG! I didn’t think it was possible as may keto ice creams were good but rock solid. I just want to take the ice cream and eat a spoonful sometimes and I can do that with this. This ice cream is really the best chocolate i have tasted. Thanks for taking time to post all of these great recipes.
David Shaw says
I love the smooth texture of this ice cream, but found the chocolate to be too strong. If I make it again, I’ll try half the cocoa powder.
Marsha B says
Love this recipe. Ice cream is my favorite snack food/dessert and this did not disappoint. Even when I made an error and added all the almond milk in the beginning. Ooops!! I had just made the peach ice cream and didn’t read correctly. But it still came out awesome. I used dark cocoa which for me was just a bit too much so next time I’ll use regular cocoa. Then with half regular and half dark then decide which was best. And I’ll add the almond milk correctly. Keep the ice cream recipes coming. I’ll start trying your others.
PennyC says
May I ask, is your carb count total or net carbs? I love this ice cream, but I had to cut back to a lower carb count, and I need to make sure your yummy treat still fits in my regimen.
Carolyn says
It’s total carbs, not including any erythritol or sweeteners that don’t affect blood sugar.