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 (1/2 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 1/2 tablespoons spread among 8 servings amounts to about 1/2 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!
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.
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cups unsweetened almond milk, divided use hemp milk for nut-free
- 1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1/3 cup Bocha Sweet can sub allulose or xylitol
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp vodka optional, helps reduce iciness
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
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Set a bowl over an ice bath.
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In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, 1/2 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.
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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.
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Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit 5 minutes and then whisk until smooth.
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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.
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Before churning, whisk in the remaining 1/4 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).
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Pour the mixture into the canister of an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions.
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Once churned, transfer to an airtight container and freeze another few hours until firm.
Jo says
Can I substitute ordinary milk for the nut milk?
Thanks
Jo
Carolyn says
Sure, but it will raise the carb count a bit.
Carol W says
Use Fairlife milk, it’s lower carb.
Anna says
And more protein!
Emily @ Life on Food says
This looks amazingly rich and dark. Just how I like it! I would be digging it right out of the ice cream bowl.
Jan says
Oh, yeah! This is what I’ve been waiting for! Definitely will be making this on Saturday!
Kissa says
Can’t wait to try this!
Jen says
How do you think it would come out subbing Navitas Naturals Organic Cacao Powder for the cocoa?
Carolyn says
No idea…is it different than regular cocoa powder? As long as it mixes in well with the cream, I don’t see it being a problem.
Briana Thomas (briana-thomas.com) says
Wow. That’s all I’m gonna say.
Susan McIntyre says
Will make this SOON! One question, I do not buy alcohol, what brand and type? vodka should I get. I have seen this for other recipes and I really want to try it. Thanks!
Carolyn says
Get the inexpensive stuff, since it doesn’t matter for flavour.
Susan McIntyre says
Thanks.
RavieNomNoms says
I looove a good chocolate ice cream, so good!!
Ainsley says
I’m reading this with your double chocolate blender muffin right next to me and swooning. I have all the ingredients for this and my cream goes bad tonight 😉
One issue…I just made your strawberry rhubarb ice cream (noms by the way) and now will have to go buy another ice cream storage container for this.
<3
Jean Cutts says
can you use vegetable glycerite instead of vodka?
Carolyn says
Sure.
Barbara says
Thank you, thank you, thank you — going to try my first low carb ice cream ever!!
Karen says
DAMNN!!
Kay says
Note to self…Read the recipe all the way thru before starting. How vital is the ice cream maker? Any alternative/suggestions if you don’t have one? :/
Carolyn says
Pretty vital, I would think. You could google how to do ice cream without a maker. Or you could put it in popsicle molds.
Linda says
And, the reverse works well also. I did not have popsicle molds to make your MOCHA LOW CARB ICE CREAM BARS, so I churned them instead. This turned out to be the best homemade ice cream I ever made! I have since morphed it into many other flavors & let me just say, this stuff is GREAT!! Thanks for making a diabetic lifestyle so delicious!
Judy says
I’m hoping you can make a similar no churn recipe soon. I don’t have room for an ice cream maker. Thank you for your yummy recipes.
Weedwacker says
Will this recipe work using 1/2 & 1/2 instead of heavy cream? I would like to cut the cholesterol a bit.
Carolyn says
Yes, it should be fine. It may freeze a little harder in the end, so my suggestion is to freeze it in individual serving containers so you only need to soften one serving at a time.
Amanda says
This looks so unbelievably rich and delicious!!!
Jean Braten says
Can you taste the vodka?
Carolyn says
No, not at all.
Patty says
Could you please recommend a good ice cream maker or tell me which brand and model you used in this recipe?
Carolyn says
I’ve had this one for over 17 years and it still works! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KYSLMW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003KYSLMW&linkCode=as2&tag=aldaidrabfo05-20&linkId=BFKDLOXTP3S4YIW5
I now also have the slightly larger version, the stainless steel 2 quart one, but that’s only because I found it at a thrift store for $25.
Judy Menting says
Do you have to use liquid stevia. I use granular stivia for my sugar. It works great
What does the liquid do? Thanks
.
Carolyn says
It simply makes it sweeter. Use whatever you see fit.
Nushi says
I made this today- it is divine. I used Yucan syrup in place of Bochasweet (actually just added 1/2 of the required amount) and my ice cream is still super creamy, stoppable, and so so yummy.
Mary says
Making this RIGHT NOW! (Super happy!!) 🙂
Wendy says
I made this recipe and it came out delicious but its very hard after it freeze, we have to put the container in the microwave for a minute before we can scoop some out, next time I will add some glycerin and see if it’s better or increase the amount of xanthan gum, when it was just finished from the machine I loved it and still do but I wish it wasn’t so solid now.
Wendy says
Sorry forgot to say THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING 🙂
Pan says
Hi Carolyn, thanks for this recipe! I just made it today using Hershey’s special dark. It’s delicious! I used bourbon instead of vodka because I had it on hand and I figured it pairs well with chocolate. Next time I’ll use the vodka as recommended so that I get a pure chocolate taste. I might also pair this ice cream with the brownie from your brownie ice cream recipe… Yum! By the way, I tasted the custard base right out of the fridge before the final steps and it makes delicious chocolate pudding! If I ever want chocolate pudding I’ll use this recipe and add xanthan gum right after the fridge step.
Carolyn says
It really would make perfect pudding, it’s so thick!
Gayle says
What would the xanthan do?
Carolyn says
It thickens things like pudding – and for keto ice cream, it can help keep it softer. Now that I’ve re-vamped the recipe to include both sweeteners, you really don’t need it.
Patty says
Is there any reason why this recipe shouldn’t be doubled? I am planning on churning it in a 2 quart ice cream machine.
Carolyn says
It might be a bit much when doubled, even for a 2 quart machine. I made it in my 2 quart and it was more than halfway full. But you could aim for 1.5 times the recipe.
Patty says
Thanks so much! This recipe worked beautifully and tasted super!
Cheryl says
Oh my goodness, the Best Chocolate ice cream I have ever tasted let alone make. Creamy goodness. It was my first ice cream I have ever made. Thank you.
Valerie says
Is there a way this could be dairy free? What might be a good sub for the heavy cream?
Carolyn says
Full fat coconut milk.
Gus Morgan says
Can this recipe be used to make vanilla ice cream by omitting the cocoa powder? or are other changes necessary? Please let me know if you have a recipe for vanilla ice cream.
Carolyn says
No, it’s not going to turn out just by doing that. I have several vanilla ice cream recipes. You can use this one and just omit the brownie chunks https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2014/07/low-carb-brownie-explosion-ice-cream.html
Carrie says
I have this cooling and can already say that the taste is amazing!! Thank you for another great recipe!
Melissa says
Oh my goodness… I was not expecting it to taste this good!! I made two substitutions: I used Truvia instead of Swerve (same measurement), and guar gum instead of xanthan gum. That’s just what I had on hand. Wow… unbelievable taste, unbelievable texture.
The only issue I ran into was that it ended up making quite a lot. By 20 minutes into the churning it was overflowing my machine. I ended up scooping about half a cup out into a separate bowl and just freezing it while the rest continued to churn.
Carolyn says
Wow, what size is your ice cream maker? I’ve made it in a 1.5 quart and a 2 quart and it’s been fine.
Melissa says
1.5 quarts. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining! Perhaps the HWC I used was particularly aerate-able. It was a non-homogenized pasture-grazed variety. My guess is that may have had something to do with it.
Karen says
I made this to eat while binge watching, “Game of Thrones.” Sweet Liberty …. this is insanely good. Not gonna say I ate the whole thing at one time, but – yeah. Could Have. Not a problem. Thank you – this ice cream is scrumptious!
kjustinn says
I just purchased the Breville ice cream maker from Sonoma Williams. what a cool maker, it is the only one with a compressor built in. also the vegetable glycerin 1 or 2 tablespoons works great instead of alcohol. be careful with swerve, I use the confection swerve, its very sweet.I don’t think you need even 1/2 cup.
Carolyn says
I use Swerve all the time, so I am very comfortable with the amount I put in my recipes, but people can adjust to suit their needs.
Lori says
Would you recommend 1/2 cup Swerve?
Jo says
I mixed the xanthan gum with the chopped chocolate and added it that way; far less need for vigorous whisking if added like this rather than all by itself (old trick from making low carb cheese sauce).
However, the mixture was too thick to pour easily in to my ice cream machine and I think that this would be a problem regardless of when the xanthan gum was added. In the end I added a touch more milk to thin it out. Has anybody else had this challenge?
Carolyn says
Hi Jo…if you read my post, you will see that it happened to me on the first go with this ice cream too. I suspect you may have cooked it a tad long and it became more like pudding. But it may be the brand of chocolate too, I am not sure.
Jo says
It’s possible. I didn’t manage to get the chocolate custard up to 175F / 80C at any point: the mixture started to boil at around 170F / 75C so I took it off the hob at that point. Is the temperature important? Would it work to say ‘until the mixture reaches 175F or coats the back of a spoon’, as mine did that quite some way shy of 170F.
Carolyn says
I am going to guess you are on an electric stove? They do tend to heat things up too much! 170F should be fine if it’s already thick, since eggs are “cooked” (safe) at 160F.
Jo says
Alas, no! Gas hob. On a very low flame to avoid overcooking.
If eggs are safe at 160F / 70C then that should be fine. I’ll try that next time.
Incidentally, my two-year-old son (who I suspect will be the one most likely to develop blood sugar problems out of my two boys) adores all the low-carb items I’m making. He’s literally begging me to make cauliflower crust cheesy garlic bread sticks. Way to go, little fella!
Carolyn says
Gas is so much better than electric! 🙂 Glad your son likes the low carb stuff. Not sure why it thickened that much this time. Happened to me on the first round which is why I have the extra 1/2 cup cashew milk to whisk in at the end.
Carolyn says
By the way, it may actually be when you added the xanthan gum, because you added it when the mixture was hot, which means it “activates” more than when you added it to the chilled mixture at the end.
Shel says
Made this today. So good, so perfect, and “too chocolate” for everyone else in the house. It does not get any better than that!
Carolyn says
Thanks!
Libby at ditchthecarbs.com says
This is the most decadent low carb ice cream I think I have ever seen. I have included it in my top 20 Low Carb & Sugar Free Ice Cream roundup. http://www.ditchthecarbs.com/2015/07/17/best-low-carb-sugar-free-ice-cream/ Have a great day. Libby.
Lisa says
Wow!! Made this today. I have never been able to get a real chocolate flavor from homemade ice cream, even in my regular sugar days. The recipes I tried always tasted fake.
This recipe is sooo decadent. It will be my go-to recipe from now on.
Pam says
Finally made this. O.M.G. It is fantastic, a chocolate lover’s dream!
ryan says
hey, would this still work if i used chocolate whey protein powder instead of cocoa? i know it wouldn’t taste anywhere near as delicious; just curious if the whey would ruin the process somehow. thanks.
Carolyn says
I am not sure, I’ve never subbed protein powder for cocoa. I think it’s worth a shot.
Kelly E says
Can I sub almond milk for the cashew milk?
Carolyn says
Yes, that would work just fine.
Kelly e says
By far the best choc ice cream I’ve ever made. Sugar or no, the best. I used a small amount of agave syrup instead of the stevia right before churning. It adds a few carbs but this is still basically guilt free. Gonna try the vanilla one next!!!!
Toni says
Do you think I could make a half batch using the ziploc method since I don’t have an I’ve cream maker?
Carolyn says
I really have no idea, I’ve never done that.
Ginny says
Have you ever tried using MTC oil instead of vodka to help with the icy-ness? I’ve read some other low-carb recipes that use it and was wondering if you’ve ever experimented with it. This Christmas break I’m going to find a chocolate ice cream recipe that works, or die trying! Thanks for all of your hard work Carolyn. It is much appreciated!
Carolyn says
Hmmmm, no I haven’t. This ice cream definitely works as is, but if you do try the MTC oil, come back and let me know how it fares!
Lee says
Did you try the MTC oil and if so, did it work?
John C says
Ready to make but I do not have any Swerve Sweetener , nor do I have any sweetener sub can regular Sugar be used?
Also what can be used instead of •1/4 to 1/2 tsp liquid stevia extract (or other sweetener, to taste)… more sugar?
Really do not have any type of diet stuff, nor really like sugar subs (taste)
Hope you can help
Carolyn says
Sure, you can use sugar in place of the Swerve and 1/4 tsp stevia = 1/4 cup sugar.
Regan says
Yum! This is one of the nicest ice creams I’ve ever tasted. I’ve kept it in the freezer overnight now but it’s extremely solid; I will have to defrost to serve. Is there anything I can do next time to make it softer in the freezer?
Carolyn says
T’is the nature of sugar-free ice creams. The xanthan gum and alcohol both help, and your freezer may be not quite at the optimal temp, it may be freezing everything too hard (you can raise the temp by a degree or two without unfreezing things). But one great trick is to divvy it up into single serve portions before freezing so that you only have to defrost that.
Regan says
Thanks Carolyn! We’ve finished the whole lot and just defrosted it a bit each time, it was no big deal. I even remember doing this with old ice cream in our freezer when I was a kid.
I adore this recipe! Even my fussy 10yo son loves it. Thank you!
Lora says
LOVe the flavor and texture of this right after it was done in the ice cream maker. However overnight in the freezer made it rock solid. Any tips for how to freeze it so its not so hard?
Carolyn says
Use sugar. Nope, I am not kidding. The reality is that sugar-free ice cream is often VERY hard after freezing. My best suggestion is to freeze it in small single-serve containers so that you only have to soften one at a time.
Leanna says
This is so good! It is creamy, thick, and rich. Life is good again, now that I can eat ice cream. I cut the recipe in half so I could make it in my counter-top ice cream maker. It worked great.
ryan says
hi there, would this recipe work as well if i used cocoa butter instead of the unsweetened chocolate?
Carolyn says
Cocoa butter is white and has not chocolate flavour. So no, it wouldn’t work. Unless you meant cocoa AND cocoa butter?
ryan says
yes, i shoudl’ve been more clear. in australia unsweetened chocolate is near impossible to get, but cocoa and cocoa butter should give it a good authentic taste shouldn’t it?
Carolyn says
Yes, and if you google it, I am pretty sure there are a few tips on the correct amounts of cocoa butter and cocoa to use to replicate unsweetened chocolate.
Ryan says
Thanks. If I subbed in cointraeu instead of vodka, would it still be OK cause they have the same alcohol % even though it has sugar in it?
Carolyn says
Sure, I think that would work.
Rhiannon says
Thoughts on adding your caramel sauce to the ice cream before it goes into the ice cream maker???
Carolyn says
My thought is that it will taste good but this is so intensely chocolatey that you might lose that caramel flavour.
Diana says
DH and I made this ice cream today. The custard was unbelievably good–I didn’t think it would last long enough while chilling to put in the ice cream maker, we kept sneaking so many bites of it. But we persevered and put it into the frozen ice cream canister after dinner and turned on the machine. The ice cream maker bucked and jumped around on the counter, and the dasher just sat still in the custard as it was freezing solid around the edges. We finally had to take off the lid, hold the dasher while the canister turned, and let it scrape the custard from the sides like it was supposed to. Eventually, we decided we’d had enough, and decanted the partially frozen ice cream into smaller freezer containers. The mess was spectacular–I had chocolate ice cream in my hair and all over my body. DH was licking every container, spatula, pot and spoon in sight. The counter was covered with ice cream drips and spatters. But still, we got enough into the containers and into the freezer to count for something (probably not 8 servings at this point). Bottom line, this ice cream is everything a chocaholic girl could ever want: rich, decadent, utterly delicious, and, to boot, the maker of an incredibly fun evening!
Carolyn says
Oh no! I wonder what was wrong with your ice cream maker?
Karen says
Made this tonight– absolutely fabulous! Thank you for another great recipe, Carolyn! I don’t think our family– teenagers included– would survive being low-carb without you!
Donna Wolf says
What kind of ice cream maker do you us?
Carolyn says
I have this one now but I have also used the smaller cuisinart to great affect (I had that one for 15 years!). https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006ONQOC/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=aldaidrabfo05-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B0006ONQOC&linkId=5753443c4783a88ec049a0693c66de2e
Jennifer Grinolds says
Just made this today. It is AMAZING! My son has dietary restrictions and we do not feed him sugar. This was perfect for him and low-carb was great too. It tasted a lot better than I thought it would and we will definitely be making it again. Wow!
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
jamie says
this ice cream is delicious!!! that being said, i also want to give attention to your equally delicious “low carb chocolate blender mousse”. if you don’t have the time or an ice cream maker, and you are in need of rich, delicious chocolate creaminess, the mousse is the way to go. 🙂
Carolyn says
Just made another round of the mousse, the dairy-free kind, when my sister and her kids came to visit. She was thrilled and I was reminded how good it is.
Claire says
I made this last night and it was delicious. My husband said it tasted like chocolate pudding ice cream. I used 90% Lindt chocolate bar as the only substitution, I made a different one last week that was also delicious but made too small a batch for the family. The one addition I will make next time that I learned from the other recipe is that I will add a pinch of Pink sea salt. Thank you for this delightful recipe,
Ella says
What an awesome recipe!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
I played around with the recipe, since I didn’t have the cashew/coconut/almond milk – but had all the other ingredients. I ended up adding about a cup of water instead of those milks. I have an ice cream maker but I ended up putting this into my popsicle molds without even using the ice cream maker and it turned out awesome!!! I didn’t have to worry about thawing a large batch, I just thaw one popsicle at a time. So rich, so good! LOVE!!!!
Alex says
Hi. I live in Japan and can’t get Swerve here. Whet other sugar substitutes do you recommend? There seems to plenty of Agave.
Thanks
Carolyn says
Agave is sugar, I definitely do not recommend. Do they have any erythritol based sweeteners?
Alex says
Thank you–yes they do. I assume I’d use the same proportions as Swerve? Thanks again
Carolyn says
Yes, that would be fine.
Raja says
Isit sugar free ?
Carolyn says
Yes.
Brooke says
For the refrigeration after the ice bath- is that necessary for an ice cream machine with a compressor?
I don’t have an instant read thermometer on hand- just an old school candy thermometer- will that work or is the recipe too sensitive for analog/non instant readings?
Carolyn says
It might not be for the compressor type (I just got one!) but do need to refrigerate it for a while (3 hours). Otherwise it will be churning forever…
Leanne says
Perfect! Reminds me of my old days of eating Baskin Robbins’ dark chocolate ice cream. My family continues to rave!
Amanda says
First attempt at a low carb pudding after a chia disaster and I can’t say thank you enough! Easy to follow recipe, easy to make and absolutely delicious!
The husband loved it as well! Will definitely be making this again.
Amy says
This is soooo yummy! I want to put this here in case someone else like me added ALL the milk in the beginning instead of reading through the instructions to save some back for later. It worked perfectly even with my mistake! I used all of the ingredients as listed except for the liquid stevia (only because i didn’t have any). It could have used the extra sweetness from the liquid stevia or from more swerve on the front end, but even without it its delicious! I used an old Cuisinart plug in machine (the kind with the container you freeze) and the recipe fit into it perfectly. Yay for yummy ice cream and now to try more!
Amy says
Is it possible to make this without the unsweetened chocolate and it would still be yummy? Would there need to be any substitutions or changes to the recipe? I am thinking I want to reduce the carb count a bit for me and that would certainly help. Its also super chocolaty (which I love) but others in my family like it a little less chocolaty.
Crystal says
O.M.G. Made this tonight and it is beyond amazing. One scoop was more than enough- it’s so rich and decadent, I thought I had somehow messed up and made this not low carb. But it is! This is definitely going to be a regular staple in my freezer.
Raquel says
I can’t wait to try this ice cream recipe! Can I substitute the swerve portions with maltitol? The maltitol that I have is of liquid/syrup consistency .
Carolyn says
Yes. Swerve measure like sugar so use your sweetener in the amount you would use sugar.
Lisa says
This was my first attempt at low carb ice cream. Oh. My. Gosh…..delicious!!! No one would ever guess it was low carb, rich, decadent, chocolate….. so good!
Cydni says
So, the ice cream is delicious! Super chocolatey goodness. However, I don’t know what I did wrong, but it’s gotten incredibly hard since putting it in the freezer. I’m the only one eating it, so I can’t eat all of it when it first comes out of the ice cream maker. Although I know homemade ice cream freezes more firmly once put into the freezer, I can barely cut this in chunks off with a knife. I left it out for 15 minutes to try to dethaw a bit, and it’s still hard. HELP! I followed your directions; do you have any idea what I may be doing wrong?
Cydni says
Actually, I did change one thing. I didn’t use the liquid stevia, instead I used 1 tsp of swerve (I hate stevia) – would that have had that much of an impact?
Brooke says
You did not do anything wrong. It happens to keto ice cream. This is because there is no sugar in it, sugar helps to not deep freeze because sugar cannot actually freeze. I believe there is another recipe on this site that uses vegetable glycerin to prevent that hard freeze. I have the same issue. I typically just microwave it for 30 seconds about 30 minutes before I want to eat it, and then just leave it on the counter. Haven’t had any weird texture issue with this method.
Carolyn says
You’re not doing anything wrong, except that for the stevia, you should have been replacing it with another 1/4 cup Swerve, not a tsp. 1/4 tsp liquid stevia is much MUCH sweeter than Swerve. So I worry that your ice cream wont’ be sweet enough.
Sugar keeps ice cream soft and low carb sweeteners do not. So it’s the nature of the beast, and I often divvy mine up into individual servings. Also, 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave can help too, making it soft enough to scoop but not melted.
Cydni says
Thanks for both of your replies! It makes me feel better that I wasn’t doing anything correctly.
My grandma thought it was way to chocolatey, but I loved it (but I’ll definitely remember the difference in measurement and compensate next time)! I love super dark chocolate. I actually thought the mixture before adding the eggs would also make an excellent hot chocolate mix during the winter.
I did think about freezing in individual servings, and I think that’s what I’ll do next time.
Again, thanks for letting me know I wasn’t doing anything wrong. Just started keto a month ago, so I’m still learning. And this was the first week of experimenting with ice cream (made a couple of different batches), so it’s nice to know, I’m not heading down the wrong path.
cheri says
Will definitely be trying this recipe, love that it is low carb. Beautiful pics!
Regina says
When it comes time to wrap the bowl for refrigeration, do I need to place the plastic wrap directly onto the chocolate mixture (I guess to prevent a skin from forming) or simply cover the bowl?
Carolyn says
No, just onto the bowl itself. A sling may form but it gets whisked back in later.
Grace says
Wow. You have a lot of comments. I hope you see mine soon. I was wondering what you thought about subbing out the swerve for 1/2 cup of a sugar free syrup, like Torani. I use it one to one for all your other recipes and it works like a champ. Maybe if I used it subbed it for 1/2 cup of the almond milk? I guess I’m curious if that I might ruin the texture with the 1/2 cup less milk. I may just go for,but thought I’d ask.
Torani is really the only fake sweetener my Type 2 diabetic guys likes. Thanks especially for your Almond Joy treat recipe, I made them with the vanilla Torani and were the first real candy bar treat he had had in a very long time.
ALSO Thank you for all your hard work. It matters to lots of us out here. 🙂
Carolyn says
Sounds like it should work.
Grace says
Thanks! I’ll go for it and report back!
Grace says
Hi Carolyn!
Reporting back. 🙂 It worked!!
I subbed 1/2 cup of the cashew milk for 1/2 cup Torani Sugar Free Vanilla syrup and we LOVED it. I will say it cuts down quite a lot on the richness, which might be a plus for some people. Next time maybe more cream and less cashew milk.
For the dry sweetener I used 3 Splenda packets and 1 truvia. It could have been sweeter. Maybe one more splenda will do it next time.
Thanks so much for all your hard work!!! I love knowing your recipes will always work, even when I mess with them.
Oh oh!! I put a teaspoon of crunchy peanut butter on top of each serving and that was hit. I can’t wait to try your other ice cream recipes.
-Grace
Carolyn says
So good to know!
Grace Piper says
Hi Carolyn,
I tinkered more with the recipe to compensate for the Torani cutting the richness. Now I use
5 egg yolks and upped to 4 ounces Lily’s chocolate chips.
My first batch was that super black cocoa powder(Hershey’s I think?) that LOOKS insane and a batch with Scharfenberg cocoa powde and we liked the complexity of Scharfenberg flavor a tiny bit more.
AND I tried using the Torani Sugar free chocolate syrup and was worried the flavor wouldn’t work, but I think we liked better than the vanilla flavor.
Thanks again for all your hard work!
Laure says
Thank you for this recipe, i have just made it and it tastes as awesome as I thought it would! The texture is all wrong though, it became as hard as a rock after a couple of hours in the freezer. Any ideas what happened? Any tips?
Carolyn says
That’s pretty standard with sugar-free ice cream, since sugar is what helps conventional ice cream stay soft. But it should be that hard after only a few hours so sounds like you have your freezer set at a very low temperature.
Debbie says
Ice cream should get very hard in the freezer. It seems to me that an ice cream made with all of the chemical conditioners and high tech machinery used on it would produce the soft version. I remember many decades of using the metal ice cream scoop heated in warm water to get the ice cream out of the container.
Debbie says
Today I made the Death By Chocolate ice cream, it was excellent. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out a “WOW!” I thank you for sharing this wonderful sugar free ice cream.
Desiree says
If we are using pasteurized eggs, is the whole heating to a certain temperature really necessary?
Nicole says
Is there a way we can make this without an ice cream maker? I’m a college student and am trying to be healthier but have absolutely no space to put an ice cream maker!
Carolyn says
No, this recipe requires churning. Sorry.
Karen says
I wonder if putting it in a blender and churning it after it’s been in the freezer for a while might help. I used to do that when making ice cream in college. It was like the consistency of a very thick smoothie. The texture was rock-hard after completely frozen, but I froze it into individual portions. FYI: I still had the same blender from college nearly 20 years later, and still have the same hand mixer! Talk about getting your money’s worth!
Carolyn, thank you so much for this recipe. We heard about it on Type One Grit. My daughter and spouse both loved it. He said, “You can make this for me ANY TIME YOU WANT.” Artificial sweeteners give him visual migraines. Birdy licked the churning paddle clean. We used almond for the nut milk, and cob jobbed the chopped chocolate. Partially Lily’s bar, partially their chips and partially baker’s chocolate from the dollar store. The mix, pre-churn, did not sit the full three hours and was still delectable. We could have eaten it right then. In fact, we were obligated to, strictly for quality control purposes, of course.
Eileen Kelly-Meyer says
I just tasted this, from a batch I made yesterday, and OMG it is SO good! So rich, you only need a little to satisfy your chocolate craving! I used full fat coconut milk, because that’s what I have on hand. Also, I did add the vodka, and the consistency after being in the freezer overnight is very dip-able without thawing, and very smooth, not icy. This is definitely a keeper! Thank you!
Linda Presock says
Can you use vegetable glycerin instead of vodka and gluccie instead of xanthan gum. Not sure of the properties of either of these as compared to the vodka and xanthan?
Carolyn says
Sure, it should work
Laura Smith says
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong! I’ve made it teice, and each time it tastes like there are tiny solid things n the ice cream. I have no idea what it is. When I whisk the hot cream and melted chocolate together before putting it in the fridge to chill, it appears totally smooth, but when I take it out of the ice cream maker there are these tiny solid bits of something all throughout. Any idea what I could be doing wrong? Thanks in advance!
Carolyn says
What brand of chocolate are you using? What sweetener?
Ryan says
I ran into this problem while making custard & would like to share what the culprit was in my case – the cream was too hot & cooked the egg a tad too much.
It looked fine before going in the fridge but alas; tiny little almost grain-like bits ruined the batch! It was edible, but the gritty texture was not enjoyable.
After doing some online research, I came across a site that recommended to wait until the cream mixture is at a temperature where you can dip your finger in without it burning before tempering it with the egg yolk. Give it a whirl & see if it helps!
Buster says
Why use two types of sweetener at two different stages of the recipe? Can’t you use just powdered sweetener all at the same time?
Carolyn says
Because it thickens the base too much upon chilling and you won’t be able to churn it.
Buster says
I think I get it now. However it seems to me that the small amount of liquid sweetener added after the chill period would not have any noticeable affect on the thickness. What would, however, would be the 1/2c of milk.
Or are you saying that the liquid sweetener is what would make this too thick to churn after chilling?
Carolyn says
No…I am saying additional powdered sweetener would make it too thick. Swerve has fiber in it that can thicken things considerably. So by adding liquid sweetener later, we avoid that issue. Also the additional milk helps thin it for churning.
Buster says
Ah, I see.
Thanks very much for all the information Carolyn!
Cheris says
This was my first attempt at a low-carb ice cream! Sooo good! I did use the Special Dark cocoa powder – wow!
Laura Smith says
I’m using Baker’s unsweetened chocolate and xyltitol. Thanks for your help!
Carolyn says
Baker’s chocolate is a problem… it is not very good quality and prone to seizing.
LW says
This was outstanding. I used Scharffen Berger cocoa powder and 4 oz unsweetened chocolate bar because that was the size I had on hand. Used a simple KichenAid Mixer churn. I left out the extra stevia but did add vodka and xanthan gum. Good enough to take to a dinner party. This recipe may make the difference between whether I can stay on this diet or not!!
Judy says
Amazing! So rich and creamy!
Question for the vegan friends: when I sub the cream for full fat coconut milk, can I omit the egg yolks?
Linda Pettit says
Oh my word, this ice cream is incredible. I made this today and I am so pleased! Thank you for such a delicious recipe.
Heather says
This is THE most legit ice cream I have ever made in our ice cream maker. I went a little light on the sweetener and did not add the extra liquid sweetener before putting it into ice cream maker and it’s perfect! Can’t even taste the artificial sweetener and the most perfect consistency! Thank you, thank you!
Christine says
Excellent recipe! I made it without the vodka or xanthim gum. I used unsweetened coconut milk and I added 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder. Decadent and delicious! We’re making it again tonight! Thanks!!
Michelle Carson says
Can vegetable glycerine be used instead of vodka to help it not freeze so completely solid? Is vegetable glycerine keto friendly? Thanks!
Carolyn says
I don’t use it at all anymore because it’s hard to know what affect it has on blood sugar. But you’re welcome to try it.
Linda Silverberg says
I made this today, using my Cuisinart Ice cream maker and it is OUTSTANDING! IT’S ONE OF THE BEST CHOCOLATE ICE CREAMS I HAVE EVER TASTED, LOW CARB OR NOT!
Carolyn says
So glad you like it!
Chasity says
Is it possible to substitute the heavy whipping cream for whole fat yogurt? I have a container that I am not eating fast enough and I would like to use it up but I am not sure if it would work for this recipe.
Thank you!
Carolyn says
I think that would probably work.
Linda G Lewis says
Thank you for your work on this recipe. My Cuisinart ice cream maker arrived today. This will be my first recipe to make. I am so tired of paying $5 for a mere pint of Halo Top and it not being wonderful tasting. But I am surely an ice cream person.
Bob Valdez says
Hi Carolyn,
i’m planning on make this…sounds like everyone loves it. Question: can i substitute Swerve Sweetener with Stivia powder?. thanks
Carolyn says
Yes… just be forewarned that it will freeze pretty hard and needs to be left on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes to be scoop able.
Bear says
Would this recipe benefit from the Bocha Sweet makeover you did on the vanilla ice cream recipe? Think I could sub some Bocha Sweet for the stevia?
Karen says
Can you use Bocha Sweet instead of the Swerve?
Carolyn says
You can use half Swerve, half Bocha. But if you use all Bocha, it’s so soft, it’s more like soft serve.
LeKaren Lockridge says
I made this tonight and OMG this was amazing. It reminds me of the Borden’s Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream. It is amazing. Really, really worth the trouble! And my husband (who hates anything but Sugar Sweetened stuff) really liked it too. Score one for us!
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Nicolas says
A question: how necessary is it to cool the mixture before putting it into the ice cream maker? Does some significant chemical change happen during the cooling process, or is it only required because a typical ice cream maker has a limited cooling capacity which will be exceeded if the mixture isn’t cold when you put it in? (In other words, if the ice cream maker is a posh one with built-in refrigeration, can you skip the cooling stage?)
Carolyn says
Even if you have the compressor style ice cream makers (I have one too), it is still necessary to cool it to at least room temperature. Even the “posh” ones would take a very long time to churn it if you go with hot custard.
Linda says
If I may chime in. First of all, there are some who believe that the ice cream base improves as it cures (during the cooling process). Second, you want the ice cream to spend as little ‘residence time’ in the machine as possible. The less time, the creamier and less icy the ice cream will turn out. Hope that helps inspire you to let it chill down 🙂
Carolyn says
It’s also, quite frankly, because most home ice cream makers can’t handle lukewarm or room temp mixtures. They don’t have enough cooling power.
Nicole says
Can you do without tempering? I use pasteurized eggs and the regular recipe I use does not cook the eggs, but don’t want to waste all the cream if I must do so.
Carolyn says
This recipe has a custard base so it works best and thickens more if you do temper. But if you don’t want to, then try doing it your way with the pasteurized eggs.
LalaCat says
I’m going to use Bob’s Red Mill egg replacement powder today since I have it on hand and didn’t want to use up my real eggs. I’ll let you know the results. Looked all over the web to see if the powder could be used in ice cream but came up with zilch and figured what the heck just do it.
Shannon Carter says
Thank you, Carolyn! This is an excellent chocolate ice cream, low carb or not. I forgot to add the xanthan gum and only used 2 oz of chopped chocolate (my bar is 4 oz and I want to save half for next time). It is perfection. I served some to my sweet-eating sister and nephew and they loved it! Excellent alone or with a few raspberries to offset the richness!
Randy Chappel says
Just about everyone absolutely loved the results! I’m not much of a chocolate ice cream fan. Any suggestions for substitutions to make, say maple walnut, pecan, or any of the exotics like you see at the ice cream stands?
Carolyn says
Hi Randy… use the search box on my site and you will find ALL of my keto ice cream recipes. Got maple walnut, vanilla, butter pecan, strawberry, lemon… etc!
Marlyn says
When I read the reviews on Amazon, the reviews consistently mention “intestinal distress” from Bocha Sweet so I haven’t purchased it yet. Have you experienced this issue?
Carolyn says
I have zero GI distress from BochaSweet and I use it regularly – nor has anyone in my family. That said, I typically use it at half strength or less, always mixed with other sweeteners. My thought is that some people are just consuming too much of it and/or trying to directly replace sugar with it. In my recipes, I usually use about 50 to 70 percent of sweetener compared to the sugar people would use. Our tastes change as we grow into keto and we need things less sweet.
I do have a few readers who only use BochaSweet and they don’t get any GI distress either. But it’s very individual so I can’t guarantee you anything. A lot of people tolerate allulose well but I get SEVERE GI distress from it.
Allison G says
Absolutely the most decadent ice cream I’ve ever made!
So so so delicious!
Carol Moore says
Curious about the heated egg yolks/tempering/custard issue: I typically make your chocolate ice cream recipe without doing that (making sure to use the 2 kinds of sweetener (I use Swerve and xylitol), using the vodka (and sometimes a Tbsp of Baileys’—just saw your recipe for sugar-free Irish cream liquor and will try as soon as I buy the whiskey!) xantham gum and glycerine, with great results…does the custard process make it creamier?
Carolyn says
Custard based ice creams are “French” style (i.e. French vanilla). Yes, it typically makes it creamier. I no longer have any use for glycerin in my recipes, since BochaSweet does the trick of helping keeping it softer.
Lynn says
Good heavens…this is amazing. Followed the recipe exactly. The flavor is intoxicatingly decadent, with zero aftertaste. Simply incredible. Thank you, Carolyn for yet another fabulous recipe.
Natalie says
Give me a bowl & spoon!! Yum!! And, yay, to being low carb!! No guilty feelings here 🙂
Carrie Robinson says
Healthier chocolate ice cream?? Yes, please! 😉
Krissy Allori says
Yummy ice cream! I love that I can have a treat and still stick with my nutrition goals 🙂
Chelsea says
This ice cream is amazing!! We’re obsessed! Thanks for sharing!
Nancy C. says
This is by far the best Keto ice cream EVER! BochaSweet is a winner. Do you have a Vanilla ice cream recipe that is egg custard based??
Carolyn says
Try the ice cream out of this recipe and use half of each sweetener. https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/low-carb-snickerdoodle-ice-cream-sandwiches/
Judy says
After adding the chocolate chips and mixing it in, I put in in the bowl over the ice bath. Is it normal that I’m seeing my mixture separate? I see a yellow lining around the bowl and it’s not smooth looking either after whisking.
Carolyn says
No, not normal. I don’t know why that would happen. If it’s still there when you go to churn it, then put it in a blender to emulsify the mixture. But why are you using chocolate chips? This recipe uses unsweetened baking chocolate…
Jennifer Daily says
FWIW, I had a tad bit of separation of butter fat from the cream. But I’m using unpasteurized fresh from the farm heavy cream. That could be doing it. It did not effect the outcome of this amazing recipe.
Judy says
Hmm. I’ve tried this two times and I ended up with ice cream that looks like playdoe. Oh sorry, I meant to say unsweetened baking chocolate. Too thick to even go in the ice cream machine. I’ll try another time and see. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong when I’ve followed your instructions to the tee.
Carolyn says
Well something is going wrong for sure. It’s hard to say what without watching what you are doing in your kitchen. You could thin it out with more almond milk and/or cream.
Roxanne says
I’m new at this keto thing so staying away from sweets has been my biggest challenge. After making a not so good mint chip ice cream from another site I was looking for a rich chocolate one. This recipe was amazing! Used the vodka and it worked great for not getting too hard. Substituted some of the erythritol with stevia because it’s way cheaper. Didnt seem to matter. I will definitely be making this again. Tastes like a rich custard.
Cheryl Dubien says
Made as per recipe and it’s delicious! My non keto husband loved it too.
Jazzy Girl says
Are you using confectioners Swerve or granular? Your link is to granular but I thought I read that it should be the ‘icing sugar’ type for better consistency?
Carolyn says
No, the granular gets cooked and dissolved in the custard. As long as you also use BochaSweet, it will be a great consistency.
jazzygirl says
Excellent, thanks so much for the quick reply!
jazzygirl says
Excellent – thank you! One more quick question – could I (or should I) still add a tiny bit of xantham gum (1/8tsp?) along with the vodka and xylitol to aid in keeping the ice cream soft or would that be overkill?
Carolyn says
It should be fine.
Sara says
Does the total carb count include the sugar alcohols?
Judy B says
I’m late to the party finding this but oh my, is it delicious! And it doesn’t freeze as hard as a rock. I am so thrilled to learn the two sweeteners are the secret. And as a confirmed chocoholic, I am in heavy. Yes it is rich, so you don’t need a lot, but oh so good. I will be making this often! Thank you!
Carolyn says
Glad to hear you like it!
Katherine says
This is amazing ice cream! I used rum the first time because that is what I had on hand. Has anyone tried Cointreau? I thought that might add an interesting flavor.
Amber says
Oh sweet mercy, I love this. I’ve been craving a Blue Bell Bombstik since 2015, so when I came across this gem I subbed the vanilla for some banana extract and the vodka for whiskey (it’s all I have). So good, so very good, so rich I can’t eat more than a few spoonfuls, which is great cuz I would totally like to eat all of it in one go. I love chocolate and ice cream and was so tired of the $6/pint store bought garbage labeled ‘Keto’ ice cream. Trying your lemon curd ice cream next.
Thank you so very much!
Jennifer Daily says
Lady, I don’t know who you think you are with this chocolate sorcery, BUT IA M GLAD YOU ARE YOU! Holy Crow! We made this and sampled today…all I can say is… WOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!! This is hands down the best textured, best flavored, keto ice cream ever. I have made ALL THE ICE CREAM. I have bought all the keto ice cream. This wins. Everyone else can stop looking for ice cream recipes. I was out of Allulose so used your suggested swap of Xylitol. Boom. Magic. Magnificent. If you haven’t made this yet, stop what you are doing and get to it. You won’t be sad. Promise. You will be filled with slap happy keto goodness.
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!