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.
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.
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!
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.
Leanne says
Perfect! Reminds me of my old days of eating Baskin Robbins’ dark chocolate ice cream. My family continues to rave!
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…
Raja says
Isit sugar free ?
Carolyn says
Yes.
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.
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!!!!
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,
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.
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!
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
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!
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.