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!
Keto Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- Set a bowl over an ice bath.
- 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.
- 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 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).
- 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.
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.
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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!
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!
Oh no! I wonder what was wrong with your ice cream maker?
Thoughts on adding your caramel sauce to the ice cream before it goes into the ice cream maker???
My thought is that it will taste good but this is so intensely chocolatey that you might lose that caramel flavour.
hi there, would this recipe work as well if i used cocoa butter instead of the unsweetened chocolate?
Cocoa butter is white and has not chocolate flavour. So no, it wouldn’t work. Unless you meant cocoa AND cocoa butter?
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?
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.
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?
Sure, I think that would work.
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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
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!
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
Sure, you can use sugar in place of the Swerve and 1/4 tsp stevia = 1/4 cup sugar.
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!
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!
Did you try the MTC oil and if so, did it work?
I did: it worked… hope it helps 🙂
Do you think I could make a half batch using the ziploc method since I don’t have an I’ve cream maker?
I really have no idea, I’ve never done that.
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!!!!
Can I sub almond milk for the cashew milk?
Yes, that would work just fine.
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.
I am not sure, I’ve never subbed protein powder for cocoa. I think it’s worth a shot.
Finally made this. O.M.G. It is fantastic, a chocolate lover’s dream!
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.
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.