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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Can you recommend an ice cream maker? Entry level to high-end pricing? I don’t have one but I’m willing to buy one to make this recipe!
Hi Suzanne… so I now own a compressor model of Cuisinart, which means I don’t have to freeze the canister. I love it, but it’s a beast and it takes up space! https://amzn.to/3mJoZZl
But before that, I had the basic Cuisinart model for about 20 years and it always worked well. You do have to remember to freeze the canister for at least 12 hours. https://amzn.to/3tB5KVs
This is fantastic! I wish I’d doubled the recipe.
I used Fairlife milk in place of the almond milk, and I used 1/4 c of Lily’s chips in place of the baking chocolate.
I also churned this twice as long as my prior ice cream recipes.
This is some work, but it is most definitely worth it, and I’ll be making it again (in a larger quantity!)
Thank you!
Amazingly creamy, delicious chocolate ice cream! Scoopable right out of the freezer! Will be my go to chocolate ice cream recipe. Now to find its vanilla counterpart.
Hello,
Do I need to use an ice cream machine for this recipe? Is there any way I can make this particular recipe without an ice cream machine?
Thank you.
This is a churned ice cream, so yes it needs a maker.
So I treated myself to a Ninja Creami for my birthday last month. It’s a whole new way of making ice cream. And finding GOOD keto recipes for it, isn’t happening. Seems most people opt for quick over good. So I’ve been learning all kinds of new, interesting things about ice cream. This recipe is a beautiful, delicious, OMG, SO delicious recipe, but not quite right for use in my new Creami. I just made my first batch with the tweaks I’ve learned about and it is fabulous! I’ll wait til tomorrow to see how scoopable it remains, but it should still be with those tweaks I made. Thanks, Carolyn, for this great recipe! Reminds me of my pre-keto favorite 31 Flavors ice cream!
Hi just bought a Ninja Creami as well, can you share your tweaks?
Truth in advertising. This ice cream is an explosion of rich dark chocolate flavour. It smells a bit like chocolate brownie in its first stage of heating on the stovetop, and the final product does not disappoint.
I used a blend of monk fruit/Erythritol & Allulose instead of the sweetener called for in the recipe.
Thanks!
What can I replace for the unsweetened chocolate?
I am making for the super bowl!
Go Bengals!
Well it’s important to the flavor but you could use sugar-free chocolate (like Lily’s) if you have some.
Several years ago, I made paleo ice cream that stayed soft in the freezer. You whipped the heavy cream to stiff peaks, then folded the base into the whipped cream. It never froze into a block.
I am going to make this chocolate ice cream using whipped cream.
I love your cook books and your blog. Thanks for all you do!
Tom
It has nothing to do with the whipped cream method… and everything to do with the sweetener.
Can I substitute something for the swerve and still keep a good texture? Like using all allulose, or half allulose and half bocha sweet? I’ve found that I really dislike the flavor of Erythritol, it has a weird metallic aftertaste for me. Thanks!
You can try but when I use that much Allulose or BochaSweet, it takes forever to firm up.
I used a half and half combination of Allulose and Bocha Sweet and it turned out great. Yes it takes overnight to firm up in the freezer but that’s OK with me as I really don’t like any sweetener with erythritol.
Plus it doesn’t get rock hard.
Oh my gosh! When this was done cooking, it tasted like my mom’s chocolate pudding pie! I just had tears well up instantly! I miss her so much! It was hard not to eat it straight from the pan! I have a new Ninja Creami and I used this recipe for my Creami! I used the lite setting since it didn’t have real sugar. THE BEST EVER TASTING CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM EVER! I’M GOING TO TRIPLE IT NEXT TIME SO I CAN SHARE WITH ALL MY FAMILY MEMBERS! I have to check out your other ice cream recipes! Thanks!
Hi Carolyn. this looks really good, but could you try a Strawberry Ice Cream also? Thanks!
I already have one. Please use the search box on my blog, it helps you find all of my recipes.
Made this tonight. It was lovely at every stage. It made an excellent custard and I had to hold myself back from eating it with a spoon. It was very smooth and intensely chocolaty. I followed the ingredients to the letter, apart from adding just a bit more cream to finish the carton. I didn’t quite cool it the full 3 hours, figured I would compensate by churning longer in my Cuisinart ice cream maker (the one with the compressor). But my husband was complaining about the noise, so I ended up only letting it churn for 40 minutes. (both the cooling time and churning time were as per manufacturer instructions, so I figured it was fine). The consistency was more like gelato than ice cream. I licked the paddle and what was left in the bowl and it tasted great! I wonder if I had let it process longer, and/or had waited the 3 hours the consistency would be more like ice cream?
Yes, because it’s such a thick base, it really needs to cool properly and to churn for a bit longer. I have the compressor model too, and I churn it for almost a full hour.
Thanks for your reply. I’ll be less impatient next time and start earlier. I had a small scoop this morning just to taste and it’s still very much like Gelato, so it’s lovely already as it is.
Thank so you much for sharing this with the low-carb community. You are amazing and definitively my favourite low-carb ressource.
Could I just leave out the chocolate and make this vanilla ice cream?
No, chocolate adds to the consistency of this ice cream. When working with chocolate, you have to change everything else to accommodate the fiber in it.
I do have a VERY good vanilla ice cream: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/perfect-low-carb-vanilla-ice-cream/
Do you have a recipe for vanilla ice cream that has eggs? More of a custard type, similar to the chocolate?
Do you use confectioners Swerve and Bochasweet or granulated?
Honestly doesn’t matter in this recipe.
I have made this ice cream twice. I’m not sure why but the finished product seems to have little gritty specks in it. I used the recipe to a T. First time I used swerve regular and the bocha sweet and then I used the powdered swerve and bocha. Could it be the dutch chocolate? I whisked vigorously after letting the unsweetened chocolate melt as directed. Your vanilla recipe is the best! Any recommendations?
It’s got to be the chocolate if you’re seeing specks. It may actually be the unsweetened chocolate. What brand are you using?
I used Baker’s. What would you recommend?
Almost ANYTHING besides Bakers since it’s not very high quality and tends to seize. I think that’s what happened here. Try ghirardelli or Guittard.
Thank you. I actually have the ghirardelli so I will do a batch with this!! No more bakers in my ice cream ????
Can you sub the heavy cream with canned coconut to make it dairy free?
You can try but it will freeze harder. It’s very hard to get scoopable coconut milk ice cream.