We tested all the best keto ice cream brands on the market. Which brands of sugar free ice cream taste the best? Which ones are truly keto friendly? Which ones stay soft in the freezer? Read on to find out!
I scream, you scream, we all scream for keto ice cream. Yet again, I find myself updating this review of keto ice cream brands. This is the third time in 4 years, for heaven’s sake!
In my opinion, nothing can compare to my homemade keto ice cream. It’s creamier, more flavorful, and you can scoop it straight from the freezer. And I have tons of great ice cream recipes in so many wonderful flavors.
But you also have to spend time making it yourself, which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Or everyone’s scoop of ice cream, maybe? Which is why store-bought keto ice cream is so popular.
Keep in mind, however, that anybody can slap the word keto on their product. Sometimes it truly is, but sometimes it really not. And sometimes it really is keto but it doesn’t taste very good.
You deserve ice cream that tastes good and doesn’t blow your macros or spike your blood sugar. Am I right?
Taste testing keto ice cream
My family and I decided to review every brand of low carb ice cream we could get our hands on. We spent a whole afternoon, tasting and reviewing, grading each on a range of variables:
- Flavor
- Scoopability (how hard it is straight out of the freezer)
- Mouthfeel/Consistency (how creamy it is)
- Variety (how many flavors)
- Ingredients (how clean and truly keto are they)
- Carb count (total carbs and net carbs per serving)
Then we gave them a final overall grade. Curious which recipes made the grade? I know you are!
Calculating net carbs
Before we begin, I want to clarify one of our parameters. One of the biggest concerns I have with many keto products is their reliance on net carbs to achieve a keto friendly carb count.
Net carbs is a valid concept, but it’s been badly abused and bastardized by many companies in the low carb and keto space. What exactly do I mean by that?
Well, have you ever flipped a keto energy bar and seen 25g of total carbs and been shocked? And then you see 17g of fiber and 6g of sugar alcohols, and you realize that’s how they arrive at 2g of net carbs.
These brands are adding fiber to a product that probably doesn’t need it, in order to lower the net carbs. And since we really don’t know much of that fiber is absorbed by the bloodstream, it can be very misleading and not particularly trustworthy.
In my rather experienced opinion, the only things you can reliably subtract from total carbs is a handful of sweeteners, including erythritol and allulose. They have zero carb impact and shouldn’t even really be treated as a carbohydrate.
For the purposes of this article, we calculate our own net carbs, which is simply total carbohydrate minus erythritol and allulose.
Keto Ice Cream Brands Review
Ready to get started? Grab a spoon and dig in!
Please note that brands are listed in alphabetical order.
Enlightened Keto
When I last updated this ice cream review, Enlightened only carried a low fat, low sugar line and I gave it a failing grade. Now they carry a wide array of keto friendly ice cream. My kids love it.
Flavor: Very good all around flavor. A
Scoopability: Not great right out of the freezer, needs a few minutes to warm up. C
Mouthfeel: Mostly creamy but some flavors are a bit chalky. B
Variety: Lots of fun, interesting flavors but no basics like vanilla or chocolate. B
Ingredients: Pretty decent ingredients. Contains soluble corn fiber which some people object to (I do not see any spikes or issues from this). B
Carb count: Average of 16g TOTAL CARBS and 7.5g NET CARBS (total minus erythritiol and allulose only). C+
Overall grade: B. Good choice for a treat and my kids love it. If you are diabetic, please test it on yourself carefully.
Halo Top Keto
Halo Top has flipped back and forth a number of times now. The original line was pretty low carb and acceptable as a treat. Then they changed their formula and went for lower fat and higher carbs. Now they have introduced a full keto line.
Flavor: We tried a couple of their more interesting flavors (Jelly Donut and White Chocolate Macadamia). I personally found them too sweet and artificial tasting but the kids loved them. B-
Scoopability: Easy to scoop right out of the freezer. A
Mouthfeel: One flavor was creamy, the other was a bit chalky. B
Variety: Lots of interesting flavors, not too many basics but they do have vanilla bean. B+
Ingredients: Some flavors are cleaner than others! Vanilla is good but some of the crazier ones contain cornstarch, maltitol, and even wheat. C-
Carb count: Average of 15g TOTAL CARBS and 6.5g NET CARBS (total minus erythritol only). A-
Overall Grade: B-. Some flavors are better than others! Read your labels and proceed with caution.
Keto Pint
Full disclosure: this is a local brand and I love the people behind it. But we approached this review with absolute objectivity.
Flavor: Good but tends to be subtle and less sweet than other brands. B
Scoopability: Rock hard out of the freezer, needs 15 to 20 minutes on the counter. D
Mouthfeel: Seems crumbly on the spoon but ends up creamy in the mouth. B
Variety: Nothing too wild and crazy but good solid choices. But they don’t carry vanilla. B
Ingredients: Pretty clean, nothing questionable. A few flavors have added starches so read your labels. B+
Carb count: Average of 16g TOTAL CARBS and 6.25g NET CARBS (total – erythritol only). A-
Overall Grade: B. Most flavors are truly keto friendly, we just wish it was more scoopable and that the flavors were more intense.
Killer Creamery
I first got a chance to try this brand at KetoCon 2019. It’s now much more widely available and we see it frequently at Whole Foods and New Seasons.
Flavor: We were split. My husband and I liked them, but the kids did not. I honestly can’t say why, I think the flavors are terrific.
Scoopability: Pretty hard out of the freezer, and it needs 10 minutes to soften. C
Mouthfeel: It seems a bit crumbly and chalky but gets creamy as it softens. B
Variety: Pretty basic, nothing too fancy but covers the usual favorites. B
Ingredients: Pretty clean, even in their jazzed up Whale Tales flavor. They do contain soluble corn fiber, which some people find objectionable. B+
Carb Count: Average of 15g TOTAL CARBS. Net carbs are a bit unclear, since the grams of allulose aren’t listed anywhere near the nutrition label. On the website it says that net carbs are calculated with 4g of allulose so I have to assume that is for ALL varieties. If that’s the case, net carbs = 7g. B+
Overall grade: B. A good choice for keto, I just wish the amount of allulose was more clearly called out.
Rebel Creamery
This was the FIRST truly keto ice cream on the market. At first, I had to order it online but now it’s been picked up by major grocery chains like Krogers. Hooray!
Flavor: Enjoyed by all! My kids love the cookies and cream flavor. A-
Scoopability: Easy enough to scoop straight out of the freezer. In the past I’ve had some trouble with that so perhaps they’ve changed their formula? A-
Mouthfeel: Seems a bit crumbly at first but has a creamy finish. B+
Variety: A great line up of both basic and interesting flavors. A
Ingredients: Pretty clean, nothing questionable in any of their flavors. A-
Carb Count: Average of 16.5g TOTAL CARBS and 6.25g NET CARBS (total – erythritol only). A-
Overall Grade: A-. A great choice for all keto dieters. I highly recommend.
Simple Truth Keto
Kroger has now developed their own brand of keto ice cream!
Flavor: Great flavor all around. A
Scoopability: It is not scoopable straight out of the freezer, needs 10 minutes to soften. C
Mouthfeel: Pretty creamy. B+
Variety: Very limited, only 4 flavors and has none of the basics. C
Ingredients: Pretty clean for most flavors but the Butter Pecan does contain corn syrup. B-
Carb count: Average of 15.5g TOTAL carbs and 7.5g NET (total – erythritol only). C
Overall grade: B-. A decent choice but use sparingly and read your labels.
A few other brands to mention
Mammoth Creamery
We did not actually test this one this time around, because it’s not widely available in our area. I have had it before and it’s good and VERY clean ingredients. They simply use cream, butter, xylitol, salt and whatever flavorings the varieties include.
My only concern with this brand is that it’s sweetened with xylitol and many diabetics find that this spikes them at least a little bit. But the total carb count is so low and the xylitol is usually 5g per serving.
Overall grade – NA, more testing needed if I can get my hands on some.
Nick’s Ice Cream
Readers have asked me about this brand, but the jury is still out. The only varieties available in my area are not definitely too high carb to be considered keto.
They do have a few of their more plain flavors (vanilla, caramel, birthday cake, etc.) that they call keto friendly. But their website is not particularly forthcoming on how many grams of allulose they contain so it’s hard for me to determent a true net carb count. And since they use mostly skim milk and contain things like cornstarch and xylitol, I am skeptical on how “keto” they can really be.
So Delicious
So Delicious is the only dairy-free brand on the market that’s making no-sugar-added ice cream. Sadly, it’s not really that low carb and it’s rock hard coming out of the freezer. We purchased some for this review and we left it out for 20 minutes and still had trouble scooping it!
Pattyg says
Love the So Delicious treats! Just ordeted the Zipsicicle molds this week. Have you posted before about what to fill them with?
Carolyn says
Patty, I haven’t posted about them before. But I do just make a big smoothie for my kids (often contains higher carb fruits, it’s not for me!), and fill it with that. But I’ve seen some awesome ideas, including sweetened coffee. I need to try that one!
Pug says
I’m always so jealous of the range of low carb foods you can get in the USA! Next time I visit I’m bringing an extra suitcase just to cram full of FOOD. Might have to leave the ice cream over there though 😉
Carolyn says
I know, it’s tough. Even the Canadians just north of the border can’t get what we can.
Sara says
Love love love your review posts – so glad you’re doing more! You always have me learning about some nifty new product that I end up loving. I haven’t seen any of the Quark yogurt around here – might have to request it at my Whole Foods.
And so glad to have another vote of confidence for SoDelicious ice cream. It’s beyond tasty – love their butter pecan. Makes an excellent vanilla ice cream float, too (with a nifty stevia-only sweetened root beer I found)!
Cat says
Hi Carolyn
I wanted to let your California viewers know that Halotop is carried at Fresh and Easy stores, Ralphs and some Whole Foods. I too love Halotop and was saddened to see our Sprouts discontinue Halotop only to replace it with Arctic Zero…which is awful! Maybe your reviews will help bring it back into our stores. After reading your review, I’m gonna have to try the So Delicious brand of ice cream treats. Love your recipes and what you do for the low carb community!!! Thank-you
Erinn says
Glad to see I’m not the only one who found Arctic Zero repulsive.
Carolyn says
Yup, totally not worth the $$$!
Katie says
Your earlier mention of Halo Top turned me on to it. It is available in Texas in the DFW area, at any rate. Sprouts Market carries it. It is definitely very tasty and the lemon one is especially good (I say this as an avowed chocoholic!). I’ve been lurking on your blog for a few years now and I just wanted to thank you, Carolyn, for your recipes and your blog. You and Maria Emmerich are my two go-tos when I’m trying to do the low-carb and/or keto thing and keep it as natural as possible. I have no particular dietary reason (such as diabetes or celiac disease) to do low-carb, other than I’ve been reading about it for years and have come to believe that it is probably best for health. I can eat a muffin or dessert (usually from one of yours or Maria’s recipes) and not feel as though I’ve “cheated” (I do try to avoid that language, but years of conditioning to believe some foods are “sinful” and others “guilt-free” are hard to shake!). I also appreciate that when I step on the scale, I haven’t gained! I’ve found keto/low-carb difficult as a weight loss tool, to be honest, but it seems to really work well as a maintenance diet. Since I am within 10 pounds of my goal weight, I really have to restrict calories in general to see any loss. Probably, I would have to restrict fat as well (and low carb, low fat is miserable!). At any rate, I love checking out your blog and do so on at least a weekly basis! I’m so glad you update constantly! Just wanted to drop you a line to show my appreciation! Keep on keepin’ on! 🙂
Carolyn says
Thanks so much, Katie. I hope you figure out a good way to get to your goal weight. I think every metabolism is a little different and needs slightly different things. But you’re right, I do believe that low carb is just simply a healthier way to live.
judy says
I agree…Arctic Zero is awful. I tried a few flavors and ended up throwing them all out. I just bought an ice cream maker and I was thrilled with the ‘easy’ recipe that I used. A trick to make it scoopable after putting it in the freezer is to put it in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds. Worked great!
Barbara says
Love the So Delicious ice cream ! Will look out for the Halo one. Can never have too much ice cream on a hot summer day ! 😉
Alice says
Thank you! I am an ice cream person … and miss that the most. I haven’t tried these so I appreciate your info. I need to try making my own too. The pork skins sound great. The ones I get are so salty …. and sometimes that bothers me a little. Definitely going in search of the whiskey! Hopefully they will have it here in TX!
AliceJoy
mellissa @ ibreatheimhungry says
Ooooh – lots of yummy things I haven’t tried yet! Looks like it’s time to head to Whole Foods and stock up!!!
Aimee says
Great post! And just perfect for the week we’ve been having here in Portland too…I love that you mentioned Eastside Distilling, their products are fantastic. They make a great Holiday Spiced Liqueur & if you haven’t do so yet, I highly recommend taking the tour+tasting once they start doing them again, it’s really fun to learn about how they make all of the products.
Carolyn says
I would love the tour!
Karen Jo says
Set a tour day up in September Carolyn 😉
Carolyn says
I will…with my husband, he would love it!
Phil says
For Rebel, you either need to leave it out for 15 minutes or microwave it for 15-20 seconds. Makes a world of difference!!!
I cut my pint in half, microwave it for 15 seconds, add some chopped strawberries and sugar free spray whipped cream. Really hits the spot and is about 3 new carbs. The whole point is usually only 6 net carbs.
And Rebel has some really great flavors!
Ann Gardner says
Carolyn, I love your blog. I am a low carb gal and loved this post. I wondered if you ever have tried these? http://www.fatboyicecream.com/dlites/
They are legit! I have turned so many people on to active d’lites. I am with you that I don’t really like the ice cream with fake sugar, so these are kind of the perfect balance.
Carolyn says
I will have to keep my eye out for them.
Laura says
Thank you for the reviews! I feel the need to go to whole foods now…. Another great ice cream is Clemmys…. It has malitol though, so I only eat a little at a time. Their chocolate peanut butter is awesome! Here is a link if you want to check it out. http://www.clemmysicecream.com/pints/chocolate
Carolyn says
Sadly, maltitol spikes my blood sugar. This is a no-go for me.
Mary says
Does Halo Top or So Delicious contain corn? They sound worth trying but I have a corn allergy which makes buying pre-made products difficult. 🙁
Carolyn says
You can check out their ingredients on their websites. Here’s the direct link for the chocolate halo top. http://www.halotop.com/flavors/#chocolate
Rebecca LaBeth says
Unfortunately I can’t get HaloTop in my area AT ALL!!! Sad face! So I’ve resorted to Arctic Zero. The Cookie Dough and Vanilla Maple are not all that bad. Is it really ice cream? No. But it’s a good substitute. 🙂
Carolyn says
I believe Halo Top will start moving into new areas soon. Try the So Delicious products too, if you can find them!
LimoBarbie says
Breyers carb smart is the BEST low carb ice cream going. The chocolate is hard to find, but the vanilla is great–creamy with good flavor and perfect to mix with diet Orange or A&W diet root beer. It’s also good underneath chopped strawberries or blueberries. You should try it, it kicks the crap out of anything else on the market.
Carolyn says
I have tried it but I don’t like to eat sucralose. So it’s not on my list, I find things like that unappealing and I can taste the chemicals.
Suzy Padilla says
I agree with Limobarbie about Breyers vanilla My favorite is the ice cream topped with Smucker sugar free Carmel topping, a swirl of Redi Whip and some Walnut nut topping on top. Heaven pure heaven!!!
Annannas says
I saw an ad for the carb smart Breyers so I looked it up. I’m looking for things with no sugar (and the ingredient list is too long, complicated and chemical laden) so it doesn’t work for me. If you’re interested, the ingredient list is:
Skim Milk, Water. Cream, Sorbitol, Polydextrose, Whey
Contains 2% or Less of each of the Following:
Glycerin, Natural Flavor, Propylene Glycol Monoesters, Cellulose Gel, Mono And Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Carob Bean Gum, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose (Splenda Brand), Carrageenan, Sugar
By contrast, Halo Top ingredients look pretty good but it lacks real creaminess which is, after all, part of the wonder of ice-cream. So, while the flavor is pretty good, if a bit on the heavy milky side, the texture is very disappointing. Here’s the ingredient list for Halo Top vanilla:
Milk and cream, eggs, erythritol, prebiotic fiber, milk protein concentrate, organic cane sugar, vegetable glycerin, vanilla extract, vanilla beans, sea salt, organic carob gum, organic guar gum, organic stevia.
I’ve not tried the carb-smart Breyer’s but I do like the regular Breyer’s ice-cream. In part, because they have better ingredients than other, big brand ice-creams that you can get in most grocery stores. Bottom line for me: if I’m going to be conservative of sugar and calories, I’ll take Halo Top and feel good about the ingredients. If not, I’ll cover my peepers and eat the real stuff. (If I’m gonna’ eat junk, I want the good junk.)
Sandy Calderone says
Hall has to be put out on counter for 20 minutes ish to be creamier. That’s what I figured out. Trial/error
Paula says
Yes, that’s right! If you look at the carton itself, it even tells you to let it sit before you eat it! When you do…it’s just as smooth as any ice cream out there. I’ve tried a few flavors that were amazingly good!
Karen S says
That’s interesting to learn. I bought Halo Top, took one bite and tossed it in the trash. It was way too chalky for me. Perhaps I need to try again and let it soften first. Thanks for the tip!
Kissa says
Thank you so much for posting these! I will definitely check out the Halo brand. Low carb ice cream is great but like you said, it’s not always convenient to break out the ice cream maker, make custard, etc. Sometimes you just want the instant gratification and I’m happy that some good alternatives now exist! I’ve been trying out the Enlightened bars lately and some of them are really excellent. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl is a thing of beauty and at 5 net carbs (after subtracting erythritol and fiber) I’m sold on these as an occasional treat. Just thought I’d share. 🙂
Renee says
I am confused by how you are calculating g met carbs without accounting for sugar alcohols. These sugar alcohols effect ketosis. You might want to check on this just to make sure your net carb calculations are accurate.
Carolyn says
Not sure if you are talking to me or to Kissa? As long as things are made with erythritol, I am confident of their effect on both my blood sugar and ketones. I test both regularly.
Becca says
I love Halo Top, hope to see those new flavors in stores soon because they look amazing! I also need to try to find that quark!
Shawn Anderson says
I have been so sad as I just bought a pint last week of the birthday cake flavor. I am so excited to see that this in moderation will be okay!!
Ashley says
I’m with you on the Arctic Zero. Flavored frozen water is what it tastes like. I’ve tried to like it, my hubby has tried to like it, but BLECK! Do love SoDelicious, though! And while I don’t have to avoid carbs/sugar, I do have to avoid soy and love that they have soy free frozen treats I can enjoy! Going to try to find Halo Top today on my lunch hour. No promises there will be any left for my husband, though, if it’s that’s good 😀
Jessica says
FYI, your silicone mold link is incorrect.
This is a great post. I can’t wait to try this stuff out!
Carolyn says
Oh, thanks for the heads up!
Michelle Dickman says
I LOVE the soDelicious sugar free icecream. Chocolate is my favorite, but the mint chip is pretty awesome too. I was able to have some of the bars while on vacation in Arizona and I thought I diedand gone to low carb icecream heaven. They, sadly, don’t carry them in my area and I’ve even tried to special order.