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!
Lisa K says
I have to admit that out of all the “keto” or “low carb” ice creams out there, I’ve only eaten Rebel. And the reason I haven’t tried anything else is because it is FABULOUS! I’ve probably tried all of their flavors–love that it’s sent to me all the way across the country (still haven’t seen it in my local stores). The negative comments that were made can be fixed by (1) letting it thaw a few minutes on the counter or (2) warming it a bit in the microwave (yes, the microwave!) for a minute at 50% power. I find Rebel ice creams to be creamy, sweet, and delicious! I love that I can recognize all the ingredients and that they come in a variety of flavors. My daughter’s favorite is Coffee Chip and mine is Butter Pecan, but we enjoy all the others. I hope that other blog readers will give it a try. Just let it get a little soft, and you can dish it out of the pint container with ease and enjoy it!
Dina says
I’m in Austin, and of the Keto selections you’ve covered, have only seen Rebel. They started carrying it at HEB, the local supermarket chain.
Enlightened is GROSS– once I accidentally left out a pint and it “melted” to a completely solid mass of jiggly goo from all the stabilizers and chemicals. Not something I want to ingest.
Carolyn says
Apparently Mammoth is local, you should check them out.
Pamela says
I just moved from Portland to CA and I have to give props to KETO ice cream, it is the best out there in my opinion and sea salt Carmel my absolute favorite (I didn’t care for coffee one)! REBEL is my second favorite , I love love the butter pecan and my husbands favorite is strawberry. I did try Killer but only the chocolate peanut butter and thought it was pretty good. Thank you for these posts and awesome recipes!
Jessica Shea says
I have a small grocery store in Lake Tahoe – thanks for the reviews…so far, we’ve ordered the enlightened and arctic…hoping to be able to switch to KETO as soon as they are available in our area. Thanks for the new suggestions!
Carolyn says
Oh very cool! I could put you in touch with the people behind Keto Pint or Rebel if you wanted to carry it at your store. For me, these two are on par in terms of taste and texture.
Greg Stevens says
Taste can be very subjective, but on texture… I found the Keto Pint to be very powdery. They advertised a video of you trying it, but was that their production batch? You even said it was scoopable out of the freezer on this video on their instagram. But It took twice as long to to soften as other keto ice creams, and and even then it was still crumbly and powdery… It tasted very powdery in my mouth too. It was very strange. I’ve seen dozens of others on Instagram try to fix this by stirring it for like 15 minutes, after letting it soften for like 45 minutes, to try and make it creamy… so I’m not sure how the texture could be on par with Rebel? Did you try their new improved formula or something
Carolyn says
It was a test batch that I tried, yes. But they’ve now changed their formula to be only egg yolks and not whole eggs so you may find it less crumbly now. I’ve since had both of their commercial batches (the ones with whole eggs and the ones just with egg yolks) and I know what you’re talking about. The egg yolk only version is better.
And personally, I find Rebel has many of the same issues.
MJ says
Thanks Carolyn for this great read! I live in NE Oregon and Keto Pint thankfully is available in my small town. I treat myself occasionally and now feel more confident on indulging after reading your review. Salted Caramel, Coffee and P-nut butter are the only flavors available here, but hey I’ll take it!
Jennifer King says
When Rebel ice cream ads first popped on Instagram I was anxious to finally try a REAL keto-friendly commercial ice cream! I was then super excited to find that Publix had picked them up and offers them at their stores (1200+!). My husband and I have been hooked ever since. He loves the Butter Pecan and I’m kinda hooked on the Peanut Butter Fudge… and wow, a net carb count for the WHOLE pint that’s equal to the 1/2 cup servings of others we have tried! …Not that we have ever eaten an entire pint! Rebel is creamy and filling and I always hurry the “soften” time by popping the carton in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
Pat says
Thank you for your review! I useRebel and defrost it in the microwave! On another note, will you please tell me how many teaspoons of Pink salt (not grams) I should consume daily. Thank you!
Carolyn says
Sorry, I know nothing about consuming pink salt.
Kathleen Saage says
Per Phinney & Volek, 2 1/2 teaspoons of pink salt per day if you are keto. https://blog.virtahealth.com/sodium-nutritional-ketosis-keto-flu-adrenal-function/
But I came here not to answer salt questions but to offer my appreciation for these reviews and to say that Rebel is my new favorite. The mint chip and coffee chip are so tasty. Yes, it has to set on the counter for 15-20 minutes to be scoopable but it is truly keto and it’s delicious.
Sandra says
Thanks so much for this (updated) post. Rebel is the only truly keto ice cream I can purchase in my small town and I’m so pleased to have access to it. While it’s definitely rock hard straight out of the freezer, I’ ve started following the suggestion on the carton to let it sit out 15min before consuming (not easy to do!) and it makes a huge difference in texture…much creamier. (to be honest, the drive home from the store seems to be the exact measure of time to wait!). I assume this recommendation would apply to other keto ice-creams as well.
Carolyn says
Yes, I should have mentioned that. Even homemade keto ice cream needs that sometimes.
Kurt Weina says
I guess I am the only one that can’t stand Halo Top “ice cream”. I find it just, not creamy. If only it were low carb AND high fat, it might be good. The way it is, it is only low carb, very little fat. Fat is what makes Ice Cream so delectable!
Carolyn says
True but Halo Top is the best commercial version I’ve tried.
gjeanieg says
Any opinion on the new Breyers Delights ice cream? They are definitely trying to tap into the Halo Top market.
Mindy says
Update for those looking for Halo Top: Kroger sells it! I’ve seen the chocolate, mint chip, lemon cake, strawberry and vanilla bean. You can also order them online in a variety pack directly from Halo (for most areas).
Maria says
Arctic Zero. The brand is very accurate on temperature: arctic cold; and taste: zero. I may have to find the strawberry as some one commented that it was good, unlike the other flavors. I have to google where to find Halo Top locally, other than Whole Foods.
Carolyn says
🙂 I think you left the same comment on my FB page and it made me laugh!
KarenJo says
Halo all the way! My freezer is small and a family of one so hard for me to make my own ice cream. I have only found the basic flavors but will hunt them down this summer for sure!
Brynn says
The Strawberry Arctic Zero is really good! All the others I agree with the “no flavor” comments.
Ashlee says
Another low carb Ice cream I found at my local WholeFoods is called Clemmy’s. My favorite is their coffee but I also love the chocolate chip and vanilla flavored. I’ve never seen Halo Top but I will be keeping an eye out for it! Thanks!
Denise says
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for the heads up on the So Delicious coconut ice cream. It’s the only one available in Canada and i found the chocolate and vanilla at my local Loblaws. Its really good and makes summer bearable!
Wenda Millard says
In Canada try Keto Skream
Ingredients are….Cream,water,erythritol,egg yolk,inulin,milk proteins concentrate,whey protein isolate,veg glycerin,salt,guar gum,locust bean gum,natural flavour,stevia extract
Creamy and delicious..vanilla and chocolate, and there are bars too…I recommend ❤️
Carolyn says
Sounds similar to Rebel and Keto Pint!
Vicky says
I haven’t tried Halo Top yet, but I had to put chocolate syrup, peanut butter and whipped cream all over my Artic Zero to make it feel like ice cream.
Two brands I love though are Carb Smart (chocolate!) and Enlightened (salted caramel bar!). They are both so creamy and flavorful.
Susan says
Quark is a huge thing in Germany. So cool that it’s finally made it’s way here!
Patti says
Thanks for your reviews and info about the products. I’ve already ordered the cherry whiskey and their marionberry whiskey, too (in time for Father’s Day)! Wegman’s and Whole Foods in my area carry the Halo ice cream, so I’ll need to get there to try it. Thanks again for sharing your info!
Carolyn says
I want to try the Marionberry too!
Patti says
Both the cherry and marionberry whiskeys are wonderfully smooth. Thanks for writing about them. I only wish they were available locally (had to order them in the mail).
Barbara Petrini says
Hi Carolyn. I was just about to order the pork rinds and I’m just curious to know your feelings on Olive oil. I of course know that it’s not good for high heat frying, but are there other issues?
Cat Latuszek says
I lovelovelove the So Delicious sugar free ice cream in mint chocolate chip. You can’t taste the coconut at all and the texture is incredibly close to regular ice cream. Mint chocolate chip is my fave flavour so that’s an added bonus. 😉 Soooo good. I’ve tried the chocolate and thought it was ok but the coconut flavour was a little strong for my taste – although after the first couple bites I didn’t notice it at all and it became a good creamy chocolate ice cream. Plan on trying the vanilla bean when I’m next at home since I can’t seem to find it up here.