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!
Robert B Magness says
I want an allulose sweetened vanilla ice cream, only. Do I have to make it myself?
Carolyn says
Yes you do. Because I find that allulose alone makes ice cream soft, it takes forever to firm up and it melts too quickly.
Amanda says
A friend introduced me to Rebel ice cream. Absolutely loved the mango sorbet. However, we tried mint chip (chalky tasting and not minty at all) not impressed. Hubby tried cookie dough and he didn’t like that one either. I need more creamy and enjoyable flavor. Suggestions?
Carolyn says
If you want really creamy Keto ice cream, your best option is to make your own! I have tons of recipes. 🙂
Kathy says
What about carbsmart by Breyers?
I never feel bad effects from the sugar alcohols in it! Scoops right out of freezer!
Carolyn says
Sorry but the ingredients are pretty suspect. Maltitol spikes blood sugar as badly as sugar, and it also contains polydextrose, Acesulfame, and Sucralose. So it does not qualify for my review, in my personal opinion. It’s not something I can recommend.
Charlotte A Mahin says
Use to get the Simple Truth Keto “ice cream” but now this brand has more sugar so the carb count is in the high teens. Very disappointing since that was the brand I always bought.
Carolyn says
What a shame!
Candice Williams says
We have Enlightened in Canada, and it has become my favorite go-to. The flavor choices are different than the U.S. We do get basic Vanilla and Chocolate, as well as three other flavors, along three different kinds of ice cream bars. I have looked at their website and am somewhat jealous of the larger selection of flavors available to the U.S. market.
JJ says
I have become a huge fan of Nick’s Swedish vanilj and both the light and vegan mint chokaladchip. A lot of their other flavors are definitely interesting and intriguing to me, but I shy away due to the carb count. But those the three flavors I listed have little to no impact on my sugar levels (Type 1) and I find the ice cream a lot more creamy compared to others, especially Halo.
Carolyn says
Sadly, I really do NOT like the Nick’s vanilla. It has a very artificial flavor to my palate, I am not sure why.
Candace Prosser says
Mammoth Creamery makes a lemon ice cream that is Ahhh-mazing!
I wish Rebel had more single flavors without all of the almond flour baked pieces or chocolate chunks.
Rebel vanilla is SO close to Dairy Queen soft serve flavor for me, my favorite.
Hermes Ten says
Picked up some “Keto Skream” chocolate ice cream in Canada. It was the only low carb brand the Safeway had. Decent chocolate. I buy only Rebel when it’s available, but I usually can’t find Rebel chocolate locally, and when I do find it, it’s usually triple chocolate which I don’t particularly care for. You’d think the basics would be carried, but I often can’t find Rebel vanilla either. It seems like cookie dough (don’t care for) and blackberry (like but less versatile than vanilla) are almost always available.
Linda says
Rebel ice cream is our favorite. All the flavors have been good. Mint Chip and Coffee Chip are our favorites. I heard about Rebel here on your last ice cream reviews.
Rachel says
Thanks for this and, more completely, thanks for your website! So many good recipes and information! But back to the store bought ice creams. 🙂
I encourage you to reconsider the Simple Truth Keto. Yes, it does need to sit out on the counter for 10 minutes. But when you scoop it after that brief wait, it scoops like a traditional ice cream – so creamy and no crumbles. As for mouth feel, it is smooth and creamy like a traditional ice cream. No chalky texture and no aftertaste. Not a lot of variety of flavors (just those 4), but the Coffee Chip is the best Keto ice cream we have tried in any brand.
So for us, this is an A+ for an occasional treat. Thanks again for all you do!
Arlene says
Mammoth creameries lemon buttercream is hands down my favorite store bought brand. I do make my own, especially since I purchased a Ninja Creami.
Michelle says
Thanks for this review! We love Rebel and haven’t really seen many of the others listed here. For the MAMMOTH CREAMERY, the one other concern that I would add is that Xylitol is also extremely dangerous for pets. So anyone who may like to share their sweet treat with their pups (or not, as accidental ingestion is always possible) needs to be aware of this concern.
Michelle says
I just realized you mentioned Xylitol is in the Nick’s brand also. Products containing this ingredient aren’t even a consideration for entering our home.
BB says
I’d be curious to see a review of KetoSkream added to this list if possible? It’s the main brand I see at stores, but so far I’ve had the willpower to resist it by telling myself it’s probably awful.
Carolyn says
Never heard of it!
Christina says
Its actually the best we have tried.
Christina says
Ops sorry I thought it said Keto. That brand is too good. hard to not eat the whole pint.
Candice Williams says
KetoSkream may be a Canadian brand? I have tried it and it’s good. I do prefer Enlightened, but KetoSkream is a close second.
Eva says
Thank you for this useful testing. While I feel the Keto Ice cream made at home is very good, in a pinch, I’ve walked past the freezer case wondering about commercial options. Your coffee flavored, at home recipe, is pretty hard to beat. Again, thank you and your family for doing this experiment and sharing results with us all. Be well.
Jennifer says
I understand why you don’t subtract the fiber for these products since it can impact blood sugar, but I don’t understand how adding fiber and then subtracting it lowers the carbs. Wouldn’t the carb count just stay the same? I know I am missing something because you and another very knowledgeable keto blogger agree on this. I made at least 7 of your ice cream recipes this summer! Now, I’ve moved on to your popsicles.
Carolyn says
The companies add fiber as an ingredient to bulk up the product, rather than relying on just the cream and almond milk itself as the base. So yes, this adds carbs but it also significantly ups the fiber count, which they want you to subtract. Many of these fibers also taste sweet.
Real ice cream has very little fiber (my vanilla ice cream has less than 3g). So they are adding bulk and sweetness together for less cost, and hoping you will subtract the fiber from the total.
Many companies do this for keto energy bars too. Drives me crazy. I can make my own energy bars and end up at a much lower total carb count AND a naturally high fiber count!
Jennifer says
Aha! I get it now. It’s the “bulking up” part that I wasn’t considering. They’re making you feel like you’re getting a generous serving for the low “net” carbs. Thank you so much!
Teresa says
My favorite is Rebel. Lots of great flavors. Just let it sit out on counter for 10 minutes or so and you are good to go.
Rachel Brill says
The wording for Nick’s is questionable and confusing… I’m pretty sure removing the “not” is all that’s needed. “The only varieties available in my area are not definitely too high carb to be considered keto.”
Carolyn says
Ah, yes, thanks for the catch!
Yury says
Where do yo get them? I’ve been to multiple grocery stores like Whole Foods, TRader Joe, Sprouts, Safeway. None of them seel Keto ice creams
Carolyn says
Where are you? My Whole Foods carries Killer and Perfect Keto, and Safeway carries Enlightened and Rebel.
Carrie Baysinger says
I love Revel ice cream! I’ve become ridiculously addicted to the chocolate peanut butter flavor – mmm mmm mmm! :0)
Eve says
Totally concur with your review of Rebel! I go to multiple stores to find the flavors I want (namely, Peanut Butter Caramel cup & Cherry Chip, and I have ordered online several times to get the Chocolate Chip, which is my old-school favorite, and the Orange Cream (hello, dreamsicle in a bowl!) since I can’t find those flavors locally.
Bonnie N. says
I’m surprised you didn’t include and try the Two Spoons brand of Keto ice cream.
Carolyn says
Never heard of it so I am guessing it’s not widely available.