Looking for the perfect keto homemade ice cream recipe? Well you’ve found it! This low carb sugar-free ice cream is rich and delicious, and it stays soft and scoopable in the freezer. It’s egg-free too. It’s the keto ice cream recipe you’ve been dreaming of and it’s so easy to make.
Prepare to be AMAZED! This is no ordinary keto vanilla ice cream. Oh no, my friends, not at all.
This low carb vanilla ice cream has magical properties and should not be underestimated! Sure, it looks like regular vanilla ice cream and tastes like regular vanilla ice cream. It even behaves like regular vanilla ice cream.
And that, my dear readers, is exactly the point. This ice cream recipe has the truly astonishing property of staying soft and scoopable, even after several days in the freezer. And it’s entirely low carb, egg-free and has no added sugars, which makes it all the more astonishing.
If you’ve ever made your own ice cream at home, particularly keto ice cream, you’ll understand that this is no small feat. Because homemade ice cream never stays as soft and scoopable as store-bought. Until now.
Making Homemade Keto Ice Cream
I’ve had an ice cream maker for about 20 years now, so I’ve made my share of ice cream and this recipe is really a major achievement for me.
Homemade ice cream can be wonderful, but in my experience it almost always freezes rock solid after a few hours in the freezer and needs to be left to soften in the fridge for half an hour or so before it can be served. This was often the case even back in the day when I made my ice creams with sugar.
The first few helpings, served after an hour or so in the freezer, were perfect, but after that it was like trying to chip away at a glacier with a kitchen knife.
I also thought that to get the right consistency, ice cream had to be made with a significant amount of egg yolks, and I usually made my ice cream base with 4 to 6 yolks, leaving me with a lot of orphaned egg whites that needed to be used. Although I’ve made some delicious flavours of ice cream, I despaired of ever making one that could stay soft in the freezer.
Developing The Best Keto Vanilla Ice Cream
This magical stay-soft keto ice cream recipe came about through some serious experimentation.
It all started when I decided to make some Dulce De Leche ice cream, using my sugar-free condensed milk. Even as that one came out of the ice cream maker, I noted that the consistency was better than any I’d ever made. And then I was completely floored when it stayed soft enough to scoop right out of the freezer, even three days later.
And as this particular recipe was entirely egg-free, I knew I’d hit on something really interesting. I just had to figure out exactly what it was.
So I commenced on an unseasonal bout of ice-cream making, trying a little more of this and a little less of that. It took me a bit but I finally hit upon the right combination for the perfect keto vanilla ice cream.
Tips for Perfect Homemade Keto Ice Cream
The sweeteners: This is the most critical component of making homemade keto ice cream that stays soft and scoopable. It’s non-negotiable, folks. You need a mix of two sweeteners or it won’t work. The first should be powdered Swerve, and the second should be Bocha Sweet (allulose and xylitol should also work here).
If you’re wondering where this combo of sweeteners comes in, please refer to the condensed milk recipe.
- Why it works: The sweeteners appear to have a symbiotic relationship, with each one making up for what the other lacks. If you’ve ever made ice cream with just erythritol, you know how rock hard it gets in the freezer. I’ve tried doing all Bocha Sweet but then it never firms up at all and stays like soft serve. Together, they are perfect.
Sugar free condensed milk: My homemade sweetened condensed milk is also an integral part of the recipe. It may seem like added work but if you are making keto vanilla ice cream without eggs, you need a thicker base. Straight cream works okay but this thicker base ends up similar to a custard and works even better.
The xanthan gum: Yes, this is pretty important too. Xanthan is often in commercial ice creams because it inhibits recrystallization. If you prefer, you can try glucomannan in the same amount. I have to admit, I haven’t tried that yet in ice cream.
The alcohol: This is less critical and could be skipped. The reason it is in my keto ice cream recipe is because alcohol raises the freezing point of liquids so it reduces iciness. It is not enough to affect even a child (yes, I do feed my kids this ice cream), as it amounts to about half a teaspoon per serving. That said, the choice to include it is up to you.
The ice cream maker: I highly recommend churning this in a proper ice cream maker like the one from Cuisinart. Works like a dream, but unless you have the big compressor model, you need to remember to freeze the canister for at least 12 hours before you churn.
However, you can actually make this homemade keto ice cream without an ice cream maker. See the notes in the recipe for instructions!
This is actually an older recipe that has been on my blog since 2013. But since then, I have discovered that the sweeteners make all the difference. Now aren’t you glad I updated it? It’s
Don’t miss these other delicious low carb ice cream recipes!
Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple Ice Cream
Keto Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Sugar-Free Condensed Milk
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (can replace ¾ cup with nut milk, coconut milk, etc.)
- 3 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 ½ tablespoon vodka (optional, helps reduce iciness)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Make the sweetened condensed milk according to the directions and let cool to room temperature. Whisk in the heavy cream, powdered sweetener, vodka, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Taste the mixture and adjust sweetener to taste. You can use additional Bocha Sweet or allulose here but because it's granular, you will need to whisk for a while to dissolve it properly.
- Chill the mixture at least one hour and up to overnight, then pour into the canister of an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions. If you have the kind of ice cream maker that requires the canister to be frozen first, don't forget to do that!
- Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
Video
Notes
- Make the condensed milk as directed. Let cool to room temp and then whisk in the vodka and salt.
- Whip the heavy cream with the powdered sweetener and vanilla extract until it holds stiff peaks.
- Pour in the condensed milk and fold these two together until no streaks remain.
- Transfer to a container and freeze at least 6 hours.
Beth says
I didn’t have time to make your condensed milk, but had some of your caramel sauce made, so subbed it. so good!
Jessica Hancock says
I’ve made this quite a few times this summer and it has been wonderful each time. I used only cream the first several times I made it, but this past weekend, I replaced half the cream with cashew milk, just to see what would happen. I also switched out the vodka with rum, because that was what I had available. Wow! It was the best batch I’ve made so far! The texture was amazing, a little softer than when I used only cream. The flavor from the rum was really nice also. This is really the best keto ice cream recipe out there! I will definitely make it again next weekend!
Carolyn says
Glad you enjoyed it! I often replace 3/4 cup of the cream with nut milks of some kind.
Carolyn says
This looks great. Question about the vodka, since it’s not “cooked out” is there an alcohol content to this recipe?
Carolyn says
yes, it amounts to about 1/2 teaspoon per serving, which is not enough to affect anyone.
Pam Baldauf says
When you use Swerve does the ice cream crystallize?
Carolyn says
If it’s the only sweetener you use, yes. But this also uses BochaSweet or allulose, since it’s in the condensed milk.
Victoria Sylvestre says
Amazing! Thank you! You make my life beter! If I wanted to make this chocolate, how much powdered cocoa should I add and would I adjust the sweeteners?
Jan says
I am considering purchasing a Cuisinart ice cream maker. What size should I get to prepare this recipe? It sounds amazing!
Carolyn says
1.5 to 2 quart size.
Chris says
Dear Carolyn,
thanks for your marvelous recipes, I have a question regarding the sweetener:
you often recommend the brand Swerve as a sweetener , although it does not contain sugar it contains 100% carb, do you know another sweetener that would contain no or very low carb?
Thanks
Carolyn says
Hi Chris… you need to read up on erythritol. While technically is has carbs, they have zero impact on blood glucose. Allulose is the same way. I can verify this since I test my blood sugar daily.
Andrea says
Is there a substitution for the vodka? I don’t do alcohol. I know you can do it without, I was just wondering if there was another option to help with the iciness.
Carolyn says
No sub, just skip it.
Cheryl Alvino says
I don’t really like soft ice cream, I like it firmer, what should I do in that case?
Carolyn says
It isn’t soft as in soft serve… it’s just scoopable out of the freezer.
Simone says
I have made various ice cream recipes with regular sugar and cream but this one is by far the BEST and it’s Keto-friendly ! Thank you! The texture is perfect. I made it with BochaSweet mixed with Erythritol (“Now Foods” brand). I made my favorite peppermint with Keto-friendly chocolate chips and 2 Tablespoons of the ice cream is quite satisfying and enough for me to satisfy my ice cream craving.
Shari Duncan says
I’m wondering about making this in my Ninja Creami, I just got it and haven’t used it yet. I will make this soon either way!!
angela says
OOOh I have one of those too but haven’t used it. If you use it, can you update on here how you did it?
Cynthia Mueller says
Excellent creamy vanilla ice cream! Worth the time to make the sugar free condensed milk. I used Allulose instead of BochaSweet and it turned out perfect!
I also used salted butter vs unsalted and it was delicious.
In the ice cream recipe I did use the 1 1/2 tbsp vodka in my recipe.
I made it without and ice cream maker. I also used my Kitchen Aid counter top mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the heavy cream with the powdered Swerve Sweetener and made sure my heavy cream was at room temperature. This ice cream turned out perfect. It did not get frozen like a rock but easy to scoop right out of the freezer! LOVE THIS ICE CREAM!!!
Susan says
Thank you for post acknowledging that this works with the kitchen aid mixer as that is what I have and don’t want to have to buy an ice cream maker.
Susan Yakus says
Would this work adding some Peppermint extract and some Keto chocolate chips? I really miss my chocolate mint ice cream!
Carolyn says
Absolutely!
LesLi says
I wonder if I could do this in my blender? Have you tried? I know you can make an ice cream in the Vitamix. May have to try it if you have not
Carolyn says
I do not have a Vitamix.
Susan Yakus says
Carolyn, maybe Santa will bring you a Vitamix. They are the best!!
Geri says
What ice cream maker do you recommend?
Carolyn says
The cuisinart ones have always worked well for me!
Gil says
You advise cuisinart as a good ice cream maker in your opinion. Which cuisinart ice cream maker, do you suggest?? I’ve just googled and found them on Amazon. So many different choices, I’m so CONFUSED!! LOL Look forward to your help 😉
Carolyn says
The basic 1.5 quart or 2 quart is fine. I had one for a very long time and it was always reliable. I upgraded to a compressor model simply so I don’t have to freeze the canister. This is the basic one I am referring to: https://amzn.to/3hOYhzK
Gil says
Thank you !!