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.
Sarah Skaggs says
Wow. This is the real deal! My kids had no idea it was ‘healthy’ ice cream!
Billy says
Keto or not, this is delicious nice job!
Linda says
Hi Carolyn,
I’ve been looking for an excuse to make the condensed milk and here it is (was contemplating keto magic cookie bars, too!). Just curious if you tried the bocha in a custard based ice cream recipe. I do love that type of ice cream and would be STOKED if the bocha helped keep it softer.
Thanks for this new one!
Best,
Linda
Carolyn says
I have indeed tried Bocha Sweet in custard bases and it works beautifully if you use it in combination with Swerve.
Linda says
SWEET! Thanks for getting back.
Best,
Linda
melinda chavez says
I’m confused and excited. I’m new to this new type of keto cooking. My question is where in your recipe do you mention Xanthum gum and how much do I use? Also, you mention how much swerve to use…..but how much Bocha do i use?
Other than that I’m excited to get started!
Carolyn says
It’s all in the condensed milk recipe…
Joanne says
Thank you for this ice cream recipe — I have missed eating vanilla ice cream! Love all your recipes.
Jessica says
I love this recipe and now it’s even softer? Amazing!
I don’t see the measurement for the Bocha Sweet in the recipe itself. Looking forward to trying the new tips!
Carolyn says
It’s in the condensed milk. It won’t be “softer” for you if you liked the old one. But that one took a LOT of xanthan and a LOT of vodka to keep it soft and some people still had trouble with it. This has a much better consistency overall.
Deborah says
Carolyn, THANK YOU for all the great recipes…..I so admire the fact that you are always improving your older recipes as new products and new techniques are found. Low carb cooking has come such a long way and much of that is owed to you. Your cakes are indistinguishable from traditional flour ones, and now we have scoopable ice crystal free ice cream….no small feat. Hat off to you.
PS: hoping you will update the DEATH BY CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM to also include the SF Condensed Milk. Your Coffee Ice Cream looks like a no brainer swap.
Bless you for making our lives sweeter.
Katrina Weir says
Amazing recipe!
Roxy says
Can you use gin instead of vodka?
Carolyn says
I suppose so but gin has a strong flavor whereas vodka does not.
Barb C says
Carolyn, a question for you, as I seek the perfect NON-DAIRY vanilla ice cream – I am stumped about what to do. I tried your vanilla ice cream recipe, made the double batch of low carb condensed milk, etc, all using coconut milk from a can. I use Trader Joe’s because it truly has no additives or fillers. I used the recommended amounts of xanthan gum, and after all of that work (!), the ice cream had tiny grains of frozen coconut fat mixed all through it. Maybe I just need to switch brands, but on the whole I love TJs products. It’s just so disappointing. My T1D daughter is also dairy free so I really work at finding good recipes she’ll love, and yours are a hit! I could use any tips you have about this coconut milk crisis I find myself in!!
Carolyn says
Hi Barb. I have started to play with allulose and Bocha Sweet and they work well in ice cream to keep it soft. The problem is that for dairy free ones, it still gets icy after a time in the freezer. Less so than it would with just Swerve but still more so than dairy…
Barb C says
Thanks, Carolyn. The problem was not really iciness, but the tiny grains of coconut fat that were unpleasant to eat – you really almost had to chew it. My daughter said she would still eat it, but it was off-putting. I did use some xylitol – i have some from a long time ago I want to use up before buying allulose. Maybe I’ll try a different brand of coconut milk and see if that makes a difference. Iciness I can deal with – I usually nuke it for 10-15 seconds and it softens nicely. 🙂
Carolyn says
Okay what brand of coconut milk are you using? I use Native Forest. As long as I melt it in a pan so that the “Cream” mixes properly with the water, I don’t get that.
Barb C says
I used Trader Joe’s – I think I’ll try Native Forest and see if that’s the issue. Thanks!! I made your lemon curd and tartlets for Easter and everyone LOVED them!
Linda says
I use Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk. I warm it just a little in the microwave, whisk till smooth, then chill for a few hours. It actually makes CREAMIER ice cream than heavy whipping cream. Like velvet.
Roni says
Linda did you follow this recipe just swapping coconut milk for the cream? Would love to try that…
Erin says
I was so excited to try this…I followed the recipe exactly…it turned out amazing! Thank you so much!
Carolyn says
Happy to hear it!
Chérie says
I can’t have alcohol, will this work and still be creamy and yummy without it? I’d like to ask, why does it have Vodka in it? Many people don’t drink alcohol. Ty!!
Carolyn says
Alcohol makes sugar free ice cream less icy and hard. You can skip it but your ice cream will freeze very hard.
Mandi says
Question… I would like to make this recipe but have a recovering alcoholic in my home. Is there anything I can use in place of the vodka?
Thanks in advance
Carolyn says
Feel free to skip it! It helps with iciness but if you can’t have it, don’t use it.
Ronalyn Hurley says
Perfect is right!!! I made the condensed milk mixture and ice cream mixture yesterday and froze it in my Cuisinart this morning. I’m thankful you persevered when trying to make this ice cream because it is fabulous. Thank you.
Lisa Bell says
1000s of comments, here’s one more. THANK YOU! I can enjoy using my ice cream maker again I can’t wait to make pistachio ice cream.
Christy says
Is vodka necessary or can it be left out or substituted?
Carolyn says
It can be left out but it will be icier.
Francis Roy says
Your ice cream recipe suggests Swerve Sweetener or powdered erythritol. I don’t know either of these products. Is it purely for the sweetness, or does it have some necessary chemical property to make this recipe work? Would any sweetener work, such as Stevia extract or perhaps Splenda?
Carolyn says
Any sweetener should work.
Francis Roy says
Thank you.
Beth says
I just finished my first batch of this ice cream, and I’m not sure what I did wrong, but it turned out far too sweet! How can I fix this? Would it work to add some milk and rechurn it?
*I just realised the likely reason it is too sweet: I used lactose free milk, which is substantially sweeter than normal milk.
Carolyn says
Ah, that would probably do it!
Beth says
What would you recommend to reduce the sweetness? Could I add more cream or milk (or a mix of the two) and re-churn it?
Carolyn says
I can’t see why not!
Maria H. says
***Sorry, this is super long, but you might want to read/share this before even attempting to make this ice cream***
Okay, I think I’m ready to write my review now.
Keep in mind at all times while reading this, that I am Greek, I love to cook/bake everything from “scratch”, since that is how I was taught when I was a teen. I’ve been cooking almost everyday for the last 30 years.
I made this ice cream 2 weeks ago. I had made the “sweetened condensed milk” a couple of days before, so it was ready, in the fridge, waiting to become vanilla ice cream. I spent days reading the reviews, learning from other mistakes, vowing to not be “that person”. You know, “that person who follows the recipe to the t, but still ends up with marshmallow, weird tasting, strange consistency, indescribable texture, but good tasting ice cream.
Carolyn, I am that person…
So, I’ve spent the last 10 days trying to figure out this enigma…because that’s just what I do. I really needed to understand this mishap. I’ve got to say, though I really just wanted to blame Carolyn (it would have been easier),but I knew there was a bigger/minor issue here since Carolyn, you have yet to fail me when it comes to delicious recipes.
So, I think I figured it out. I really think I know the culprit to this mishap.
It has to be the cream!
Let me explain. I spent days trying to figure out the difference between Heavy Cream and Heavy Whipping Cream. Guess what? Everyone says there is no difference, and they are partially right. As far as fat content etc they are the same. But just to be sure, my failed vanilla ice cream was made with heavy whipping cream, my following failed vanilla ice cream was made with heavy cream.
Yes that too failed. They were not identical in taste or texture, but it still qualified as marshmallow, weird tasting, strange consistency, indescribable texture, but good tasting ice cream.
I went through my ingredients again. One by one. I compared them to the ingredient listed in the recipe. Identical. Almost identical. Everything is identical except for the cream. Without knowing exactly what type of cream Carolyn used I still think I finally figured it out.
I think anyways, I’ve been working on this for a couple of weeks, in between trying to create a perfect low carb lemon sorbet lol, so I may have over-thought this and I might be losing my mind here, but I really think its the cream.
Heavy Cream vs Heavy Whipping Cream
#1 difference that no one really tells you between HC and HWC is that heavy whipping cream contains a stabilizer that changes its texture when heated. When making a custard base ice cream with eggs, there’s really no difference between the two. In fact (through extensive online research) some chefs that replace HC for HWC in custard base recipes, just add another egg yolk.
Since this is not a custard base recipe, the cream can throw the texture off. Right? If only it was that simple. Because the difference is too minuet to cause such a huge difference in results between those (including you Carolyn) who ended up with a perfectly all around delicious ice cream vs “the rest of us” lol besides, I tried both HC and HWC!
Which leads me to the more serious culprit…
Heavy Whipping Cream vs Ultra Pasteurized Heavy Whipping Cream/Heavy Cream vs Ultra Pasteurized Heavy Cream.
Up until 24 hours ago I had a conspiracy theory regarding organic, whole food, all natural, non pasteurized, absolutely no antibiotics, no synthetic hormones, no toxic pesticides no GMO, no anything milk/cream from cows that are loved and petted at least twice a day.
I am ashamed to say, boy was I wrong… I’ll take the “cow petting” shift any day of the week.
Ultra Pasteurized Heavy Cream, and Ultra Pasteurized Heavy Whipping Cream contain:
polysorbate 80 (a bitter-tasting emulsifier which was once thought to cure baldness (1980’s) if massaged into the scalp), Carrageenan (which is seaweed), cellulose (which is processed wood pulp), and sodium citrate (another bitter chemical), oh I almost forgot, it also contains Milk.
Organic Heavy Cream and Heavy Whipping Cream, found mostly only at farms, and organic whole food stores, contain:
Milk and Gellan Gum.
In case you are wondering, because I was wondering. What’s in the Organic Pasteurized Milk? I really tried hard to disprove my own theory.
Organic Pasteurized Milk contains:
Organic Non-Homogenized Grade A Milk
Sorry for this long message but I just had to make certain things clear.
1. This recipe is perfect
2. I don’t think wood pulp taste good.
3. After reading all the ingredients in my inferior UP HC & UP HWC, I decided to rub the failed ice creams on my ultra stubborn, pasteurized thick, heavy, creamed head. Maybe tomorrow my hair will be thicker…
4. The temperature of the freezer only matters when trying to freeze emulsifiers 🙂
5. Some of you are thinking “no duh”, bare with me here, I’m still a novice, BUT I know I’m not the only one who cheated with the cream. Now some of you might be to ashamed to admit it, but I bet my ice creams looked like yours lol
I probably should mention that I made the ice cream a third time. It is pure perfection, and yes I used Organic Heavy Cream.
That’s all I’ve got to say about this recipe, I’m going to treat myself to some ice cream 🙂
Catherine H. says
Fantastic comment; thanks for the giggle.
Carolyn D says
Thanks for taking the time to share your research! How can I get your recipe for perfect low carb lemon sorbet?
Metqa says
I want to make some anti-inflammatory foods and I saw a recipe for golden milk ice cream but it’s not low sugar. So I want to try to make your recipe with Turmeric and ginger. I’m trying to imagine how to get the flavors in, I guess I could steep the the spices with the cream and strain it out before the mixing and the churning. Anyway, I’ll let you know how it turns out, as I’ve never made ice cream before and all I’ve got is a “machine” where you put the tub in the freezer and then hand churn it. Wish me luck.