Craving something sweet? Thanks to this gluten-free, low-carb ice cream recipe, you can enjoy your favorite dessert, even on the keto diet.
This keto ice cream is incredibly easy to make. You don’t need an ice cream maker or any other special equipment — just four simple ingredients and a few mason jars. This no-churn ice cream recipe takes five minutes to prepare and is the perfect no-guilt summertime treat.
For this recipe, you will need:
The Secret Ingredient to No Sugar, Low-Carb Ice Cream
One glance at the nutrition facts and you know this is no ordinary ice cream recipe. It contains just 3.91 grams of net carbs per cup, while a leading brand of vanilla ice cream contains 28 grams of total carbohydrates — all of which are sugar[*]. The secret ingredient? Monk fruit.
Monk Fruit Does Not Raise Blood Glucose Like Regular Sugar
The secret to this recipe is monk fruit, one of the most popular sweeteners on keto and some low-calorie diets. Monk fruit contains 150-200 times the sweetness of cane sugar, with zero calories[*].
Although used in China for more than a thousand years, it’s a relatively new ingredient in Western culture. The great news is that monk fruit has no effect on insulin or blood sugar[*].
Monk Fruit Has Numerous Health Benefits
Monk fruit has high levels of antioxidants, which help your body fight against free radicals, oxidative stress, and inflammation[*].
Magrosides, the compounds in monk fruit that give it its extreme sweetness, are the nutritional powerhouses responsible for the high levels of antioxidants. In fact, magrosides have even been shown to inhibit reactive oxygen species and DNA oxidative damage[*].
How to Make This Recipe Dairy Free
If you have trouble finding monk fruit in your local grocery stores, you can substitute another keto-friendly sweetener. There are three very popular types of keto sweeteners to choose from.
Stevia
Stevia and monk fruit both provide the same glycemic benefits, resulting in a sugar-free ice cream that tastes like the real deal.
Stevia is an extract from the herb Stevia rebaudiana that’s usually used in powder or liquid form (as stevia drops). Since it is 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar, you only need a very small amount in your ice cream.
Erythritol
Another popular sugar replacement is erythritol. It’s a sugar alcohol that is found naturally in many foods, mostly fruits, and vegetables, and does not appear to have negative side effects when used in moderation.
One study found that only those who consumed 50 grams of erythritol in a day experienced minor stomach gurgling and nausea, but it was less than those who consumed xylitol[*]. While it’s white and powdery like regular sugar, it isn’t as sweet as granulated sugar, so you might have to use a bit more.
Swerve
Another popular keto sweetener is Swerve. It’s a combination of erythritol, natural citrus flavor, and oligosaccharides, which are carbohydrates created by adding enzymes to starchy root vegetables.
Your body doesn’t digest oligosaccharides, which is why they don’t affect blood sugar[*].
Swerve is sold at most health food stores and tastes basically just as sweet as table sugar, so it’s an easy replacement. Simply use the same amount of Swerve as you would granulated sugar.
A Note on Keto Dairy
When selecting your heavy cream, choose the highest quality you can afford. Select an organic, grass-fed dairy product, ignoring the low-fat or fat-free products lining store shelves.
When you choose organic dairy products, you are buying food that has no added hormones and comes from cows that aren’t given antibiotics.
Heavy whipping cream and heavy cream are high in fat and contain almost no carbs, making them ideal for the ketogenic diet[*]. If you can’t find organic options for either of these two products, don’t substitute milk, half-and-half, or condensed milk.
Why? These dairy products are high in carbs (even a glass of whole milk contains over 12 grams of carbs), which isn’t ideal for a keto recipe[*].
How to Make Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
You can easily modify this vanilla bean ice cream base to make your favorite flavor. Add in any number of keto-friendly toppings. Make the base per the instructions below, then stir your toppings into the mason jars with a spoon.
Here are some keto ice cream toppings you add to create your own unique flavors:
- Sugar-free dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs
- Pistachios
- Berries
- Coffee
- Perfect Keto bars, crumbled
- Cocoa powder
No-Churn Ice Cream in a Loaf Pan
Making this ice cream in mason jars will save you freezer space and they help provide individual portions.
You can also make this recipe in a glass or non-stick loaf pan. The entire recipe and process are both the same. The only difference is that you will have a larger container to stir.
If you use a non-stick loaf pan, use a wooden spoon to stir your ice cream so you don’t scratch it. Remember to keep the loaf pan sealed.
How to Make Homemade Ice Cream
This keto ice cream recipe is incredibly easy to prepare and perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth. Simply combine your four ingredients in a mason jar (serving as your ice cream machine) and shake well.
After you mix the ingredients, add in your favorite toppings. Screw the lids on the jars, and place in the freezer.
Your delicious, no-churn ice cream will be ready in as little as 4-6 hours. Check on your ice cream every hour or two to ensure the ingredients haven’t separated. If so, simply unscrew the lid, stir, and refreeze.
How Often to Stir No-Churn Ice Cream
When you check on the ice cream, if you see ice crystals forming or the ingredients separating, it’s time to stir it again. That’s what the ice cream maker does, so you will be doing that in place of the machine.
It’s best to check on your ice cream and stir it about once every hour or so.
Best Keto Ice Cream Recipe
With fewer than 5 grams of net carbs and only four ingredients, this is one keto dessert you can feel great about. And if you love this recipe, check out these other keto-friendly ice cream recipes:
Easy No-Churn Keto Ice Cream
Finally, a keto ice cream recipe that doesn’t require fancy equipment. This no-churn keto ice cream recipe will satisfy your sweet tooth.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
- 2 scoops Perfect Keto Vanilla Collagen, divided
- 4 tbsp monk fruit sweetener, divided
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract, divided
Instructions
- In two wide-mouth mason jars, add 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tbsp monk fruit sweetener, 1 scoop collagen powder, and ¾ tsp vanilla extract.
- Shake vigorously for 5 minutes.
- Place jars in the freezer and allow to freeze until solid, about 4-6 hours. (Approximately every two hours, shake jars a few times to move cream around).
- Serve chilled and enjoy.
Nutrition
- Calories: 440
- Fat: 46.05g
- Carbohydrates: 4.40g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 7.45g
Keywords: keto ice cream
I cannot figure out how you came up with 4.2 net carbs. I use Land of Lakes heavy whipping cream which has 0 carbs. The monkfruit has 16g carbs minus the 16g sugar alcohol. Where did the 4.2 carbs come from? Thanks
Hey April, most all heavy cream actually has at least 0.5 gram of carb per tablespoon. Some companies do not accurately portray that on their nutrition labels.
If one was interested in adding some Pure Keto MCT oil powder such as vanilla or chocolate to each mason jar how much would one add to each jar? Also, would the monk sweetener measurement need to be adjusted? Thank you!
Hi Steve, you can add as much as you like. Start small and adjust from there. You’ll probably want to decrease the monk fruit a bit because the vanilla and chocolate powders have stevia in them. Let us know how it goes!
Hi Steve! You could add a scoop of the PK collagen or MCT oil powder. You would likely need less monk fruit sweetener if you use the PK collagen, which contains stevia.
Can erythritol be substituted for monk fruit to sweeten?
Thanks!
Hi Lisa. Yes! It would be a 1:1 sub for monk fruit sweetener.
Can I substitute monk fruit?
Hi Clarita! Yes, It would be a 1:1 sub for monk fruit sweetener.
I used my Cuisinart ice cream for this recipe and I almost cried when I took the first spoonful. I think something happens when you go keto. Your taste buds wake up when you get to experience delicious, but sugar free treats like this. The only change I made was I added all ingredients at once, I used Whole Earth sweetener, and 2 tsp of vanilla extract. It was fabulous!!
What is whole earth sweetener? I’ve looked locally and can’t find monk fruit 🙁
How do I thaw this without it melting, but it being creamy coming out instead?
It’s very difficult to find pure monk fruit sweetener and if you can find it, it is extremely expensive (around $30 for 3-4oz). Pure monk fruit has 0 carbs and is a natural sugar. Most of the monk fruit sweetener you can buy is mainly comprised of erythritol (sugar alcohol) mixed with a smidgen of monk fruit in order to pass what it’s “advertising”.
So if you see the product label of having #grams of carbs with the same #grams of sugar alcohol (from the erythritol), then you’re basically just buying 99% erythritol.
Can you and how do you substitute Monk with Stevia? With 2 cups of whipping cream I used 2 tbsp of TraderJoe’s organic Stevia, it seemed too sweet when I tried a little when I shook it after 2 hours. The 2 tbsp of Stevia is half of what this recipe calls for in Monk. One website even calls for an even slightly higher conversion ratio of Monk to Stevia and I only used half! I’m a little disappointed.
Can I just blend or whisk this rather than shake the jars?
I was also wondering how this ended up with 4.2 net carbs? Are you making 2 servings per jar?
I am going to try this recipe for the first time. I’m going to use Stevia that also has Maltodextrin as one of it’s ingredients (I guess for bulk). It is rated as a 1 to 1 sugar ratio. What is the ratio of the Monk Fruit Sweetener to Sugar so that I will know how much Stevia to use. Has anybody done this before?
Maltodextrin is just another word for suger which spikes your blood glucose higher than regular sugar. If you’re trying to limit your sugar, stay away from anthing that has maltodextrin!!
Made this and substituted Stevia extract, 2 small scoops. Sweetness was pretty good, however after 2 hours in the freezer everything was pretty solid, couldn’t shake anything up. Also, it froze hard as a rock, had to leave the jar on the counter for a while in order to try and even eat it, and the consistency was a bit weird. Would love to try again if anyone has any idea on how to prevent it from freezing so solid.
★★★
Have to agree with Brandon. The consistency was amazing after freezing for about 3 hours – tasted just like ice cream. However, after freezing overnight and leaving it out before eating it since it was frozen solid, the consistency was off.
★★★
I give this recipe 5 stars. It’s so simple to make and turns out yummy. I can add different flavorings, even a little fresh fruit like strawberries to make strawberry ice cream.
★★★★★
Going to try adding about 1/4 cup of MCT oil. I’ve seen in other recipes that adding some vodka or MCT oil prevents it from freezing solid. Wish me luck!
Really good. I used whole earth sweetener and only made half the recipe. Would definitely recommend.
★★★★
How many carbs are in each jar of this ice cream I’m new at this and know nothing about ratios
Hi Rosalee, this recipe yields 4 and it has 3.91g of carbs each serving.
Is the nutrition info per each jar of keto ice cream or per serving, if per serving, what is considered a serving??
★★★★★
Hi Sue, nutrition facts is per serving.
Made this today it was dangerously delicious and tasted just like vanilla ice cream. I didn’t realize one cup was two servings so I guess I had two servings but it was delicious and I added pecans to mine game changer at my house
I am loving eating low carb, but I have missed ice cream so much. Made this today and it far exceeded my expectations. Delicious! And so simple! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Ahhh, ice cream is back in my life.
★★★★★
Each jar is 2 servings? Thank you! I just made this and I’m waiting for it to freeze! With recipes like this I can do this diet! I really appreciate you sharing this!
Hi: Thanks for this recipe. I’m exploring the world of ice cream sans sugar, and I find myself wondering something crazy:
Is it possible to simply make ice cream w/o sweetener? Or with some sliver of sweetener (sugar, monkfruit, or other)?
What does sweetener-free ice cream taste like? I guess I could make some and find out!
What do you think, Sara?
Hi Mick, interesting idea! Though I believe you can’t put them in the fridge because the texture will be different. So you’d have to make them only when needed. Try it and let us know how it turns out!
Can I leave out the Collagen? Or use a substitute of some sort?
You can substitute it with vanilla MCT but it might alter the taste outcome of the keto ice cream
Delicious on my first try! I used Lakanto pure monk fruit extract -only 1/8 tsp for this recipe. You can get this product directly from Lakanto.com. Also added 1 tbs. MCT oil to keep this creamy. It worked! Thank you!
★★★★★
Can I leave out the collagen?
Hi Linda, haven’t tried it without the collage powder. Let us know if you’ve tried the recipe without them. 🙂
First time I made it on a friend’s advice – simple and wonderful- skipped the collagen , whipped all the ingredients together with a mixer on high for about 3 minutes, placed in a flatish square tupperware container(2 cup) froze nicely and tastes great…try it with flavouring- I used MIO Sport… Yummy
I made this and left it in the freezer overnight. It got harder than woodpecker lips. The flavor is perfect. I think I’ll try to put an oil in it next time. It is a simple and fun recipe. It’s also a great recipe to make with kids.
★★★★