Do you love ice cream but are following a keto diet?
Ketogenic diets are very low in carbohydrates and high in fat. Following a ketogenic diet means cutting out sugar, which may leave you wondering what dessert options are out there.
Traditional ice cream is made with heavy cream and a lot of sugar, so you may think you are out of luck. But there is good news! It’s possible to find keto-friendly ice cream brands in your local grocery store.
Food companies are now offering options for ice cream on keto that have a comparable texture and taste to regular ice cream, just without all of the sugar.
Instead of using sugar, keto ice cream often uses sugar alcohols, such as erythritol, that are not effectively metabolized by the human body so they do not add to the calorie content of the food but are still able to provide a sweet flavor (1).
The best ice cream for a keto diet is low in carbohydrates so that it doesn’t use up much (or any) of your daily carb intake goal amount, which is usually 50 grams per day or less (2).
Keto ice cream is low in net carbs. Net carbs are calculated by subtracting the grams of fiber and sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrate amount. Fiber is added to many of the ice cream varieties to lower the total amount of net carbs.
If you prefer the taste of homemade ice cream, there is a keto-friendly solution for that too with no ice cream maker required!
Keto Ice Cream Recipe
Making low-carb ice cream at home is actually pretty simple to do and only requires three ingredients.
This keto ice cream recipe is vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (500 ml) full fat coconut milk -canned
- 1/4 cup (48 grams) keto sweetener of your choice (i.e. monk fruit, erythritol)
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
Whisk together the coconut milk, keto sweetener, and vanilla extract. After the mixture is combined, pour into ice cube trays and freeze for several hours.
Once the mixture is frozen, place the cubes into a blender and blend until creamy. Serve and enjoy! Recipe yields about 4 servings.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving (3)
- Calories: 197
- Fat: 17 grams
- Carbs: 6 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Sugar alcohol: 12 grams
- Net carbs: 6 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
5 Best Store-Bought Keto Ice Cream
1. Halo Top
Halo Top ice cream has a keto line that includes several flavors such as banana cream pie, berry swirl, caramel butter pecan, chocolate cheesecake, jelly donut, peanut butter chocolate, and white chocolaty macadamia.
There is some variation between flavors, but most are sweetened primarily with erythritol and stevia.
Total net carbs vary from 5 to 10 grams per pint (which is actually 3 servings), depending on flavor. If you are looking to bump up your daily protein intake, this ice cream packs in a few extra grams compared to others with about 7 grams per serving. Many flavors of Halo Top include wheat, for those with allergies or who choose to avoid.
Luckily this brand is carried in several major grocery store chains and Target so it should be pretty easy to find.
Nutrition Facts
Will vary by flavor, per 2/3 cup serving (88 grams) of the peanut butter chocolate:
- Calories: 210
- Fat: 18 grams
- Carbs: 15 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Sugar alcohol: 8 grams
- Net carbs: 3 grams
- Protein: 7 grams
Get it at Halo Top
2. Enlightened
Enlightened keto ice cream is made with heavy cream and comes in nine different flavors with a couple of unique offerings such as caramel chocolate double dough, red velvet, and a chocolate glazed donut.
All of the flavors only have one net carb per serving and are sweetened with erythritol and monk fruit extract.
Many of the flavors are also gluten-free. The company recommends letting the ice cream sit at room temperature for a few minutes before trying to scoop as it can be a little hard due to the low sugar content.
This ice cream brand can be found in grocery stores nationwide and offers the option to purchase online. If you choose to order online, it will arrive at your door packaged in dry ice to keep it frozen. It will be a sweet treat to look forward to in your mail!
Nutrition Facts
Information varies by flavor, per 1/2 cup serving (70 grams) of the mint chocolate chunk:
- Calories: 180
- Fat: 16 grams
- Carbs: 11 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Sugar alcohol: 8 grams
- Net carbs: 1 gram
- Protein: 2 grams
Get it at Enlightened
3. Rebel Creamery
This low-sugar ice cream offers 14 different flavors and is made from all-natural ingredients.
It has a great selection of flavors to please almost everyone’s tastes from classics like chocolate and vanilla to specialty flavors like coconut almond swirl and cherry chip.
Made with cream from cows not treated with hormones, the ice cream is sweetened with erythritol and monk fruit extract. The add-ins in select flavors, such as cookie dough or peanut butter fudge, are grain-free and do not have added sugars.
Rebel Creamery ice cream is easy to find as it is available at many major retail grocery stores such as Safeway, Walmart, and Kroger and there is also the option to order online.
Nutrition Facts
Information varies by flavor, per 2/3 cup serving (91 grams) of the strawberry:
- Calories: 170
- Fat: 16 grams
- Carbs: 17 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Sugar alcohol: 13 grams
- Net carbs: 1.9 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
Get it at Rebel Creamery
4. Keto Pint
Keto Pint offers seven different flavors and instead of buying a pint, you also have the option of buying an ice cream bar if that is what you prefer.
With flavors like peanut butter cup, sea salt caramel, and strawberry this brand can satisfy your sweet tooth with only three net carbs per serving. Erythritol, monk fruit extract, and stevia provide the sweetness in this low-carb ice cream.
Keto Pint uses only sustainably sourced cocoa. You can pick up a pint of this ice cream at stores like Food City, Fred Meyer, and King Soopers and you can also purchase it online.
Nutrition Facts
Information varies by flavor, per 2/3 cup serving (100 grams) of the sea salt caramel:
- Calories: 180
- Fat: 16 grams
- Carbs: 13 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Sugar alcohol: 8 grams
- Net carbs: 3 grams
- Protein: 4 grams
Get it at Keto Pint
5. Mammoth Creameries
Mammoth Creameries Frozen Custard is keto-friendly and is made with heavy cream and grass-fed butter.
It is sweetened with xylitol, another sugar alcohol. It comes in only four different flavors, vanilla bean, chocolate, lemon buttercream, and chocolate peanut butter.
The ingredient lists with this brand are much shorter as they do not include many ice cream stabilizers, like guar gum, and it uses natural colorings such as turmeric extract.
It also does not add in plant fibers which are pretty common in keto ice creams. Each serving packs in a few more calories when compared to the others.
You can find this ice cream brand in many stores across the country, but it is not available in all 50 states. If you do not happen to live near a store that sells it, you can also buy it online.
Nutrition Facts
Information varies by flavor, per 1/2 cup serving (86 grams) of the lemon buttercream:
- Calories: 260
- Fat: 25 grams
- Carbs: 6 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Sugar alcohol: 5 grams
- Net carbs: 1 gram
- Protein: 2 grams
Get it at Mammoth Creameries
Does Aldi Have Keto Ice Cream?
Yes! Released earlier this year, Aldi now sells budget-friendly low-carb ice cream in three different flavors including mint chocolate chip, peanut butter and fudge, and cookie dough. All three flavors only contain five net carbs per serving.
Last Words
If you are an ice cream lover who is on a keto diet you can celebrate! You can indulge your craving without wrecking your diet.
Finding a sugar-free, keto-friendly ice cream in the grocery store has never been easier. Or, you can make it at home with full-fat coconut milk for a dairy-free option.
With so many keto-friendly ice cream choices out there, store-bought or homemade, there can always be something waiting for you in your freezer when you need a sweet treat.
References
- Regnat, K, et al. “Erythritol as Sweetener-Wherefrom and Whereto?” Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Jan. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5756564/.
- Paoli, A et al. “Beyond weight loss: a review of the therapeutic uses of very-low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets.” European journal of clinical nutrition vol. 67,8 (2013): 789-96. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2013.116
- FoodData Central, fdc.nal.usda.gov/index.html.
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