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This low-carb keto ice cream is a creamy, custard-based vanilla ice cream made with simple ingredients like egg yolks, cream, and almond milk. It’s smooth, rich, and scoopable-without sugar or gluten.
Perfect for summer, meal prep, or when you want a real dessert that actually satisfies.
Table of Contents
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why make a homemade Keto ice cream?
- Ingredient Notes (What Actually Matters)
- How to Make Keto Ice Cream (Overview)
- How to Get the Best Texture
- No Ice Cream Maker Option
- Flavor Variations
- What Sweetener to Use for Keto Ice Cream
- Important Sweetener Tip
- Fat & Texture (Why It Matters)
- Milk Options
- Storage
- What to Serve With
- FAQs
- More Keto Sweet Treats:
- Low-Carb Keto Ice Cream Recipe Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
- Actually scoopable (with one small trick most recipes miss)
- Custard base = creamy texture (not icy or crumbly like many keto versions)
- Balanced fat + sweetener → smooth, not overly heavy or artificial
- Low-carb + sugar-free with simple ingredients you already use
- Churned or no-churn option included
Why make a homemade Keto ice cream?
Because making it is easier than you may think and I have not been able to find some good keto ice cream in the stores. Most of them are still high in carbs and I don’t like the flavors.
Ingredient Notes (What Actually Matters)
- Egg yolks → this is what gives that real ice cream texture (don’t skip)
- Heavy cream + almond milk → balance of richness + lightness
- Powdered erythritol (Swerve) → smoother texture than granulated
- Coconut oil → improves mouthfeel and prevents iciness
- MCT oil (optional) → boosts fat + slightly softer texture
- Vanilla extract → use good quality, this is the main flavor
Optional but smart:
1 tsp vodka → keeps ice cream scoopable (very important for keto versions)hurn. I’m planning to try a coconut milk based one and going to share it if it works.
How to Make Keto Ice Cream (Overview)
You’re making a simple custard → chill → churn → freeze.
- Heat cream + almond milk until just simmering
- Whisk egg yolks + sweetener until pale
- Temper with warm liquid
- Cook gently until thickened (coats the back of a spoon)
- Add fats + vanilla
- Cool completely
- Churn → freeze until firm
How to Get the Best Texture
- This is where most keto ice creams fail.
- Let sit at room temp 5 minutes before scooping
- Always cool the custard fully before churning
- Use powdered sweetener, not granulated
- Add a little fat (coconut oil or MCT) → prevents iciness
- For scoopable texture → add 1 tsp vodka before freezing
No Ice Cream Maker Option
No machine? You can still make it.
- Pour mixture into a freezer-safe container
- Freeze
- Stir every 30 minutes for 2 hours
Result:
✔ softer, slightly less airy
✔ still creamy enough to enjoy
Flavor Variations
Once you master the base, you can easily switch it up:
- Coffee → espresso powder
- Lemon → add zest + juice
- Chocolate → cocoa powder + melted chocolate
- Berry swirl → low-carb jam
- Almond vanilla → add almond extract
What Sweetener to Use for Keto Ice Cream
For this recipe, use a powdered low-carb sweetener for the best texture.
- Powdered erythritol (Swerve) works well and keeps carbs low
- Allulose is even better if available → smoother texture, no crystallization
Start with 1/4 cup sweetener and adjust to taste.
If the base doesn’t taste sweet enough, you can add:
- up to 1–2 tsp liquid stevia
Important Sweetener Tip
Keto ice cream tends to freeze harder than regular ice cream.
To improve texture:
- use powdered sweetener (not granulated)
- combine sweeteners (erythritol + stevia or allulose)
Fat & Texture (Why It Matters)
Adding fat improves creaminess and prevents iciness:
- Coconut oil → helps create smoother texture
- MCT oil (optional) → adds fat and keeps ice cream slightly softer
In this recipe:
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp MCT oil (optional)
Milk Options
- Use heavy cream + almond milk for best balance
- Do not use regular milk (too high in carbs)
Alternative:
- Coconut milk can replace almond milk for a richer result
Storage
- Let sit 5–10 minutes before serving
- Freeze in an airtight container
- Best texture: first 24–48 hours
- Keeps up to 1 week
What to Serve With
- Coconut flakes or nuts
- Fresh berries
- Melted dark chocolate
- Keto brownies
FAQs
Yes, but it won’t be as creamy. Custard = better texture.
Erythritol freezes very firm. Add a little alcohol or fat to soften.
Yes—monk fruit blends or allulose work well.
(Allulose = softest texture)
You can, but texture will be slightly more icy.
More Keto Sweet Treats:
Low-Carb Keto Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup powdered erythritol, or Swerve
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp MCT oil, optional
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp vodka, for softer texture
- berries or melted chocolate, for serving
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat heavy cream and almond milk over medium heat until just simmering (do not boil).
- In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and powdered sweetener until pale and slightly thickened.
- Slowly add about 1/2 cup of the hot mixture to the eggs, whisking constantly to temper.
- Pour everything back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 160°F / 71°C).
- Remove from heat. Stir in coconut oil, MCT oil (if using), and vanilla extract.
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until fully chilled.
- Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions (about 20 minutes).
- Optional: Stir in vodka before transferring to a container.
- Freeze until firm (2–3 hours), then serve.
Notes
Add 1 tsp vodka to prevent hard freezing
Let sit at room temp before scooping
Makes about 1 pint
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this just now and it was perfect! Topped it with some crushed vanilla almond Stoka bars. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Hi Teresa! Glad it worked! Now I need to make it again for myself 🙂
Is the nutritional values for 1 serving?
YES, one serving, these are total carbs.
Sugar keeps most ice creams from freezing rock hard. How does this scoop? Does it need to partially thaw before serving?
This one is the same, even though there is no real sugar in it. It is rock hard and needs to thaw to scoop it.
Please clarify (sorry, blonde here!) it IS rock hard???
Yes, if you freeze it. If you churn it and don’t freeze it is pretty soft.
Sounds interesting. How much time does it take from start to spoon?
a lot, since you need to chill and freeze it. 4 hours at least
Can I use MCT oil instead of coconut oil?
Thanks,
Mary
If the amount of MCT is ok with you yes, it can be used instead.
Cannot wait to try. Suggestions so it isn’t gritty and how or what would you add for coffee flavored? I’d use cacao powder for chocolate instead of cocoa. Thank you!
Hi Cheryl, hope you like it. I have not tried this recipe with cocoa or cacao powder, but I don’t see any reason why either one won’t work. 1 tsp of coffee extract (Nielsen Massey has a great one) could help to intensify the flavor.
In order for the ice cream not be gritty, you need to cook the custard properly and not overcook it. This means tempering the eggs and cooking over medium heat and constantly stirring. Straining the custard before you chill it and churn it will reduce the grittiness.
This has become my favourite ice cream recipe, thank you! I made it with xylitol after reading some tips on keto ice cream, and it stayed soft enough to scoop even after days in the freezer.
I have a question about the volume – it says it makes 1 litre, and my ice cream machine has a 500 ml capacity, so I halved the ingredients. But when I poured the mixture into a jug to cool, it was only 300ml. Any idea why it is so?
Thanks
This sounds really good. And we have an ice cream churn, so plan to make it soon.
I just don’t understand why nobody ever seems to mention Splenda, as a sweetener ? It taste the best, and has zero cal’s or carbs ? I hate swerve… I hate stevia… And forget about aspartame or saccharine, which not only taste bad, but are cancer causing. SPLENDA is where it’s at ! For anything that needs to be sweetened, from frozen, to cooked ?
Hi Chris, thanks for the comment and I hope you like the ice cream.
I personally don’t like Splenda, this is why I rarely buy it and can not recommend it to my readers.
The truth is that Splenda is not the best “Keto ” sweetener, because it contains extra sweetening agents.Splenda is also not zero carbs, but it is low in carbs. Of course you can use it, but make sure you convert the amount, because it is sweeter that Swerve and erythritol.
Cannot wait to try this ice cream!! Sounds amazing!!
Chris, The reason I do not use Splenda is because I am trying to use natural sweeteners that are made from natural plants, not made from chemicals like splenda. Thats why my favorite is xylitol made from birch trees and Monk Fruit.
Hope you like it!
Do you need to use powdered sweetener, or will granulated work? I haven’t found a powdered one I like yet. They all have a chemical taste to them, but I have been using a monk fruit granulated one that’s amazing.
Monk fruit sweetener is generally too sweet for me, so you need to look up some conversions to erythritol. The reason why I use granulated, i because the custard is more smooth, granulated makes it grainy, but of course will work.
I am going to try this today, I read all the comments thus far and only this one had me scratching my head – I am thinking you meant to say “the reason why I use POWDERED…” and just to be safe I will blend (powderise my Erythritol in one of those bullet blenders) but wonder if the cooking process would make that redundant as cooking or tempering the mixture should dissolve the granules or is there something else going on … such as the egg proteins sticking to the Erythritol in a way that alters the texture?
I’m not sure what else is going on, but erythritol tends to recrystallize, so I always use powdered in desserts that need to be smooth. This is why I suggest powdered, but honestly granulated will work as well.
You say (above) “The reason why I use granulated, is because the custard is more smooth, granulated makes it grainy, but of course will work.” Did you mean to say “The reason I use powdered…..”?
Yes, so sorry, I meant powdered. I’ll correct this.
Can the custard be made and chilled overnight before churning the next day?