Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

My Keto Ice Cream Recipe Tastes Like The Real Deal
Ingredients & Substitutions
How To Make Keto Ice Cream
My Recipe Tips
Keto Ice Cream (The Best Low Carb Ice Cream) Recipe card
Flavor Variations
Recipe Reviews

My Keto Ice Cream Recipe Tastes Like The Real Deal

Aside from keto cheesecake , the number one low carb dessert that people ask me for is keto ice cream . And while you can turn this one into many flavors, my first priority was a classic low carb ice cream to use as a base. Here’s why it’s my favorite:

Scoopable, smooth, and creamy texture – Many keto ice cream recipes turn out rock hard or gritty, mainly due to the sweetener. Mine is scoopable almost right out of the freezer, and it’s smooth and creamy without any weird gritty feel.
Sweet with no aftertaste – Again, it’s a big area where sugar free ice cream usually fails. This one tastes like it’s made with sugar!
Ultra low in carbs – At 3.3 grams net carbs per serving, it’s easy to fit this treat into a keto diet . It’s also refined sugar free, gluten free, and egg free.
Clean ingredients – Just 5 of them. There weren’t many store-bought options when I developed this keto friendly ice cream back in 2019, but even now, my homemade version is cleaner and tastes creamier .
Easy to make – You just need a little patience.

This recipe has gone through so many iterations — I’ve tested it dozens of times, including different flavors ! After this much (delicious) experimentation, it’s the best keto ice cream I’ve tried… and it’s even more amazing over a keto brownie , keto apple crisp , or keto apple pie . Make it with me!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my homemade keto ice cream recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

To give some context, this is not a custard-based ice cream like my almond milk ice cream or protein ice cream . Instead, I use my keto condensed milk as a base. You’ll need these 5 ingredients:

Heavy Cream – Full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream should work as a dairy-free substitute, but the recipe still won’t be fully dairy-free because of the butter (below). If you’d like to lighten up the calories, you can replace some (or all) of the cream at the end ( not in the condensed milk) with coconut milk beverage or almond milk.
Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – VERY important! I used to make this with powdered erythritol, but now highly recommend against it. Erythritol and most other sugar substitutes have a higher freezing point than sugar (result: rock-hard ice cream), and even worse, they don’t dissolve well (result: gritty texture). This is why I only use Besti Powdered Sweetener for all my low carb ice cream recipes, including this one. It keeps your ice cream scoopable and creamy, with no aftertaste or grainy specks. The only alternatives that will work the same way are plain powdered allulose or liquid allulose (you’ll need an extra couple tablespoons because these are less sweet), or granulated Besti (which actually dissolves well enough).
Almond Milk – I didn’t have this in older versions, but now always include it because heavy cream alone can make this ice cream too dense and buttery. You can use store-bought or homemade almond milk . For a nut-free option, use coconut milk beverage (the kind in a carton in the dairy section). I’ve also used regular dairy milk when I wanted just less sugar/carbs, but it wouldn’t be totally keto.
Butter – I add just a touch to the condensed milk base for texture.
Vanilla Extract – For keto vanilla ice cream. Sometimes I also add a teaspoon of vanilla bean seeds. See my flavor variations below for other add-ins!

Labeled recipe ingredients: Heavy cream, almond milk, Besti Powdered, vanilla, and butter. - 3

How To Make Keto Ice Cream

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card .

Make the condensed milk. This is the same process as my sugar free condensed milk recipe : Melt the butter in a large saute pan or skillet (not a saucepan!) over medium heat. Add powdered Besti and heavy cream. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick, coats the back of a spoon, and volume is reduced by half. It will also pull away from the pan as you tilt it.
Cool and add vanilla. Pour the condensed milk into a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Sugar-free sweetened condensed milk in a skillet. - 4

Condensed milk in a bowl with vanilla added. - 5

Add the milk and cream, then chill. Whisk in the almond milk (or coconut milk beverage) and more heavy cream, until smooth. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until very cold.
Churn, then freeze. Pour the keto ice cream base into the frozen ice cream maker bowl ( I have this one and love it! ) and churn until the consistency resembles soft serve. You can enjoy it as-is, but if you prefer firmer ice cream like me, transfer to a glass container ( this pan is perfect ) and freeze for 2-4 hours before scooping.

Churning keto ice cream in ice cream maker. - 7

My Recipe Tips

Powdered Besti is key for keeping this keto ice cream soft and scoopable. I can’t emphasize this enough — other sweeteners will make it very hard.
Use the largest pan or skillet you’ve got for the condensed milk. More surface area means it thickens faster. It typically takes me 30-45 minutes in a large skillet, but can be well over an hour if you use a saucepan!
Do you have to refrigerate the mixture before churning? No, but I highly recommend that you do. The texture of this low carb ice cream recipe turns out much better if you churn when the mixture is very cold.
Freeze your ice cream maker bowl for at least 24 hours in advance. If it’s not frozen solid, the ice cream will stay runny when churning, and the final result will be icy.
Don’t have an ice cream machine? You can make this no churn keto ice cream, but it’s more work. You’ll need to remove the container from the freezer and stir every half hour for the first 2 hours, then every 60-90 minutes for a few hours after that. It will be icy if you don’t, so I recommend investing in a quality ice cream maker if you’ll be making ice cream regularly. Otherwise, you might prefer my mason jar ice cream to avoid the hassle of frequent stirring.
What happened to the MCT oil? I had 1/4 cup in an older version of this keto ice cream recipe, and its purpose was to lower the freezing point and help make the ice cream soft and scoopable. However, I no longer include this because: a) using Besti solves the problem of rock-hard ice cream, and b) the oil can make the ice cream taste, well, a little oily. You can still at it if you like, but it’s not my favorite anymore.
Freeze promptly after churning. If the ice cream starts to melt a little, it’ll re-freeze much harder. Regular ice cream does the same thing.
Run your scoop under hot water before scooping. This makes it easier. I don’t even dry it after. This is my favorite ice cream scoop !
Let it sit out for 5 minutes. This won’t be rock-hard like low carb ice cream made with sugar alcohols, but it doesn’t have processed ingredients, so it’s still best to let it sit for 5 minutes before scooping. I find that quality ice cream brands made with sugar are the same way!

Low carb ice cream recipe in a bowl. - 10

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

3 tbsp Unsalted butter ▢
3 cups Heavy cream (divided into 2 cups and 1 cup) ▢
1/3 cup Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend ▢
2 tsp Vanilla extract ▢
1 cup Unsweetened almond milk (or unsweetened coconut milk beverage for nut-free) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

How To Make Keto Ice Cream:

Melt the butter in a large saute pan or skillet (not a saucepan!) over medium heat.
Add powdered Besti and 2 cups of heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes , stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick (like condensed milk), coats the back of a spoon and volume is reduced by half. It will also pull away from the pan as you tilt it. (This will go faster if you use a larger pan.)
Pour the condensed milk into a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Whisk the almond milk and remaining heavy cream, until smooth.
Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. (You can skip this step if you really want to, but the texture will be better if you chill it.)

Ice Cream Maker Instructions:

Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions, or until the ice cream is the consistency of soft serve. Mine takes about 20-25 minutes . (If you want to add mix-ins, add them toward the end of the churning process.)
Enjoy immediately, or for firmer, scoopable ice cream, transfer to a freezer container and freeze for 2-4 hours , until firm.

No Churn Instructions:

Transfer the mixture to a freezer container (like a 9×5 in (23×13 cm) loaf pan) and smooth the top with a spatula. Line the surface with a piece of parchment or wax paper to keep ice crystals from forming.
Freeze for 4-6 hours, until firm. Stir the ice cream during the freezing process, every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours and every 60-90 minutes for 2-3 hours after. (If you want to add mix-ins, gently stir them in after the first hour.)

Did You Like It?

Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get a creamy, scoopable texture, speed up the process, and tips for scooping.
Flavors: See my flavor variations for chocolate, strawberry, hazelnut, mint, and more flavors you can make using this base.
Lighter option: If you’d like to lighten up the calories in this sugar-free ice cream, replace some of the heavy cream in step 4 with coconut milk beverage or almond milk instead. However, don’t replace any of the cream in step 1.
Storage: Store this low carb ice cream recipe just as you would any other ice cream — in the freezer. It’ll be good for at least 6 months.
Updates: This keto ice cream recipe was first published in 2019 and has been updated several times to improve texture.

📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Freezer Meal System and Keto Ebook Bundle !

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Add Your NotesYour Notes

Keto Ice Cream

Flavor Variations

Now that you know how to make keto ice cream the basic way, try one of the other flavors I’ve made with this recipe base:

Chocolate – Whisk in 1/4 cup of cocoa powder before refrigerating. Sometimes I need to heat slightly to help it dissolve. I also have a custard-based keto chocolate ice cream recipe that uses egg yolks.
Strawberry – My keto strawberry ice cream recipe is the best way. You can also just simmer fresh strawberries with powdered Besti to your taste, until soft, then add to the ice cream when churning.
Hazelnut – I have this recipe in my Easy Keto Cookbook , and it reminds me of my favorite gelato in Italy!
Mint – Add a teaspoon mint or peppermint extract with the vanilla. You can also add natural green food coloring — this is my favorite .
Chocolate Chip – Add them in the last few minutes of churning. I like these sugar-free ones !
Cookie Dough – Make my keto cookie dough in small pieces and add toward the end. You can even use leftover crumbled keto chocolate chip cookies .
Sea Salt Caramel – Swirl in my homemade sugar free caramel syrup , or combine it with my sugar free chocolate syrup . I prefer streaks, so I add the syrup(s) only when the low carb ice cream is almost ready.
Butter Pecan – Toast a cup of chopped pecans and a tablespoon of Besti in 2 tablespoons of butter for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Cool completely, then churn in the buttery pecans towards the end.

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
The Basic Keto Meal Formula
Understanding Macros
Keto Food Swaps
Keto Food List
Electrolyte Basics
Keto Diet Types
Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
Recipe Reviews

Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.

You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Keto Cheat Sheet System - printable pdf's and ebooks - 14

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)

The Basic Keto Meal Formula

Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.

Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.

Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.

Pick A Protein	Pick A Veggie	Add Fat
Beef Chicken Pork Eggs Lamb Turkey Fish Shellfish Protein powder Venison	Cauliflower Broccoli Zucchini Leafy Greens Cucumbers Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Asparagus Radishes Bell Peppers Jicama Celery	Butter Avocado Oil Cheese Bacon Avocado Lard Ghee Mayo Nuts MCT Oil

Understanding Macros

Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.

Carbs Are A Limit.

Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.

A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.

“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.

A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.

Protein Is A Goal.

Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].

“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.

Fat Is A Lever.

Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.

A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).

Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.

Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.

“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.

Keto Food Swaps

One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.

So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .

Keto Swaps For Breakfast

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Pancakes	Almond flour pancakes or coconut flour pancakes
Oatmeal	Keto oatmeal with hemp seeds
Cinnamon rolls	Fathead cinnamon rolls
Cereal	Keto nut granola
Muffins	Almond flour muffins or coconut flour muffins
Donuts	Almond flour donuts
Scones	Almond flour scones
High-sugar smoothies	Smoothie with berries or avocado
Hash browns	Cauliflower hash browns
Breakfast casserole	Breakfast casserole with no potatoes
Egg whites	Whole eggs
Turkey bacon	Bacon
Waffles	Chaffles

Keto Swaps For Bread

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Bagels	Fathead bagels
English muffin	Almond flour English muffin
White bread	Keto white bread
Multigrain bread	Coconut flour bread with seeds
Tortillas for wraps	Coconut flour tortillas
Corn taco shells	Cheddar cheese taco shells
Burger buns	Oopsie rolls , portobello mushroom caps
Breadsticks	Cauliflower breadsticks
Biscuits	Almond flour biscuits
Cornbread	Almond flour cornbread
Croutons	Parmesan crisps
Rice	Cauliflower rice , konjac rice

Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Breaded wings	Crispy air fryer wings (unbreaded)
Low-fat meat & poultry	High-fat cuts, or cook low-fat cuts with fat
Mashed potatoes	Mashed cauliflower
Roasted potatoes	Roasted or fried radishes
Tacos	Taco salad
Pizza	Fathead crust , chicken crust , or cauliflower crust pizza
Lasagna	Eggplant lasagna
Potato salad	Cauliflower “potato” salad
French fries	Jicama , rutabaga , or zucchini fries
Tater tots	Cauliflower tots
Wraps	Lettuce wraps , almond flour tortillas
Sushi	Naruto-style or homemade rice-free sushi
Breaded chicken or fish	Breaded cuts with almond flour or pork rinds
Spaghetti	Zoodles , spaghetti squash , shirataki noodles, kelp noodles

Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Nachos	Cheese crisps
High-sugar fruit	Berries & other keto fruits
Crackers	Almond flour crackers
Hummus	Cauliflower hummus
Soft pretzels	Fathead pretzels
Popcorn	Puffed cheese
Granola bars	Grain-free granola bars
Jam	Sugar-free berry chia jam
Sweet fruity yogurt	Full-fat plain Greek yogurt with berries
Sweet salad dressing	Ranch , blue cheese , or plain vinaigrette
Ketchup	Mustard and/or sugar-free ketchup
BBQ sauce	Sugar-free BBQ sauce
Sweetened peanut butter	Natural, sugar-free nut butters
Light mayo	Avocado oil mayo
Maple syrup	Sugar-free, maple flavored syrup
Potato chips	Zucchini chips , pepperoni chips , pork rinds

Keto food swaps - snacks and sauces - 18

Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Sugar	Monk fruit or allulose
Powdered sugar	Powdered monk fruit or allulose
White flour	Almond or Coconut flour (use in tested recipes)
Making baked goods soft/chewy	Xanthan gum, flax seed meal, psyllium husk powder
Breadcrumbs	Pork rinds or almond flour
Margarine	Butter, coconut oil, or ghee
Vegetable oil	Olive or avocado oil
Bananas	Banana extract
Chocolate chips	Sugar-free chocolate chips
Cornstarch or flour roux	Xanthan gum or gelatin powder (used at the end)
Simple syrup	Dissolve monk fruit allulose blend in water over heat

Keto food swaps - baking and cooking - 19

Keto Swaps For Drinks

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Lemonade	Water with lemon
Soda	Flavored sparkling water
Milk	Almond milk, coconut milk, heavy cream
Latte	Butter coffee
Coffee creamer	Heavy cream
Sweet wine	Dry wine
Beer	Ultra light beer
Mixed drinks	Hard liquor with soda + lemon

If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .

Keto Food List

When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.

The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!

Keto foods to eat and avoid summary - 21

Foods To Eat On Keto

Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
Avocados
Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
Almond flour and coconut flour
Eggs
Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

White flour & sugar
Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
Cereal
Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.

That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:

Keto Cheat Sheet System - printable pdf's and ebooks - 22

Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)

Electrolyte Basics

Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.

For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .

The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:

Sodium	Magnesium	Potassium
Bone broth Boullion cubes Bacon Salted nuts Pickles	Seaweed Seeds Nuts Avocado Leafy greens	Potassium chloride Avocado Bone broth Spinach Broccoli Mushrooms Beef Pork

Keto Diet Types

People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.

Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.

Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!

Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.

For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
Keto food swaps (60+ swaps) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Keto Cheat Sheet System - printable pdf's and ebooks - 23

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System (75 pages, Only $37!)

Keto Ice Cream (The Best Low Carb Ice Cream)

This keto ice cream recipe is the best low carb ice cream I’ve had! It’s sweet and creamy, with just 5 ingredients and 3.3g net carbs.

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera for the full recipe, including tips, step-by-step photos, and storage, or to save it to your account. You can also find it at: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/sugar-free-low-carb-ice-cream-no-churn-4-ingredients/

Ingredients

3 tbsp Unsalted butter
3 cups Heavy cream (divided into 2 cups and 1 cup)
1/3 cup Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend
2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 cup Unsweetened almond milk (or unsweetened coconut milk beverage for nut-free)

Instructions

How To Make Keto Ice Cream:

Melt the butter in a large saute pan or skillet (not a saucepan!) over medium heat.
Add powdered Besti and 2 cups of heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes , stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick (like condensed milk), coats the back of a spoon and volume is reduced by half. It will also pull away from the pan as you tilt it. (This will go faster if you use a larger pan.)
Pour the condensed milk into a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Whisk the almond milk and remaining heavy cream, until smooth.
Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. (You can skip this step if you really want to, but the texture will be better if you chill it.)

Ice Cream Maker Instructions:

Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions, or until the ice cream is the consistency of soft serve. Mine takes about 20-25 minutes . (If you want to add mix-ins, add them toward the end of the churning process.)
Enjoy immediately, or for firmer, scoopable ice cream, transfer to a freezer container and freeze for 2-4 hours , until firm.

No Churn Instructions:

Transfer the mixture to a freezer container (like a 9x5 in (23x13 cm) loaf pan) and smooth the top with a spatula. Line the surface with a piece of parchment or wax paper to keep ice crystals from forming.
Freeze for 4-6 hours, until firm. Stir the ice cream during the freezing process, every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours and every 60-90 minutes for 2-3 hours after. (If you want to add mix-ins, gently stir them in after the first hour.)

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get a creamy, scoopable texture, speed up the process, and tips for scooping.
Flavors: See my flavor variations for chocolate, strawberry, hazelnut, mint, and more flavors you can make using this base.
Lighter option: If you’d like to lighten up the calories in this sugar-free ice cream, replace some of the heavy cream in step 4 with coconut milk beverage or almond milk instead. However, don’t replace any of the cream in step 1.
Storage: Store this low carb ice cream recipe just as you would any other ice cream – in the freezer. It’ll be good for at least 6 months.
Updates: This keto ice cream recipe was first published in 2019 and has been updated several times to improve texture.

📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Freezer Meal System and Keto Ebook Bundle !

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

My Keto Ice Cream Recipe Tastes Like The Real Deal
Ingredients & Substitutions
How To Make Keto Ice Cream
My Recipe Tips
Keto Ice Cream (The Best Low Carb Ice Cream) Recipe card
Flavor Variations
Recipe Reviews

My Keto Ice Cream Recipe Tastes Like The Real Deal

Scoopable, smooth, and creamy texture – Many keto ice cream recipes turn out rock hard or gritty, mainly due to the sweetener. Mine is scoopable almost right out of the freezer, and it’s smooth and creamy without any weird gritty feel.
Sweet with no aftertaste – Again, it’s a big area where sugar free ice cream usually fails. This one tastes like it’s made with sugar!
Ultra low in carbs – At 3.3 grams net carbs per serving, it’s easy to fit this treat into a keto diet . It’s also refined sugar free, gluten free, and egg free.
Clean ingredients – Just 5 of them. There weren’t many store-bought options when I developed this keto friendly ice cream back in 2019, but even now, my homemade version is cleaner and tastes creamier .
Easy to make – You just need a little patience.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my homemade keto ice cream recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

To give some context, this is not a custard-based ice cream like my almond milk ice cream or protein ice cream . Instead, I use my keto condensed milk as a base. You’ll need these 5 ingredients:

Heavy Cream – Full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream should work as a dairy-free substitute, but the recipe still won’t be fully dairy-free because of the butter (below). If you’d like to lighten up the calories, you can replace some (or all) of the cream at the end ( not in the condensed milk) with coconut milk beverage or almond milk.
Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – VERY important! I used to make this with powdered erythritol, but now highly recommend against it. Erythritol and most other sugar substitutes have a higher freezing point than sugar (result: rock-hard ice cream), and even worse, they don’t dissolve well (result: gritty texture). This is why I only use Besti Powdered Sweetener for all my low carb ice cream recipes, including this one. It keeps your ice cream scoopable and creamy, with no aftertaste or grainy specks. The only alternatives that will work the same way are plain powdered allulose or liquid allulose (you’ll need an extra couple tablespoons because these are less sweet), or granulated Besti (which actually dissolves well enough).
Almond Milk – I didn’t have this in older versions, but now always include it because heavy cream alone can make this ice cream too dense and buttery. You can use store-bought or homemade almond milk . For a nut-free option, use coconut milk beverage (the kind in a carton in the dairy section). I’ve also used regular dairy milk when I wanted just less sugar/carbs, but it wouldn’t be totally keto.
Butter – I add just a touch to the condensed milk base for texture.
Vanilla Extract – For keto vanilla ice cream. Sometimes I also add a teaspoon of vanilla bean seeds. See my flavor variations below for other add-ins!

Labeled recipe ingredients: Heavy cream, almond milk, Besti Powdered, vanilla, and butter. - 32

How To Make Keto Ice Cream

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card .

Make the condensed milk. This is the same process as my sugar free condensed milk recipe : Melt the butter in a large saute pan or skillet (not a saucepan!) over medium heat. Add powdered Besti and heavy cream. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick, coats the back of a spoon, and volume is reduced by half. It will also pull away from the pan as you tilt it.
Cool and add vanilla. Pour the condensed milk into a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Sugar-free sweetened condensed milk in a skillet. - 33

Condensed milk in a bowl with vanilla added. - 34

Add the milk and cream, then chill. Whisk in the almond milk (or coconut milk beverage) and more heavy cream, until smooth. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until very cold.
Churn, then freeze. Pour the keto ice cream base into the frozen ice cream maker bowl ( I have this one and love it! ) and churn until the consistency resembles soft serve. You can enjoy it as-is, but if you prefer firmer ice cream like me, transfer to a glass container ( this pan is perfect ) and freeze for 2-4 hours before scooping.

Churning keto ice cream in ice cream maker. - 36