Keep Your Keto Ice Cream Soft And Scoopable

Keeping keto ice cream soft can be a challenge, but there are several methods to achieve this. Firstly, it is important to note that the higher the fat content, the softer the ice cream, as 100% fat does not freeze. Using heavy cream, cream cheese, egg yolks, and alcohol can all help increase softness. Additionally, churning the ice cream incorporates air, keeping it from hardening. Using sweeteners such as allulose, erythritol, and xylitol can also prevent crystallization and keep the ice cream soft. Finally, stabilizers and thickeners like xanthan gum and guar gum can be added to inhibit recrystallization and keep the ice cream scoopable.

Use a mix of sweeteners

The choice of sweetener is critical to making keto ice cream soft and scoopable. Sugar substitutes have a higher freezing point than sugar, resulting in rock-hard ice cream. They also don't dissolve well, which can lead to a gritty texture.

A combination of allulose and erythritol is ideal. Allulose is a keto-friendly sweetener that has no effect on blood sugar and tastes the most like real sugar. Erythritol, on the other hand, can make ice cream hard and icy. When used together, they balance each other out, with allulose preventing the ice cream from getting too hard and erythritol stopping the allulose mix from being too soft.

The ratio of sweeteners is crucial. Too much erythritol will make the ice cream less scoopable, while an excess of allulose will result in a soft mix that takes days to firm up and melts quickly when out of the freezer.

If you can't get your hands on allulose, xylitol is a good alternative. However, it is toxic to dogs, so keep it away from your pets.

Using a powdered sweetener is also beneficial as it avoids any grittiness in the ice cream and dissolves more easily.

Add alcohol

Alcohol can be used to keep keto ice cream soft. It raises the freezing point of liquids, reducing iciness. It is important to note that alcohol should be used in moderation, as too much can affect the taste and texture of the ice cream. Additionally, it is recommended to use grain alcohol, which is 95% proof, as regular spirits contain water, which can lead to the formation of ice crystals.

When adding alcohol to keto ice cream, it is essential to consider the type and amount used. The alcohol should be well-incorporated into the mixture to ensure even distribution. The amount of alcohol added will depend on the desired level of softness and the specific recipe being followed. It is always a good idea to start with a small amount and adjust as needed.

It is worth mentioning that alcohol is not the only ingredient that can help keep keto ice cream soft. Other ingredients, such as heavy cream, cream cheese, egg yolks, gelatin, and sweeteners like xylitol and allulose, can also contribute to a softer texture. Additionally, techniques like whisking or churning air into the mixture and using a blast freezer or flash-freezing method can help achieve a softer consistency.

When adding alcohol to keto ice cream, it is advisable to store the ice cream in an airtight container and consume it within a reasonable period. The alcohol content and the softness of the ice cream may affect how long it can be stored in the freezer.

Use heavy cream

Using heavy cream is one of the best ways to keep your keto ice cream soft and scoopable. The high fat content in heavy cream is what makes it the perfect ingredient to keep your ice cream soft. Heavy cream is also known as double cream or thickened cream. It is important to not use reduced-fat or light versions of the cream as the ice cream will not set as desired.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered zero-calorie sweetener (such as Swerve)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

Instructions:

• Combine the cream, sweetener, vanilla extract, and xanthan gum in a wide-mouth pint-sized jar.
• Blend the cream mixture with an immersion blender in an up-and-down motion until the cream has thickened and soft peaks have formed, about 60 to 75 seconds.
• Cover the jar and place it in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours, stirring every 30 to 40 minutes.
• Optionally, add a small amount of vodka to the mixture before blending. This will help keep the ice cream scoopable, and you won't be able to taste it.
• To soften the ice cream before serving, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or microwave it for 15 seconds.

Try egg yolks

Egg yolks are a great way to keep your keto ice cream soft without adding too much fat. The emulsifiers in egg yolks are the magic ingredient when it comes to creating a creamy homemade ice cream. Emulsifiers have a water-loving side and a fat-loving side, so it may seem obvious that they would be added to ice cream to emulsify the mixture. However, the real reason we add them to ice cream is to destabilize the emulsion.

Commercial dairy products like milk, half-and-half, and heavy whipping cream are homogenized. During homogenization, dairy is forced through small holes at high pressure, making the fat globules smaller and creating a larger surface area for proteins to bond to the fat globules. This process stabilizes the emulsion and prevents the fat from separating.

To create a smooth and creamy vanilla keto ice cream, we need to create lots of tiny, stable air bubbles. To do this, we need to first create a connected network of fat globules through a process called partial coalescence. However, the protein membrane created during homogenization prevents the fat globules from connecting.

This is where the emulsifiers in egg yolks come in. By adding egg yolks to our ice cream mixture, we can destabilize the proteins and free the fat globules, allowing them to mix and mingle with each other in the ice cream machine. As the ice cream mix churns in the machine, the mixing action adds tiny air bubbles and causes the now unstable fat globules to collide and connect through partial coalescence, creating a network to support the tiny air bubbles.

Not only does the addition of egg yolks result in a creamier texture, but it also causes the ice cream to melt more slowly. So, if you're looking for a way to keep your keto ice cream soft and scoopable, try adding some egg yolks to your mixture!

Include thickeners

Thickeners are often found in commercial ice creams, and they can help keep your keto ice cream soft. Two such thickeners are xanthan gum and guar gum. These soluble fibres are derived from guar beans and the acacia tree, and they help to thicken liquids and slow digestion and absorption of carbs.

Xanthan gum is often used in commercial ice creams because it inhibits recrystallization, so the ice cream doesn't get icy. It also allows air to be whipped into the ice cream mixture, creating a softer texture and a pleasant mouthfeel.

Guar gum helps prevent the formation and propagation of ice crystals, keeping the ice cream smooth.

When using these thickeners, remember that a little goes a long way. Too much, and your ice cream will have a weird texture. A quarter of a teaspoon of xanthan gum or guar gum is enough for three cups of liquid.

You can also use a combination of thickeners to prevent your ice cream from hardening. For example, one recipe suggests using both erythritol and allulose as sweeteners, as the combination prevents the ice cream from becoming too hard or too soft.

Frequently asked questions