Soft Serve Ice Cream: Keto-Friendly Or Not?

Soft serve ice cream is a popular dessert and snack, but is it keto-friendly? Regular ice cream is typically loaded with sugar and carbs, making it unsuitable for a keto diet. However, there are keto-friendly alternatives available, and it is even possible to make your own keto soft serve ice cream at home.

Keto soft serve ice cream recipes typically use sugar substitutes such as erythritol, monk fruit, or allulose, and thickeners like xanthan gum to achieve the desired texture. Heavy cream is usually the main ingredient, but dairy-free alternatives like coconut cream can also be used.

There are also a few keto-friendly ice cream brands available in stores, such as Rebel, Enlightened, and Halo Top. However, these tend to be more expensive than making your own at home.

Soft-serve ice cream recipe with 1g of carbs

If you're craving soft-serve ice cream but want to stick to a keto diet, this recipe is perfect for you! With just 1 gram of net carbs per serving, you can indulge in a sweet and creamy treat without compromising your health goals.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of Heavy Cream
• 2.5 ounces (⅓ cup) of Xylitol
• 2 ounces (¼ cup) of Erythritol, granulated
• 2 scoops of MCT Powder, unflavored
• 2 teaspoons of Vanilla Essence
• 1 teaspoon of Gelatin Powder

Optional Toppings:

• Sugar-free chocolate chips
• Chopped-up keto candy bars
• Nuts
• Flavor extracts (e.g. almond, butterscotch, mint)
• Natural nut butter
• Sugar-free candy, low-carb treats, or keto cereal
• Toasted coconut
• Berries, especially frozen strawberries

Instructions:

• Place 1 cup of heavy cream into a small saucepan along with all the other ingredients. Whisk together over medium heat until the sweeteners have dissolved.
• Transfer the mixture to the fridge and chill for 30-60 minutes. It should be lukewarm or at body temperature. Avoid completely chilling, as this will set the gelatin.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the remaining 2 cups of heavy cream. Use a hand mixer to whip it until it forms firm peaks.
• Gently fold the cooled cream mixture into the whipped cream, adding a small amount at a time until it's fully combined.
• Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Cover and place it in the freezer.
• The freezing time will depend on your freezer and the size of your dish. Typically, it takes between 8-12 hours for the ice cream to reach a perfect soft-serve consistency. After this, it will gradually become firmer, resembling regular ice cream.
• For the ultimate soft-serve experience, remove the ice cream from the freezer and scoop it into a piping bag with a star nozzle tip. Pipe it into glasses and enjoy!

Storage:

This keto soft-serve ice cream can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. If it becomes too hard to scoop, simply let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Refreezing after softening will not affect its texture.

Keto-friendly ice cream toppings

While soft-serve ice cream is not keto-friendly, there are several keto-friendly ice cream options available, as well as toppings to add to your ice cream to enhance the flavour and keep it keto-friendly.

• Sugar-free chocolate chips: Lily's chocolate chips come in a variety of flavours, including salted caramel, milk and dark chocolate, and white chocolate. They are low-carb and can be easily mixed into your ice cream.
• Keto candy bars: Chop up your favourite keto candy bar and add it to your ice cream for a sweet and indulgent treat.
• Nuts: Add some crunch to your ice cream with various nuts, such as pistachios, pecans, or almonds.
• Natural nut butter: Choose a natural nut butter with low carbs, such as peanut or almond butter, and swirl it into your ice cream for added flavour and creaminess.
• Sugar-free candy, low-carb treats, or keto cereal: There are many sugar-free and low-carb options available that can be crumbled or mixed into your ice cream for extra texture and flavour.
• Toasted coconut: Simply toast some unsweetened coconut flakes in a dry pan over medium heat until they are golden brown. This adds a boost of flavour and a bit of crunch to your ice cream.
• Berries: Blend frozen berries, such as strawberries, into your ice cream mixture for a fruity twist. Berries are lower in carbs than most other fruits, making them a great keto-friendly option.

Sugar-free ice cream cones

If you're craving an ice cream cone but are on a keto diet, there are options available for you! You can either make your own cones or buy them from a store. Here's some information on both options:

Store-Bought Sugar-Free Ice Cream Cones

There are a few brands that offer sugar-free ice cream cones, such as Enlightened, Gefen, and Joy Cone. These cones are usually made with alternative ingredients to keep them low in carbs and calories while still providing a satisfying crunch. For example, the Enlightened brand uses ingredients like high fibre wheat flour, erythritol, and monk fruit extract to create their sugar-free cones. These cones often receive positive reviews from customers who are on low-carb or keto diets, with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. However, some customers have mentioned issues with the cones arriving broken or stale.

Homemade Sugar-Free Waffle Cones

If you're feeling adventurous, you can also make your own sugar-free waffle cones at home. ChocZero provides a simple recipe that only requires a few ingredients: sugar-free honey, butter, and your choice of keto-friendly ice cream. Simply whisk the ingredients together, scoop the batter into a preheated waffle cone maker, and cook until golden brown. You can also get creative and add toppings like berries, sugar-free sprinkles, or nuts.

Sugar-Free Soft Serve Ice Cream

To complete your sugar-free ice cream cone experience, you can make your own soft-serve ice cream at home. My Keto Kitchen offers a recipe that yields a sweet, low-carb vanilla soft serve with a pipeable texture. The recipe includes ingredients like heavy cream, xylitol, erythritol, MCT powder, vanilla essence, and gelatin powder. It's important to note that the amounts and types of sweeteners used in this recipe are crucial to achieving the desired texture and softness.

Alternatively, if you're looking for a simpler recipe or prefer a chocolate flavour, you can try the one provided by My Life Cookbook. This recipe only requires four basic ingredients: heavy whipping cream, unsweetened almond milk, liquid vanilla stevia, and vanilla protein powder. It is designed to be used with a Dash pint ice cream maker, which is a compact and inexpensive option for making soft-serve ice cream at home.

So, whether you choose to buy sugar-free cones or make your own, you can definitely enjoy a delicious ice cream cone while sticking to your keto diet!

Dairy-free alternatives for soft-serve ice cream

Dairy-free soft-serve ice cream typically uses plant-based alternatives to traditional dairy ingredients, such as coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, and oat milk. The taste and texture are often almost indistinguishable from regular soft-serve ice cream. Here are some dairy-free alternatives to soft-serve ice cream:

• Vaca's Creamery in Chicago offers delicious, velvety, vanilla and chocolate vegan soft-serve made from locally sourced ingredients. You can top your soft-serve with everything from miso caramel sauce to toasted marshmallows. They also offer an Affogato, which is soft-serve ice cream with a shot of espresso poured over the top.
• Yoga-Urt's soft-serve is made with organic nuts and the flavors are consistently changing. Keep an eye out for mouthwatering options like Maple Banana Pancake and Salted Caramel Zen. You can also opt for a creamy soft-serve-based shake in flavors like Peanut Butter Brownie and Chocolate Bliss.
• Niu's in Honolulu serves up coconut-based, local-style soft-serve with toppings that are also made in-house. Choose from options like roasted macadamia nuts, sesame salted caramel, and hot kūlolo sauce.
• Dreamboat Donuts & Scoops in Texas offers super creamy Oatly-based vegan soft-serve with toppings like organic chocolate sauce, homemade caramel, and Oreo cookie pieces.
• Ice Queen in Portland is a Chicana-owned ice cream parlor that serves Oatly soft-serve-based Thiccflurries.
• Happy Ice is a frozen dessert shop and food truck that serves Rainbow Gelatis, which is its signature water ice topped with a dollop of deliciously creamy dairy-free soft-serve.
• Besties Vegan Paradise is a vegan grocery store that offers plant-based soft-serve in flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and cookie butter.
• Scoop Deville offers dairy-free "famous custom soft-serve" in options like the Charles Mint Barkley, which features mint ice cream blended with chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate sauce.
• Erewhon is a bougie grocery store that offers vegan soft-serve made with coconut milk. The brand Cosmic Bliss is a tasty dairy-free treat.

In addition to these soft-serve spots, there are also several dairy-free ice cream pints available in stores across North America. Some popular brands include So Delicious, Ben & Jerry's Non-Dairy, Cado Avocado Frozen Dessert, Planet Oat Non-dairy, and Forager Project Organic Dairy-Free Ice Cream.

Storing and serving soft-serve ice cream

Soft-serve ice cream is a frozen dessert similar to conventional ice cream but with a softer and less dense consistency. This is achieved by introducing more air during the freezing process. Soft-serve is typically produced and stored at a higher temperature than regular ice cream, which affects its shelf life and storage requirements.

The ideal storage temperature for soft-serve ice cream is 18°F (-7°C), whereas regular ice cream is stored at 0°F (-18°C) or lower. This means that soft-serve ice cream cannot be stored in a standard home freezer set at the recommended temperature without compromising its texture and consistency.

To store soft-serve ice cream, you have a few options:

• Raise the temperature of your freezer: You can adjust the temperature of your freezer to accommodate the ideal storage conditions for soft-serve. However, this is not recommended as it will affect the quality of other frozen foods stored in the same freezer.
• Dedicated freezer for soft-serve: Consider investing in a separate, small freezer that can be set to the ideal temperature for soft-serve. This way, you can store your soft-serve at the optimal temperature without impacting your other frozen items.
• Use a soft-serve machine: Soft-serve is typically prepared and dispensed using a special machine that holds the pre-mixed product at a very low, non-frozen temperature. This ensures that the soft-serve is served in its most palatable state.

When storing soft-serve ice cream, it's important to prevent bacterial contamination, especially for liquid mixes. Ensure that the mix is stored at the correct temperature (3°C or 37°F) and handle it with care to maintain its quality.

Regarding serving, soft-serve is typically dispensed from a machine that combines the pre-mixed product with the desired amount of air to achieve the ideal consistency. Some machines offer the option of dispensing two flavours simultaneously, creating a distinctive swirl pattern. It's important to serve soft-serve immediately after preparation to enjoy it at its best.

Frequently asked questions