Keto Ice Cream: Convenient, Packaged, And Delicious?

The ketogenic diet is high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates. While ice cream is traditionally high in sugar and carbs, there are plenty of keto-friendly ice cream options available in grocery stores. These include Halo Top, Rebel, Enlightened, So Delicious, Edy's, Arctic Zero, KETO Foods, and Breyer's Carb Smart.

Keto ice cream can also be made at home using a combination of fat and sugar substitutes. Here is a simple recipe for keto ice cream:

Ingredients:

- 1 cup heavy cream

- 2 tablespoons sugar-free powdered sweetener (such as erythritol or xylitol)

- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

1. In a deep jar, add all the ingredients and gently mix.

2. Using an immersion or stick blender, blend the mixture until it thickens and soft peaks form.

3. Cover the jar and place it in the freezer for at least 4 hours, stirring every 40 minutes to prevent crystallization.

4. Scoop and serve immediately.

Note: This recipe can be customized with various flavorings such as cocoa powder, cookie dough, strawberries, or peanut butter cups.

Keto ice cream brands and their reviews

There are a variety of keto ice cream brands available in the market. Here is a list of some popular keto ice cream brands and their reviews:

Halo Top

Halo Top offers a range of keto-friendly ice cream flavours with 5 to 10 grams of net carbs per pint and 200 calories or less per serving. The Macadamia Nut Cookie flavour is a top-rated variety, containing skim milk, eggs, and prebiotic fibre. It is sweetened with erythritol, a zero-calorie sugar alcohol. The brand also offers dairy-free and egg-free varieties. The ice cream is priced at $5.99 per pint.

Edy's

Edy's Slow Churned No Sugar Added ice cream is a fan favourite, offering flavours such as Fudge Tracks, Vanilla Bean, Triple Chocolate, and Neapolitan. These options include sweeteners like sorbitol, maltitol syrup, and Splenda (sucralose). A two-thirds-cup serving of Vanilla Bean contains 130 calories and 14 grams of net carbs.

Enlightened

Enlightened provides a variety of keto ice cream options, as well as low-calorie, non-keto choices. The keto options typically contain 2 to 3 grams of net carbs per serving for most flavours. The low-calorie options have 7 to 12 grams of net carbs and 120 to 140 calories per two-thirds-cup serving. Enlightened uses allulose, sugar alcohol, and monk fruit extract as sweeteners. The brand also offers other keto-friendly desserts like cheesecakes and cookies.

So Delicious

So Delicious offers a dairy-free, no-sugar-added ice cream made from full-fat coconut milk. The No Sugar Added varieties have negligible amounts of sugar and are sweetened with erythritol and monk fruit extract. A two-thirds-cup serving has 130 to 160 calories, 9 to 10 grams of net carbs, and 2 grams of protein. This option is suitable for those with dairy allergies or sensitivities.

Rebel

Rebel is a brand specifically designed for individuals on the keto diet. Their pints are made with cream, high-fat ingredients, erythritol, and monk fruit, resulting in a higher fat and calorie content compared to other brands. Rebel offers a range of flavours, with about 4 to 8 grams of net carbs per pint. A serving of their Butter Pecan flavour has 13 grams of total carbohydrates and 2 grams of net carbs. Rebel is priced at $5.99 per pint.

KETO Foods

KETO Foods offers a range of keto-friendly products, including ice cream pints, bars, and chocolate. Their ice cream is made with a combination of cream, egg yolks, and erythritol, resulting in a high-fat and low-carbohydrate profile. Popular flavours include Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl and Triple Chocolate Brownie. A serving of the Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl flavour has 250 calories, 22 grams of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of net carbs.

Breyer's Carb Smart

Breyer's Carb Smart is a budget-friendly option for keto ice cream, priced at $4.99 per pint. While it is lower in fat compared to other brands, it still fits within the keto diet due to its low total carbohydrate content. Flavours include Coffee Cookie Crunch and Chocolate Chocolate Chip.

Arctic Zero

Arctic Zero is a keto-friendly and dairy-free ice cream made with plant fibres and faba bean protein. It stands out for its lack of sugar alcohols, making it a good choice for those sensitive to sugar alcohol intake. However, it is fat-free, which may not align with the high-fat requirements of a strict keto diet. A pint of Arctic Zero costs $5.29.

These brands offer a variety of flavours and options to satisfy your sweet tooth while adhering to the keto diet. It is important to read the ingredient labels and consider your specific dietary needs and preferences when choosing a keto ice cream brand.

Homemade keto ice cream recipes

Vanilla Keto Ice Cream

This vanilla keto ice cream recipe is made with erythritol, a sugar substitute that can be bought online or at some grocery stores.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of canned full-fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup of erythritol
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Instructions:

• Whisk together the coconut milk, erythritol, and vanilla extract.
• Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze for a few hours.
• Add the frozen cubes to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth before serving.

Strawberry Keto Ice Cream

This strawberry keto ice cream recipe is a great option for those who want a fruity twist. Strawberries are lower in carbs than most other fruits, making them a perfect addition to homemade keto ice cream.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 1/4 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries
• 1/3 cup of erythritol or Swerve (a low-carb sweetener)

Instructions:

• Blend the heavy cream, sour cream, strawberries, and erythritol/Swerve until smooth.
• Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan and freeze for 3-5 hours, until it's hard and ready to serve.

Chocolate Keto Ice Cream

This chocolate keto ice cream recipe is a simple variation of the vanilla version. Simply add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to the vanilla ice cream mixture and heat slightly to dissolve the cocoa powder if necessary.

Mint Chocolate Chip Keto Ice Cream

To make mint chocolate chip keto ice cream, replace the vanilla extract with peppermint extract and fold through 1/2 cup of sugar-free chocolate chips.

Cookie Dough Keto Ice Cream

For cookie dough keto ice cream, fold through 1/4 cup of crumbled keto cookie dough.

Butter Pecan Keto Ice Cream

To make butter pecan keto ice cream, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup of pecans and 1 tablespoon of a sweetener such as Besti. Toast the pecans for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Cool completely and then stir the pecans into the ice cream mixture.

Keto ice cream ingredients

There are many keto-friendly ice cream options available in the market, but making keto ice cream at home is also easy and customizable. Here are some common ingredients used in keto ice cream:

• Heavy cream or coconut cream
• Sweeteners such as erythritol, xylitol, allulose, monk fruit, or stevia
• Xanthan gum or guar gum as a thickening agent
• Vanilla extract
• Cocoa powder for chocolate ice cream
• Other flavorings such as peppermint extract, almond extract, or butter extract

Keto ice cream nutritional value

The nutritional value of keto ice cream varies depending on the brand and flavor. However, keto ice cream is generally high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates. Here are the nutritional values for some popular keto ice cream brands:

Halo Top's Keto Series: One serving (two-thirds of a cup) of Chocolate Caramel Lava Cake flavor has 190 calories, 6 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of net carbs. The keto series has about 4-10 grams of net carbs per pint.

Edy's Slow Churned No Sugar Added: A two-thirds-cup serving of Vanilla Bean flavor contains 130 calories and 14 grams of net carbs. Other flavors include Fudge Tracks, Triple Chocolate, and Neapolitan, which have similar nutritional values.

Enlightened Keto: Most flavors contain 2-3 grams of net carbs. The low-calorie, non-keto options have 7-12 grams of net carbs and 120-140 calories per two-thirds-cup serving. Enlightened also offers a variety pack with eight pints, including Chocolate Peanut Butter, P.B. Cookie & Brownie Dough, and Caramel Chocolate Double Dough.

So Delicious No Sugar Added (Dairy-Free): A serving (two-thirds of a cup) has 130-160 calories, 9-10 grams of net carbs, and 2 grams of protein. The dairy-free ice cream is made from full-fat coconut milk and sweetened with erythritol and monk fruit extract.

Rebel: Pints of Rebel ice cream are made with cream, high-fat ingredients, erythritol, and monk fruit. A serving has 4-8 grams of net carbs per pint and less than 3 grams of net carbs per two-thirds-cup serving. Rebel also offers a variety of flavors, including Butter Pecan, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Cookie Dough.

In addition to these brands, there are also homemade keto ice cream recipes that you can make yourself. The nutritional value of these recipes will depend on the ingredients used. For example, a recipe for vanilla keto ice cream using coconut milk, erythritol, and vanilla extract would have about 12 grams of sugar alcohol and 10 grams of net carbs per half-cup serving.

Keto ice cream vs regular ice cream

Regular ice cream is typically high in sugar and carbohydrates, making it unsuitable for those on a keto diet. However, there are now many keto-friendly ice cream options available in grocery stores, such as Halo Top, Rebel, and Enlightened, or you can make your own at home.

Keto ice cream is made with sugar substitutes and is high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates. The goal of the keto diet is to shift your body's metabolism into ketosis, where it uses ketones, which burn fat, for energy instead of carbohydrates.

Differences

Keto ice cream differs from regular ice cream in both nutrients and ingredients. It is often higher in calories and fat due to the use of higher fat ingredients. It is also lower in carbohydrates since sugar substitutes are used in place of regular sugar.

Keto ice cream also tends to have significantly more fiber than regular ice cream due to fiber additives that influence taste and texture while keeping total carbohydrates low.

No, keto ice cream is not less fattening than regular ice cream. In many cases, it has more fat per serving because it has additional fat sources added to increase the total fat content.

Yes, you can eat regular ice cream on a keto diet as long as it fits within your daily carbohydrate requirements. However, it is important to remember that regular ice cream is higher in carbohydrates than keto ice cream, so checking the label is essential.

Frequently asked questions