Milly Gaines
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carb diet. While ice cream is traditionally high in carbs, there are keto-friendly options available in stores and recipes for making your own at home. So, which is better for keto: ice cream or cupcakes?
Well, that depends on the ingredients and your personal preference! If you're looking for a sweet treat that's low in carbs and fits into a keto diet, there are some great options for keto ice cream and cupcakes. For store-bought ice cream, brands like Rebel, Enlightened, Halo Top, Edy's, So Delicious, and Breyer's Carb Smart offer keto-friendly options. For cupcakes, you can find recipes online that use keto-approved ingredients like almond flour, erythritol, and butter.
Ultimately, the best keto treat will be the one that satisfies your sweet tooth while fitting within your daily macros and carb limits. So, if you're craving a frozen treat, go for keto ice cream! But if you're in the mood for something baked and portable, whip up a batch of keto cupcakes. The most important thing is to enjoy your treat and stay on track with your keto diet!
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Texture | Ice cream should be creamy and melt in your mouth. Keto ice cream is often criticised for its texture, which can be too hard, crumbly, or grainy. |
| Taste | Taste is subjective, but some keto ice cream flavours are considered too sweet or artificial. |
| Variety | Some brands offer a wider range of flavours than others. |
| Ingredients | Some keto ice creams contain questionable or objectionable ingredients, such as corn syrup, cornstarch, maltitol, wheat, or skimmed milk. |
| Carbohydrates | The number of total carbohydrates and net carbohydrates per serving varies between brands and flavours. |
| Calories | Keto ice cream is often higher in calories than regular ice cream due to its high-fat content. |
| Fat | The type of fat in keto ice cream is important, as a low-carb, high-saturated fat diet has been linked to negative health outcomes. |
| Fibre | Many keto ice creams contain added fibre, which can cause digestive issues for some people. |
| Sugar Alcohols | Sugar alcohols are used to achieve sweetness and keep total carbohydrates and sugar content low, but they can cause digestive issues for some people. |
| Allergens | Many keto ice creams contain major allergens, such as nuts, eggs, or dairy. |
| Price | Keto ice cream tends to be more expensive than regular ice cream, with prices per pint ranging from $4.97 to $5.99. |
What You'll Learn
Ice cream brands that offer keto-friendly options
While ice cream is usually high in carbohydrates, there are several brands that offer keto-friendly options. These options typically use sugar substitutes and are low in net carbs, making them suitable for people following a ketogenic diet. Here are some popular ice cream brands that offer keto-friendly options:
- Halo Top: They offer a Keto Series with flavours like Chocolate Caramel Lava Cake, Mint Chocolate Cookie, and Banana Cream Pie. Their servings have around 4-10 grams of net carbs and are designed to keep carbs low.
- Edy's: Edy's Slow Churned No Sugar Added ice cream replaces sugar with sorbitol, maltitol syrup, and Splenda (sucralose). Their Vanilla Bean flavour has 130 calories and 14 grams of net carbs per two-thirds cup serving.
- Enlightened: Enlightened offers a variety of keto ice cream options, including interesting flavours like Chocolate Peanut Butter, Caramel Chocolate Double Dough, and Coffee Chocolate Chunk. Their keto options typically have 2-3 grams of net carbs per serving.
- So Delicious: So Delicious offers dairy-free, no-sugar-added ice cream made from full-fat coconut milk. Their servings have around 9-10 grams of net carbs and are sweetened with erythritol and monk fruit extract.
- Rebel: Rebel is an ice cream brand specifically designed for people on the keto diet. Their pints are made with high-fat ingredients and natural sweeteners like erythritol and monk fruit. Rebel ice cream has about 4-8 grams of net carbs per pint.
- Rebel Creamery: This brand offers keto ice cream made with real cream. Their Butter Pecan flavour is a popular choice, with 2 grams of net carbs and 13 grams of total carbohydrates per serving.
- Arctic Zero: This brand stands out for its lack of sugar alcohols, making it a good choice for those sensitive to sugar alcohols. Their ice cream is also lower in calories but may not be suitable for those who need a high-fat intake.
- KETO Foods: This company offers a range of keto-friendly products, including ice cream pints. Their Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl flavour is a popular choice, with 3 grams of net carbs and 22 grams of total carbohydrates per serving.
- Breyer's Carb Smart: This is a budget-friendly option for low-carb ice cream. While it is lower in fat compared to other keto ice cream brands, it can still fit into a keto diet due to its total carbohydrate content.
- Keto Pint: This brand offers zero-added-sugar ice cream with natural sweeteners like allulose, erythritol, monk fruit, and stevia. Their ice cream is also gluten-free and soft straight out of the freezer.
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Sugar substitutes used in keto ice cream
Keto ice cream is made using sugar substitutes instead of regular sugar to keep the carbohydrate count low.
Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols are sweeteners that have about half the calories of sugar. They are often used in foods labelled "sugar-free" or "no sugar added". Common sugar alcohols used in keto ice cream include:
- Xylitol
- Erythritol
- Sorbitol
- Maltitol syrup
Natural Sweeteners
Some natural sweeteners used in keto ice cream include:
- Stevia
- Monk fruit
- Allulose
Other Ingredients
Keto ice cream may also include ingredients like chicory root, guar gum, and acacia gum to create a creamy texture and mouthfeel. These ingredients contain soluble fibre, which helps to thicken the ice cream and slow the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates.
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Making keto ice cream at home
Ingredients
- Heavy cream or coconut cream
- Erythritol or powdered allulose
- Xanthan gum (optional)
- Vanilla extract (optional)
- Salt (optional)
Method
- Whisk together the heavy cream, sweetener, 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 smooth.
- Serve immediately or store in the freezer.
Tips
- To make chocolate ice cream, add unsweetened cocoa powder to the mixture.
- For a dairy-free version, use coconut cream instead of heavy cream.
- If you have an ice cream maker, you can churn the mixture according to the manufacturer's instructions instead of freezing and blending.
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The best keto ice cream flavours
Enlightened
Enlightened is a favourite among those on a keto diet. It has a wide array of keto-friendly ice cream flavours, from Chocolate Peanut Butter to Caramel Chocolate Double Dough. Enlightened's ice cream is mostly creamy, but some flavours are a bit chalky. It has an average of 16g of total carbs and 7.5g of net carbs per serving. It is a good choice for a treat, but it is not great straight out of the freezer.
Halo Top
Halo Top has a full keto line with interesting flavours like Jelly Donut and White Chocolate Macadamia. However, some people find these flavours too sweet and artificial-tasting. Halo Top's ice cream is easy to scoop straight from the freezer, but the mouthfeel varies from creamy to chalky depending on the flavour. It has an average of 15g of total carbs and 6.5g of net carbs per serving.
Rebel
Rebel is an ice cream brand designed for people on the keto diet. It has a great lineup of both basic and interesting flavours, including Cookies and Cream, Mint Chip, and Butter Pecan. Rebel's ice cream is easy to scoop straight from the freezer, and it has a creamy finish. It has an average of 16.5g of total carbs and 6.25g of net carbs per serving.
Edy's
Edy's has a range of keto-friendly ice cream flavours, including Fudge Tracks, Vanilla Bean, Triple Chocolate, and Neapolitan. These options are sweetened with sorbitol, maltitol syrup, and Splenda (sucralose). A two-thirds-cup serving of the Vanilla Bean flavour contains 130 calories and 14g of net carbs.
So Delicious
So Delicious makes dairy-free, no-sugar-added ice cream from full-fat coconut milk. The No Sugar Added varieties are sweetened with erythritol and monk fruit extract. A two-thirds-cup serving has 130-160 calories, 9-10g of net carbs, and 2g of protein.
Arctic Zero
Arctic Zero is a keto-friendly, dairy-free ice cream made with a combination of plant fibres and faba bean protein. It stands out for its lack of sugar alcohols, which may be better for those sensitive to sugar alcohol intake. However, it is fat-free, which may not be ideal for a keto diet.
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The best keto ice cream bars
Keto ice cream is made with low-carb ice cream and is perfect for those on a ketogenic diet. Here are some of the best keto ice cream bars:
Enlightened Keto Ice Cream Bars
Enlightened offers a variety of keto-friendly ice cream bars that are a great option for those on a keto diet. Their bars come in various flavours, including Peanut Butter Chocolate, Vanilla Double Dough, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Keto Marshmallow Peanut Butter. Each bar contains between 1 and 2 grams of net carbs, making them a tasty and keto-friendly treat.
Keto Ice Cream Bars by The Big Man's World
These ice cream bars are made with low-carb ice cream sandwiched between chewy chocolate brownies. They are highly customizable, and you can use any low-carb ice cream of your choice. The recipe yields 9 bars, each containing just 3 grams of net carbs. The recipe also includes a handy guide on how to store the bars, which can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Rebel Creamery
Rebel Creamery is a popular choice for keto ice cream, and they also offer ice cream bars. Their bars come in a range of flavours, such as triple chocolate, coffee almond toffee, and peanut butter. Their ice cream bars are highly regarded by consumers, who claim they cannot even tell that the bars are sugar-free.
Halo Top
Halo Top is a well-known brand in the keto ice cream space, and they offer a range of keto-friendly ice cream bars. Their bars come in flavours like Mint Chocolate Cookie, Turtle Cheesecake, Berry Swirl, and Chocolate Cheesecake. The net carb count varies between 2 and 3 grams per bar, making them a good option for those watching their carb intake.
Mammoth Creamery
While Mammoth Creamery does not specifically advertise ice cream bars, their ice cream is highly regarded by consumers. Their ice cream is made with grass-fed butter and pure high-fat cream, resulting in a creamy and delicious treat. The xylitol sweetener is not overpowering, and the ice cream is not too sweet. The only potential drawback is that xylitol may spike your blood sugar.
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Frequently asked questions
Some keto-friendly ice cream brands are Halo Top, Rebel, Enlightened, So Delicious, Edy's, Arctic Zero, KETO Foods, and Breyer's Carb Smart.
Keto ice cream is low in carbohydrates and high in fat, making it suitable for those on the keto diet. It is also lower in added sugar than regular ice cream.
Keto ice cream is often higher in total calories than regular ice cream due to its high-fat content. It may also be more expensive and difficult to find in stores. Additionally, some people may find the texture to be less creamy and the taste to be too sweet or artificial.
Yes, you can make keto ice cream at home using a combination of heavy cream, sweetener, and xanthan gum. No ice cream machine is needed, and you can customize the flavor with ingredients like cocoa powder, crushed keto cookies, or fruit.
