My low carb Keto Coffee Ice Cream recipe is a low carb, sugar-free, rich & creamy ice cream with flavors of coffee & vanilla. A perfect dessert when you crave coffee on a hot summer day. This easy recipe is also gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
If you like coffee as much as my oldest daughter this recipe is for you. I think she would've eaten the entire batch of Keto Coffee Ice Cream last night if I let her. I made the mistake of letting her sip my iced coffee as a toddler and she's been hooked ever since. She loves anything coffee-flavored and still steals sips of my iced americano.
Now that she is 14 (I'm revising this sugar free coffee ice cream recipe a couple of years after sharing the first time) she's occasionally allowed to have a cup of coffee, a frappuccino, or another fun coffee beverage. And she still picks a java-themed ice cream almost every time we go to an ice cream shop.
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The rest of us have more varied palates picking keto recipes for ice cream from Keto Butter Pecan Ice Cream to Keto Chocolate Ice Cream to Cinnamon Ice Cream depending on our mood.
Ingredients
Heavy whipping cream - Heavy cream is what gives ice cream its rich and creamy flavor.
Strong coffee - I use 2x the coffee grinds when I want strong coffee for a recipe. Alternatively, you can use espresso.
Half and half - Half and half is half cream and half milk. You can also use light cream or whole milk in place of half and half.
Sweetener - I use a blend of sugar alcohols and stevia in my recipes. Monk fruit sweetener also works well.
Vanilla - Vanilla extract enhances the other flavors.
Instant coffee - Using instant coffee granules or instant espresso powder gives this ice cream a great coffee flavor without making it too icy. Using more brewed coffee will lead to icier ice cream.
Egg yolks - I add raw egg yolks to my ice cream recipes to boost the creaminess. In many years of making ice cream, I have never had a problem with regular egg yolks in my ice creams. However, if you prefer, you can temper the ice cream base or use pasteurized egg yolks.
Vegetable glycerin (optional) - Optional, but recommended, glycerin helps keep any keto ice cream recipe soft enough to scoop. Otherwise, you will have to let it temper at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
How to make Keto Coffee Ice Cream
I keep my ice cream recipes very simple.
Step One: Just give the ice cream ingredients a whirl in the blender.
Step Two: Then pour the mixture into your ice cream maker. The sugar free low carb coffee ice cream is ready (just like soft-serve) in 20 minutes.
Step Three: For a firmer ice cream transfer to a container and freeze for a few hours to help it firm up.
Toppings
Here are some of our favorite toppings:
Caramel Sauce - I love the caramel coffee combo!
Whipped Cream - whip up some cream and stir in your favorite powdered sweetener.
Hot Fudge - just 3 ingredients to a luscious sugar free hot fudge sauce.
Brownies - you can serve a scoop on top of a brownie or mix in chunks after the ice cream churns!
Sprinkles - yes, sugar free! These are made by hand in the US and are worth every penny.
Common Questions
How does this sugar free keto coffee ice cream taste?
Just like a coffee shop!
One of my favorite Starbucks splurges is a Vanilla Frappuccino made with half and half and sugar-free vanilla syrup. I wanted to take those flavors and make them into a simple Keto Friendly Coffee Ice Cream. I already have a copycat Starbucks drink recipe but that wasn't good enough. Sometimes I want to eat my coffee.
Another great option is this gluten free Keto Whipped Dalgona Coffee.
Is sugar free ice cream keto?
Sometimes. You have to check the ingredients. Many store bought sugar free ice creams will have a lot of additives and unhealthy ingredients.
What type of ice cream maker should I use?
The first ice cream maker I owned used ice and salt around the mixing bowl to freeze the ice cream. Making ice cream was a production. We'd have to go buy bags of ice and make sure we had enough salt. And then clean up everything after.
Getting an ice cream machine with a freezable bowl was a game-changer. I have now owned my Cuisinart ice cream machine for almost 15 years and it's going strong. A very good investment for under $50. See my favorite ice cream maker here.
Do I need an ice cream machine?
Yes. The ice cream machine freezes the ice cream base slowly while incorporating air. This is how ice cream is lighter and fluffier than another frozen liquid (like ice cubes). If you don't have an ice cream maker and don't want to buy one you can freeze this keto coffee base in an ice pop mold for delicious low carb ice cream pops.
Or try this No Churn Coffee Chip Keto Ice Cream.
When ice cream is coffee flavored it is perfect for breakfast, right?
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📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup strong coffee
- 1 cup half and half
- ½ cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon instant coffee
- 1 teaspoon glycerin optional, but recommended – this keeps the ice cream soft enough to scoop
- 3 egg yolks
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream machine. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published May 16, 2016. Revised and Republished May 23, 2023.
Dori W says
How would I modify this for a Ninja Creami? Just divide it into a few containers and freeze? Then blend according to Creami instructions? (New to the Creami but looking for good THM/Keto ice cream recipes!
Taryn says
Yes, I think that would work. Or just half the recipe. I'm not very familiar with the Ninja Creami.
Sheila says
I want to make this, I clicked on your instant coffee to see what brand you use as I never use instant. The link took me to Keto collagen, nothing to do with coffee! 🤷🏻♀️ I can’t wait to get the ingredients so I can make this as I’m a coffee lover too!!!
Taryn says
Ooops, I'll edit that. You can really just use any brand instant coffee powder.
Jane johnson says
would love to make keto ice cream......but don't have or intend to purchase an ice cream "machine". Substitute? Thanks.
Taryn says
You can make it into popsicles. If you just freeze it in a container it will be way too hard to scoop. An ice cream maker incorporates air as the ice cream slowly freezes.
kimm says
Quick question. How much is considered a serving?
I plan on making this.
Taryn says
1/8th of the recipe. It makes about 2.5 pints so a generous 1/2-2/3 cup.
Razmik Rashidyan says
I have been looking for coffee-flavored ice cream to compete with haagen-dozs coffee icecream. This does it. wow.
Amanda Jabczynski says
Has anyone ever tried using MCT oil in place of the vegetable glycerin? I was wondering if that could work?
Charis Prunty says
The first time, I made this recipe as written, and it was good! Some of the coffee separated out, leaving a watery substance in the center of my ice cream maker, so the second time I added 1 tsp. glucomannan and that worked beautifully to keep it combined. Also, I somehow forgot to include ANY sweetener in my second batch, so it tasted like a strong cup of iced coffee with only cream. This was OK, but when I drizzled it with chocolate syrup it became an amazing mocha dessert 🙂 Yum.
Elizabeth says
I made this today and my family loved it! I didn’t have half and half so I just used another cup of heavy whipping cream. Now that I see the other comments I guess I could have subbed in some unsweetened almond milk. But it is incredibly delicious as is! Thanks, Taryn!
Kare says
This sounds delish! But I do not drink coffee or use it for flavoring. What can I substitute in it's place??
Taryn says
Without the coffee, it is just vanilla ice cream. Try this recipe: https://joyfilledeats.com/vanilla-ice-cream/
Cecelia M says
I have to try half cream and half water because we aren't supposed to use half & half on keto. I have one of those freezer pans to make ice cream in. I think this will be my first ice cream.
Taryn says
Half cream and half almond milk would be a better choice.
Charity says
I hated my ice cream maker with the freezer bowl. To me it never worked as well as the old fashioned ice cream makers. This past summer I finally got a traditional ice cream maker with the rock salt and the ice and it freezes my ice cream so much better. Plus I no longer have to worry about constantly keeping an ice cream bowl in my fridge or having to plan ahead to have ice cream. I always have rock salt on hand in my pantry and ice is no big deal so I don’t have to plan ahead for those things.
Taryn says
That's funny because I started with one of those and then switched to the freezer bowl and never looked back. Either way homemade ice cream is the best!
Cheryl says
Make this!
Angela says
I was curious, is the sweetener powdered or granular? I measured using powdered sweetener and the ice cream isn’t really sweet (still good tho!) and I think it’s because I used 1/2 cup powdered. Thanks!
Taryn says
Powdered vs granular doesn't matter. The strength of the sweetener matters. My sweetener is twice as sweet as sugar. If you used a sweetener that is 1:1 you should have doubled the amount.
Marie says
Can you make this in a VitaMix blender instead of an ice cream maker??
Taryn says
Maybe. The vitamix won't freeze it so if you froze some of the liquid ingredients and blended in the rest it could work. But I haven't tried. Sorry that's not more helpful.
Ann Ohr says
I made this today! As usual , this recipe was DELISH and and EASY! I didn’t have glycerin do I used VODKA. Thank you again! Coffee is my FAVORITE! It’s not hard and crystallized! Humbly, I LOVE YOU!
Taryn says
Thanks Ann! I'm glad you like it 😀
Karen says
How much vodka? I don't have glycerin on hand.
Sarah says
If my coffee is strong enough, do I need to add the instant coffee?
Taryn says
Your ice cream will have a more mild flavor without it. Using espresso instead of coffee might help.