Sometimes you need a perfect, simple vanilla ice cream. My homemade Keto Vanilla Ice Cream goes well in sundaes, with pie, on top of a warm brownie, and right from the container with a spoon. This easy recipe is low carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
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I have several recipes that use either sweet cream or vanilla ice cream, but I haven't gotten around to sharing my ice cream recipe on its own yet. If you are too adventurous for plain ole vanilla, make sure to check out my Sweet Cream Coffee Caramel Ice Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream with a Chocolate Truffle Core, Pecan Praline Ice Cream, and Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Peanutty Caramel. And the other ten or so ice cream recipes on my blog. Can you tell I like ice cream?
Besides, once you get the hang of making homemade ice cream at home, you will never want the store-bought stuff again. Yes, you can find many store-bought keto versions of ice cream on the market, and they are okay. But, they are made with all sorts of ingredients that aren't going to be common or things you can find around your home. Instead, when you bite into one of my homemade ice cream recipes, you will be given an explosion of creaminess that is truly irresistible. Yes, even regular vanilla ice cream is creamy and has a wonderful flavor.
Ingredients You Will Need
You will be happy to know that all you need is 6 ingredients to whip up a batch of this homemade vanilla ice cream. Incredible right?!?!
- Heavy Cream - Heavy whipping cream is what makes ice cream creamy.
- Milk - You can use either reduced-carb milk, unsweetened coconut milk (from a carton, not a can), or unsweetened almond milk. I do prefer using reduced-carb milk when I am able to find it. Most of my local grocery stores, Walmart, and Target all carry Fairlife brand.
- Egg Yolks - I throw them in raw. If you don't want to do that for health reasons you can purchase pasteurized eggs or gently heat the base until bubbles form around the edge. This is called tempering.
- Sweetener - I use my sweetener blend but do offer subs in the recipe card for swapping out to another sugar free sweetener.
- Vanilla - Make sure to use a good vanilla extract when you want the vanilla flavor to be the star.
- Glycerin - Glycerin is optional but recommended. It helps ice cream not freeze too hard to scoop.
How to Make Keto Vanilla Ice Cream
All you need to do is put the heavy cream, milk, egg yolks, sweetener, vanilla, and glycerin in a blender and combine. Then pour the creamy ice cream mixture into your ice cream machine. No need to make a homemade sweetened condensed milk or any other recipes first.
The best thing about this homemade vanilla keto ice cream recipe is you can control the ingredients. This doesn't have any weird add-ins you can't pronounce. I do add a little vegetable glycerin to my ice creams, so they stay soft and scoopable in the freezer. That is always optional. If you are patient enough to let your ice cream temper for thirty minutes, you can omit it. Patience has never been my strongest virtue.
Keto Vanilla Ice Cream Topping Ideas
Just like any ice cream, adding toppings gives them even more flavor and texture. We love to eat a bowl of this vanilla ice cream with nothing on it, but sometimes it's fun to pack on the toppings. Here are a few ideas to try out:
- Nuts - Add your favorite nuts to the ice cream. They are crunchy and full of flavor. Try out my Keto Candied Pecans for an explosion of sweet goodness in every bite.
- Hot Fudge Sauce - Nothing better than some ice cream topped with incredible low carb sugar free hot fudge sauce. Try it and see for yourself how simple it is to make too.
- Caramel Sauce - Another one of our go to ice cream toppings is Sugar Free Caramel Sauce. Seriously, it's going to rock your world.
- Sprinkles - Use your favorite sugar-free sprinkles to add some playful color to your homemade ice cream. It's great for birthday parties too.
- Chocolate Chips - Add a few sugar-free chocolate chips to the ice cream. It's super yummy and gives you some chocolate too.
- Fruit - Add all of your favorite fresh berries on top. We like to add some strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries from time to time. They are colorful and add even more natural sweetness to the ice cream.
- Fresh Berry Sauce - this is delicious with my keto blueberry sauce or keto raspberry sauce.
How to make a Keto Brownie Sundae
Wondering about that fantastic low carb keto brownie, you see? That is one of my Little Debbie Fudge Brownies. For an even more fabulous sundae, drizzle on some Hot Fudge.
Or serve this on Keto Apple Crisp for a fall treat! I promise it's fine for a low carb diet. Check out that post to see what I use instead of apples. Another great option is a scoop with my Keto Blueberry Cake.
Raw Egg Yolks in Ice Cream
If you are concerned about using raw egg yolks, you can purchase pasteurized eggs, or you can temper the ice cream base. I don't do either. I guess I'm a bit of a rebel, but I've never gotten sick from raw eggs in ice cream or cookie batter.
Glycerin in Ice Cream?
The reason for the glycerin is to keep the keto vanilla ice cream soft enough to scoop. It is optional since it does add a small number of carbs. If you prefer to leave it, you can sub in vodka or let the ice cream sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before scooping.
What ice cream maker should I buy?
My Cuisinart ice cream maker is one of the best investments I have ever made. Those store-bought pints of low carb ice creams add up fast, AND homemade ice cream tastes so much better. See my favorite ice cream maker HERE.
Once you own an ice cream machine, you will find that you can make ALL sorts of different flavors. We love playing around with ice cream to see what else we can come up with.
How to store Keto Vanilla Ice Cream
These leftover pint containers are perfect for storing homemade ice cream. My husband went on a gelato kick a few years back and brought home half a dozen pints at once when these were on sale. And that is why I normally do the grocery shopping.
You can use any glass or plastic storage container as long as it's airtight. You should keep the ice cream in the coldest part of your freezer to ensure it lasts the longest. Be sure to avoid sticking it in the door, or it will tend to slightly melt as the door opens and closes and will cause a lot of ice crystals to develop.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups reduced carb milk or unsweetened almond milk ***
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoon glycerin optional
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published October 3, 2017. Revised and Republished May 25, 2021.
Jane johnson says
local grocery store doesn't carry Fairlife low-carb milk. What else? Just got a small machine and all recipes call for cooking the ingredients, chilling, then putting into machine. Suggestions? Thanks
Taryn says
I explain this in the blog post. I do not cook my ice cream base. I add raw yolks anyway. You can use pasteurized eggs if you prefer.
Gail says
Growing up, my family made homemade vanilla ice cream and this is the closest I’ve had to it but much healthier! Thank you for sharing this recipe.