For the unfamiliar, the ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet that, per its many devotees, doesn’t deprive you of the best foods in life (like bacon or cheese, yum). Among those keto-friendly food groups is our all-time favorite: dessert. And yes, that includes ice cream. Keto-friendly ice cream is a thing, and there are a whole host of brands to choose from in the freezer aisle. Here, five keto ice-cream brands try.
5 Keto Ice-Cream Brands That Are Light on Carbs but Not on Flavor
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Published Apr 16, 2021
What is keto ice cream?
If following a keto diet plan means you’re cutting back on carbohydrates, how can you still eat ice cream? (After all, milk and sugar are both carbs.) Well, keto ice cream is a little bit different:
- It’s high in fiber. While the keto diet does reduce your carb intake, it’s all about net carbs, or the actual amount of carbs your body digests. You can calculate net carbs by subtracting the total grams of fiber from the total grams of carbs (and for processed foods, you’ll subtract the sugar alcohols too). Keto ice cream usually contains added fiber in the form of soluble corn fiber or chicory root fiber.
- It’s sweetened with sugar alternatives. Since regular sugar is a type of carb, keto ice cream relies on low-calorie and sugar-free alternatives for sweetness, such as stevia, erythritol, monk fruit extract and vegetable glycerin. Since your body can’t process these artificial sweeteners, they don’t interfere with ketosis.
- It contains less dairy. Ice cream is usually made with a blend of milk and heavy cream, but both ingredients contain carbs. Keto ice cream still contains dairy, but replaces a lot of it with water and carb-free milk protein concentrate (which is made by filtering skim milk to remove its fat and sugar), or is made with ultra-filtered milk (which contains less sugar and carbs).
5 Best Keto Ice-Cream Brands
Rebel Creamery
1. Rebel Creamery
Nutrition per ⅔-cup serving: 180 calories, 16 grams fat, 17 grams carbs, <1 grams sugars
Net carbs: 2.3 grams per serving
Since it starts with cream, Rebel Creamery’s keto ice cream is, well, creamier than most. It has a pretty extensive flavor line, and most pints are reminiscent of classic ice-cream flavors (like Coffee Chip, Strawberry and Cookies & Cream). The brand also claims to be the lowest glycemic index ice cream on the market and sweetens its pints with erythritol and monk fruit.
Flavor to try: Black Raspberry
Enlightened
2. Enlightened Keto Ice Cream
Nutrition per half-cup serving: 200 calories, 18 grams fat, 13 grams carbs, 1 gram sugars
Net carbs: 1 gram per serving
Enlightened Ice Cream recently launched a keto ice-cream line in addition to its existing low-calorie and dairy-free pints. The keto flavors are anything but basic and include P.B. Cookie & Brownie Dough (the brand’s bestseller), Peppermint Brownie, Caramel Chocolate Double Dough, Butter Pecan, Chocolate Glazed Donut, Mint Chocolate Chunk, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Fudge, Red Velvet and Coffee & Cream. All the pints contain 1 gram of net carbs and 1 gram of sugar, and are sweetened with a combination of erythritol, monk fruit extract and stevia.
Flavor to try: P.B. Cookie & Brownie Dough
Plus, right now PW readers get 10% off with code PUREWOW10 as an even sweeter treat.
Keto Pint
3. Keto Pint
Nutrition per ⅔-cup serving: 200 calories, 18 grams fat, 16 grams carbs, 1 gram sugars
Net carbs: 3 grams per serving
According to Keto Pint, the brand sources sustainable chocolate through a partnership with the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, and uses local dairy to craft its keto pints, which are available in traditional flavors like chocolate chip cookie dough, coffee and strawberry. The flavors are sweetened with erythritol, monk fruit and stevia, and the base is a blend of cream, water and egg yolks for richness.
Flavor to try: Cake Batter
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Halo Top
4. Halo Top Keto Series
Nutrition per ⅔-cup serving: 150 calories, 11 grams fat, 14 grams carbs, 1 gram sugars
Net carbs: 2 grams per serving
You’ve probably already heard of Halo Top for its extremely low-cal pints, but did you know it has a keto line too? Each of the seven dessert-inspired flavors (Peanut Butter Chocolate, Banana Cream Pie, Berry Swirl, Caramel Butter Pecan, Chocolate Cheesecake, White Chocolaty Macadamia and Jelly Donut) is low in calories and sugar, with extra protein from the addition of milk protein isolate. Halo Top starts with a blend of skim milk and cream, and is sweetened with erythritol and stevia.
Flavor to try: Jelly Donut
Nick’s Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream
5. Nick’s Swedish-style Light Ice Cream
Nutrition per ⅔-cup serving: 90 calories, 6 grams fat, Tk grams carbs, 0 grams sugar
Net carbs: 10 grams per serving
Of all the keto ice creams out there, Nick’s has the most extensive flavor lineup—think novelty pints like Birthdäg Cake, Swedish Pistasch and Cherry Choka-Fläka in addition to the classics like vanilla, chocolate and mint chip). The net carbs range from 4 to 10 grams per serving depending on the flavor, and Nick’s uses a combination of erythritol, stevia, corn fiber, birch sugar and allulose for sweetness. Bonus: The brand also offers vegan options.
Flavor to try: Vegan Karamell Swirl