What is the Lowest Carb Ice Cream?

Many people are ice cream enthusiasts but fear that they might get kicked out of ketosis for indulging a little. This is because ice cream is generally high in carbs because of the dairy and sugar it contains. 

However, there are hidden gems in your grocery stores that offer low-carb ice creams! You might be wondering, what is the lowest carb ice cream?

We’re here to show you the lowest carb ice creams you can find in stores and a low carb ice cream recipe you should try if you want to make your own. 

How Many Carbs are There in Ice Cream?

One of the primary concerns of ice cream consumption on keto is the carb content. 60-80 percent of your daily calories should ideally come from fat, and 20-30 percent from protein. On the other hand, you should keep your carb intake to just 20-50 grams a day. 

The amount of carbs in ice cream will depend on its flavor, type, and brand. Whether it is keto-friendly or not also depends on how much you consume.

On average, a serving of ice cream is usually ½ cup or 65-92 grams, with about 115-120 calories. 

Typical ice cream products have 15-20 grams of carbs per half a cup, depending on the variety. Sugar-free ice cream has about 15 grams per half a cup, low-fat ice cream, and regular has around 17 grams of carbs, and premium ice cream has the most carbs, which is about 20 grams per ½ cup.

The carb content of regular ice cream is high because of the sugar content. Keto-friendly ice creams usually use alternative sweeteners like erythritol, monk fruit, stevia, and sucralose which have little to no carbs.

But even sugar-free ice creams can still have a high carb content because of the milk that these products contain. Not all dairies are created equal, and some of them are not keto-approved.

But grass-fed heavy cream is a great keto ingredient and is the most common ingredient in low-carb ice creams.

Is Ice Cream Keto-Friendly?

The keto diet recommends a huge reduction in your carb intake and replacing them with fat sources.

This low-carb diet leads to ketosis, a metabolic state where the body produces ketones from fat breakdowns. These substances are then used for energy in the absence of carbs turned to glycogen.

So, is ice cream keto-friendly? Truth be told, a lot of foods are keto-friendly if you know how to consume them in moderation. Because ice cream is very high in carbs even with just a serving, limiting yourself to ¼ cups a day may not hinder your diet efforts. 

Ice cream is usually lower in fat compared to carbs, with about 2.5-13 grams per half a cup, and 10-70mg of cholesterol. Because it has milk, it contains about 1-3 grams of protein per serving.

Ice cream can give you an adequate amount of nutrients for muscle building, energy, etc. It is even rich in calcium, an essential nutrient for your overall health.

But if you are in the weight loss phase of your diet, we recommend avoiding regular ice cream and looking for the lowest carb ice cream you can find.

Like with any sweet foods, you should eat it in moderation. An occasional treat rather than an everyday food.

What is the Lowest Carb Ice Cream?

If you are craving ice cream on keto, you’ll be surprised to find out that many brands now offer low-carb ice creams. Sure, low-fat ice creams are common, but a sugar-free and keto-friendly one isn’t!

Here are three of the lowest carb ice cream products we can recommend.

Enlightened Ice Cream

Enlightened Ice Cream is a new sugar-free ice cream brand with a variety of interesting flavors. These include chocolate peanut butter, cold brew coffee, brownies, and cookie dough, and coffee and cream. All of these are tailored to your low-carb and high-fat needs!

Believe it or not, half a cup of their coffee and cream ice cream only has 11 grams of carbs and 9 grams of net carbs! This amount will surely not affect your ketosis levels.

These low-carb ice creams are made with cream, eggs, and milk. They use keto-approved sweeteners like monk fruit to keep the carb count low. 

Arctic Zero Cake Batter

Arctic Zero is not only keto-friendly and dairy-free, but they are also made with prebiotic fiber, reducing the net carb count to just 5 grams per serving! Prebiotic fiber feeds the beneficial probiotic bacteria in your gut and supports healthy digestion.

It is available in chocolate, cookie shake, salted caramel, and other flavors! This product is great for keto dieters and people who are lactose intolerant!

Rebel Keto Ice Cream

Rebel Ice Cream makes a number of ice cream flavors that have no sugar. They’re ideal for the ketogenic diet and made with whole ingredients like cream and eggs.

Although they’re new to the keto ice cream block, they have been loved by many for using monk fruit and stevia, as well as the very creamy texture.

Each ½ cup of Rebel vanilla ice cream has 10 grams of carbs and 8 grams of net carbs. Of all keto ice creams available, this one might be the creamiest!

Lowest Carb Ice Cream Recipe

If you want even fewer grams of carbs in your ice cream, you can also consider making your own. This recipe only contains 2.4 grams of carbs per serving and can be done with or without an ice cream maker. All you need is the following:

• 1 cup sugar-free condensed milk
• 1 ½ cup grass-fed heavy cream
• 2 tbsp sweetener
• 1 ½ tbsp vodka (optional, to reduce iciness)
• ⅛ tsp salt

Go for the Lowest-Carb Ice Cream!

Nothing is stopping you from having ice cream while on the keto diet! It is keto-friendly as long as you pick the lowest carb brand and you don’t go over your daily carb limit.

Avoid regular ice cream usually with its 15-20 grams of carbs per serving. And instead choose a low-carb keto-friendly flavor with as little as 5 grams of net carbs for your sweet treat! 

You also have the choice of making your own ice cream, which can get you as low as 2.4 grams of net carbs! It’s all up to you as long as you don’t go over your daily carb limit you can still enjoy your ice cream treats.