Keto cookies and cream ice cream is a two-component frozen dessert made without refined sugar or flour. A dark cocoa almond flour cookie baked thin and crumbled into pieces, folded into a heavy cream and erythritol ice cream base churned in an ice cream maker, then frozen for at least two hours before serving. Ten servings at 293 calories each with 3g net carbs and 28.5g fat.
The cookies are made specifically for this recipe rather than using a store-bought substitute. Almond flour, dark cocoa powder, erythritol, coconut oil, and one egg produce a chocolate cookie with enough structure to crumble cleanly and enough cocoa flavor to taste like an Oreo analog in the finished ice cream. They bake as one thin round in a cake pan rather than as individual cookies, which is a practical approach when the finished product is crumbles rather than intact cookies.
The chocolate cookie crumbles
Sift three-quarters of a cup of almond flour with a quarter cup of unsweetened dark cocoa powder, a quarter teaspoon of baking soda, a quarter cup of erythritol, and a pinch of salt into a bowl and whisk until combined. Add half a teaspoon of vanilla and one and a half tablespoons of melted coconut oil and mix until the texture is crumb-like. Add one room-temperature egg and blend until the dough comes together into a ball.
Press the dough into a parchment-lined nine-inch cake pan, spreading it as thinly and evenly as possible with your fingers. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for twenty minutes until the center bounces back when pressed. The low temperature prevents the almond flour from burning before the center has cooked through; almond flour browns faster than wheat flour and 300 degrees gives it more time. Let cool completely before crumbling. Crumble into roughly half-centimeter pieces; too fine and they disappear into the ice cream, too coarse and they’re hard to eat frozen.
The ice cream base
Whip two and a half cups of heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Add a tablespoon of vanilla extract and half a cup of erythritol and whip until thoroughly combined. Pour in half a cup of unsweetened almond milk and blend until the mixture re-thickens. The almond milk thins the cream mixture slightly; the re-thickening step blends it back to the right consistency for churning.
Erythritol is the sweetener of choice for keto ice cream because it has a relatively clean, neutral sweet flavor and doesn’t cause the spiked blood sugar that regular sugar does. It can produce a slight cooling sensation in some applications; in ice cream this is less noticeable because the dessert is already cold. Granulated erythritol works here; powdered erythritol, if you have it, dissolves more readily in the cold cream.
Churning and adding the crumbles
Transfer the cream mixture to an ice cream maker and churn according to the machine’s directions until the ice cream begins to hold its shape. With the machine still running, gradually pour the cookie crumbles in so they distribute evenly through the ice cream rather than sinking to one area. Once all the crumbles are incorporated, transfer the ice cream to a half-gallon freezer-safe container and freeze for at least two hours before serving.
Adding the crumbles while the machine is still churning is the technique that ensures even distribution. If you fold them in by hand after churning the ice cream can be uneven and the crumbles can break further. The churning motion keeps everything moving and distributes the pieces throughout.
A frozen dessert that works on its own terms
Keto baking and frozen desserts work best when approached as their own category rather than as substitutes that try to replicate the exact texture of conventional versions. This ice cream has the right flavor direction for cookies and cream and a good texture from the heavy cream base, but almond flour cookies have a different crumb than wheat cookies and erythritol behaves differently from sugar in cold applications. Evaluated on its own terms, this is a well-constructed, genuinely satisfying low-carb frozen dessert. Serves 10. Nutrition per serving: 293 calories, 28.5g fat, 3g net carbs, 4.5g protein.
No ice cream maker adaptation
Transfer the whipped cream mixture to the freezer-safe container without churning. After 45 minutes, remove and stir vigorously, folding in the cookie crumbles at this point. Return to the freezer. Repeat the stir every 30 minutes for 2 to 3 more cycles, then leave to freeze completely. The texture will be coarser than the churned version but still good. The goal is to break up the ice crystals before they fully form.
Keto Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Description
Sugar-free cookies and cream ice cream with homemade almond flour cocoa cookie crumbles churned into a heavy cream and erythritol base. 3g net carbs per serving. Serves 10.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and spray with oil.
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Sift together the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, erythritol, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
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Add the vanilla and melted coconut oil. Mix until the mixture has a crumb-like texture. Add the egg and blend until the dough comes together.
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Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan as thinly as possible. Bake for 20 minutes until the center bounces back when pressed. Cool completely, then crumble into small pieces.
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Whip the heavy cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla extract and erythritol; whip until combined. Add the almond milk and blend until the mixture re-thickens.
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Transfer to an ice cream maker and churn until the ice cream begins to hold its shape. With the machine running, gradually add the cookie crumbles until evenly incorporated.
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Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving..
Note
Rest Time is 20-min bake + 2-hour freeze (240 minutes). Add cookie crumbles while machine is still churning for even distribution. Nutrition per serving (serves 10): 293 calories, 3g net carbohydrates, 4.5g protein, 28.5g fat.
