This (no-churn!!) paleo and keto chocolate ice cream is ridiculously creamy and a breeze to whip up… at just 3g net carbs a scoop!
And psssst….! If you’re looking for more flavors you most definitely want to check out my keto ice cream master recipe.
Paleo & Keto Chocolate Ice Cream
Suuuper Creamy & No-Churn (!!)
With a few simple tricks, this recipe for keto chocolate ice cream will yield ridiculously creamy and luscious results; no churning required!
Plus, this ice cream is also easily customizable to suit all chocolate taste buds: from the milk chocolate lovers to the darkest-of-dark fanatics (ahem, me!).
Oh, and know that you don’t need to whip up a full batch (think ice-cream-for-one!). Simply adjust servings in the drop-down menu to desired amount, and whip up any quantity you want!
The Method
Making this no-churn keto chocolate ice cream is a breeze. Think melting the sweetener and cocoa into (full fat!) coconut milk, whisking in a tad of xanthan gum (which acts as a stabilizer here), and incorporating the cooled mixture into whipped cream.
You see, by whipping up the heavy cream you’re incorporating quite a bit of air. And the addition of xanthan gum helps keep your ice cream creamy smooth.
And if you plan on making a larger batch and letting it hang in your freezer, it’s generally a good idea to incorporate a couple of tablespoons of booze into your ice cream (particularly if you use erythritol, see below!). Remember that high alcoholic beverages do not freeze, so they will help your ice cream stay creamy smooth rather than rock-solid. Just don’t overdo it, or you’ll end up with a slushy.
The Chocolate
Cocoa or cacao? Both work great, just know that quality really matters here. My favorite will forever be the Dutch-processed alkaline cocoa Valrhona, known to be one of (if not the) best cocoas in the world. But feel free to use a raw cacao powder (arguably more nutritional perks here), though keep in mind that your ice cream will be lighter in color and more reddish in hue. Both are well and good, as long as they’re unsweetened.
How dark? Talking dark chocolate versus milk is a sure way to divide a crowd! But know that you can make this keto chocolate ice cream to your taste buds’ desire. So we suggest doing the base with the lower quantity of cocoa (1/2 cup) to yield a milk chocolate ice cream.
And if you like your chocolate dark, simply add in more cocoa (think 1/4-1/3 cup more) after everything is incorporated. A taste-as-you-go sorta thing.
p.s. a lightly sprinkle of flakey sea salt works wonders to cut through the dark chocolate variation!
The Sweetener
Xylitol and allulose are, without a doubt, the best sweeteners for keto ice cream. They help to retain the creamy texture (they work pretty much like inverted sugars!), and allows you to skip the churning if need be in many recipes.
And if using allulose, just keep in mind that it’s about 70% the sweetness of sugar and xylitol (i.e. you’ll have to add 30% more).
Having said that, this no-churn vanilla ice cream is sooo luscious, that you can get away with using erythritol with relatively good results too. Though it most likely will freeze rock-solid, and you’ll have to let it hang out for about 30 minutes to scoop it out.
And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys! 
No Churn Paleo & Keto Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
For the keto chocolate ice cream
- 1 13.5-ounce can full fat coconut milk *
- 135-150 g xylitol or allulose, to taste (see notes for deets!)
- 50-75 g cocoa powder use the smaller amount for milk chocolate and the larger for dark
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum or 3/4 teaspoon arrowroot flour if paleo**
- 480 g heavy whipping cream or coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons vodka or booze of choice *** optional
Instructions
- See recipe video for tips and tricks!
- Add coconut milk, sweetener, cocoa and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Mix using an immersion blender or whisk until all the solids from the coconut milk have the dissolved and the mixture is fully blended.
- Sprinkle xanthan gum little by little and blend until fully combined. You will likely have some air bubbles, but be sure to check there are no lumps. Any lumps will be resolved by mixing with an immersion blender (or in an actual blender). Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.
- Add heavy whipping cream to a large chilled bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Blend in vanilla extract and the cooled chocolate mixture. (Optional): add in more cocoa, to taste, for a dark chocolate version.
- (Optional): add in your booze of choice. The mixture should be thick but still pourable. And, if for any reason your mixture is too thick (whipped cream too much, used a lot of cocoa...): thin it out little by little with more coconut milk. See recipe video for texture reference.
- Transfer ice cream to a sealable container and place in the freezer until frozen (4-6 hours to overnight).
- If freezing overnight: take out your ice cream 10-20 minutes prior to serving (depending on your room temp!) and scoop away.
Video
Notes
The Sweetener
Xylitol and allulose are, without a doubt, the best sweeteners for keto ice cream. They help to retain the creamy texture (they work pretty much like inverted sugars!), and allows you to skip the churning if need be in many recipes. And if using allulose, just keep in mind that it’s about 70% the sweetness of sugar and xylitol (i.e. you’ll have to add 30% more). Having said that, this no-churn vanilla ice cream is sooo luscious, that you can get away with using erythritol with relatively good results too. Though it most likely will freeze rock-solid, and you’ll have to let it hang out for about 30 minutes to scoop it out. And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys!
*You absolutely NEED to use full fat coconut milk here! As lighter versions are simply diluted in water, and they'll make your ice cream more icy.
**Be sure to measure a very lightly packed 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum, as it's an ingredient that's easy to overpack. And if you overdo it, you'll get gummy ice cream.
***Booze is totally optional, it just keeps your ice cream from freezing rock solid. This ice cream is super creamy though, so 10-15 minutes at room temp make it ultra scoopable once again.
Please note that nutrition facts were estimated per 1/2 cup serving. This recipe yields approximately 5 cups.Nutrition
How long do you leave on the heat??? Just till it resolves or let it simmer??
Question for you!
1) if trying to make this strictly vegan, am I supposed to use 480g of coconut cream? I just ended up using a can of coconut cream which isn’t 480g
The ice cream ended up being way too soft. Any idea what I’m doing wrong?
I tried something new today, I made your vanilla base, divided it into two bowls, 1/3 in one, 2/3 in other then chill. I then made the larger portion flavored with coconut extract and added Malibu coconut rum to it and whipped in 2/3 of the cream that I previously whipped. You can eyeball it. Then I made the 1/3 vanilla mix chocolate flavored and whipped the remainder cream into it. I then swirled the chocolate into the coconut, added chopped roasted salted almonds into the mix. It is so good without freezing too. Thank you. Yum!
Hey this looks great! I was wondering if I could use unsweetened apple sauce as the sweetener instead? Trying to cut carbs and not eat artificial sweeteners but honey and maple syrup have so much sugar.
I don’t have any heavy cream, but I have a ton if half and half. Is there a way that I could use that instead? I would LOVE to make this!!
I can’t believe this recipe! No churn and absolutely delicious. I didn’t have coconut milk, instead I used coconut cream. You can’t taste the coconut. My son is having his with oreo crumbs. So good, thanks so much.
Hi there! Loving your recipes so far and I think I want to venture into ice cream making this week! Does this taste like choco coconut ice cream or chocolate ice cream?
Chocolate Doreen! The coconut flavor doesn’t translate once done xo!
This truly the best no churn ice cream I’ve made to date. It’s probably on the best ice creams I’ve ever had. It is so rich and creamy and the chocolate flavour is to die for. I can’t wait to try some of the other flavours.
This will be my go to ice cream from now on. Thank you so much for this recipe.
My kids would love this! I’m also trying to switch to a healthier lifestyle and started to mine for healthy recipes like yours. Also, I started training with SportMe and I managed to get rid of some pounds. Your blog posts are super inspiring for me in this phase, thanks!
How would this work with monk fruit or stevia? I can’t use allulose because it comes from corn (allergy). Xylitol raises my blood sugar. What could I use in place of heavy whipping cream? I can’t do dairy. Dairy gives me sinus and respiratory problems.
So creamy and chocolate-y! I love xylitol for a sweetener…no after taste! This is so good I will be making it for my girlfriends at our next book club dinner!
Looks more difficult- actually quite simple. I used plain gelatin in leu of xanthan gum- just sprinkled on top of cocoa mixture on stove and @Swerve for sweetener. Once this was mixed together- could have eaten right out of the bowl! (ok I DID!- then to the freezer) . Thank you! Yummy Keto
Could you tell me the of the gelatin you used I still learning keto I would appreciate it thank you
Gelatin is perfectly keto as long as you buy it unflavoured, as it is (almost) 100% protein. 🙂 Just buy any brand that is pure gelatin.
Absolutely the most delicious and creamy, CREAMY chocolate ice cream I’ve ever had!! Feeling inspired by Paola’s brilliance I took the liberty of combining your chocolate ice cream with your keto marshmallows- chopped in to bits, your divine keto caramel sauce and some toasted walnuts. Presto!! Keto Rocky Road!!! So delish!! Your marshmallows and you’re insanely delicious caramel sauce are two of the best things I think I’ve ever put in my mouth! Thank you, Paola! I’m so happy to read that you are on the mend and I wish you continued healing. With much love from Texas!
I tried the vanilla one, but I could definitely taste the coconut milk. If substituting that with HWP, how much do you put in?