Here’s a list of my top 3 sugar free ice cream brands for you to enjoy — because sugar free, low carb, keto, or not, we ALL want ice cream sometimes and we ALL deserve to enjoy normal blood sugars.
And the best way to stick to your goals is to find out the best ice cream there is to keep your blood glucose numbers in range.
I’ve learned from experience that some sugar free ice cream brands are worth the wait while others are definitely not. And nowadays, with so many to choose from, I don’t want you to be disappointed in your selection and get crazy highs from a bad choice.
So learn from me and stick to the 3 top sugar free ice cream brands listed below! I’ll tell you what you need to know, from flavours to toppings, and even share some sugar free ice cream recipes if you’re feeling courageous.
So grab your spoon and let’s get tasting my friends!
** Since this is a low carb info site, I’d like to mention that sugar free does not mean low carb — in fact a lot of these sugar free ice cream brands have the same number of carbs as the regular kind, just without added sugar as milk contains loads of carbs! I suggest you look at the info below and even test how your body responds to them. Just don’t go overboard!
BEST TASTING SUGAR FREE ICE CREAM BRANDS
The tricky thing with sugar free ice cream brands, is that none of the products are truly “sugar free”, rather “no sugar added”. A quick glance at their nutrition labels will display a decent amount of sugar and tons of carbs. Check the products before you purchase sugar free ice cream brands to make sure they work with your body!
If you’re looking for who makes the best sugar free ice cream in the UK?
Your answer is here:
These ice creams are sweetened with Stevia instead of sugar or sugar alcohols. They’ve got around 5 grams of protein per serving, and come in loads of flavours. In 1 serving of vanilla, there’s: 14g of carbs, 6.2g sugar. This was the US’s last summer’s best-selling ice-cream brand and has sold 3m units since its January launch in the UK. Starting at only £3 a tub for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough it’s a steal!
Ingredients:
MILK, EGGS, Sweetener (Erythritol), Dietary Fibre, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, Cookie Dough (6%) (Sugar, WHEAT FLOUR, BUTTER, Soybean Oil, Molasses, White Rice Flour, Salt, Vanilla Extract), CREAM, Organic Cane Sugar, Emulsifier (Vegetable Glycerin), Chocolate Chips (2%) (COCOA MASS, Sugar, COCOA BUTTER, MILK FAT, SOY LECITHIN, Vanilla Extract), Sea Salt, Natural Flavours, Organic Stabiliser (Carob Bean Gum, Guar Gum), Organic Sweetener (Steviol Glucosides (Stevia))
Another great British version of the Halo one above. This one replaces cream and sugar with fresh milk, virgin coconut oil and stevia leaf as a natural sweetener.
Comes in 4 different flavours: Salted Caramel, Columbian Chocolate and Hazelnut, Madagascan Vanilla, Raspberry Nipple (yes you read that right!) and even an ice cream on a stick with sugar free chocolate. With only 9grams of carbs per 100g and 5.5g sugars this makes it the lowest in carbs per scoop.
Ingredients:
Fresh MILK, MILK Solids, Fresh Cream (MILK), Apple Fruit Extract, Natural Sweetener: Erythritol & Steviol Glycosides (Stevia Leaf Extract), Colombian Cocoa Mass (3%), Low Fat Cocoa Powder, Colouring (Beetroot Juice Concentrate), Starch, Natural Flavouring, Emulsifier (Mono & Diglycerides), Stabiliser (Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum & Carrageenan, Derived from Seaweed)
3. Breyers Delights No Sugar Added.
Comes in lots of flavours! In 1 serving of Creamy Chocolate, there’s: 18g of carbs, 8.5g sugars
Ingredients (Creamy Chocolate)
Milk, cream, sorbitol, maltodextrin (corn), water, dutched cocoa (processed with alkali), less than 2% of: glycerin, whey, mono and diglycerides, vegetable gums (guar, carob bean), salt, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, natural flavor)
However, there are at least 11 questionable ingredients and four artificial sweeteners, including sorbitol, polydextrose, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose, the common name for Splenda.
Splenda specifically has been shown to raise blood sugar and insulin levels, contribute to weight gain, and alter your gut microbes for the worst.
So while this ice cream may technically fit a macronutrient profile that’s safe on a low carb diet, the ingredients can sap your energy or create some unpleasant gut symptoms. So my advice: stay away.
SUGAR FREE TOPPINGS FOR YOUR SUGAR FREE ICE CREAM
As delicious as sugar free ice cream is, it’s the toppings that can make or break your dessert. And if sugar free is your goal, a lot of those sweet, chocolatey, syrupy options are out — so try some of these sugar free ideas instead:
Low carb nuts — think: walnuts, peanuts, pecans and almonds avoid cashews, chestnuts and pistachios.
Unsweetened shredded coconut – I get mine here
Sugar free chocolate syrup — This syrup is also good in coffee and yogurts.
Low carb fruits — depending on your goals, you may be ok with adding some low sugar fruits on top (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries – ALL the berries)
Coffee – Take your ice cream up a level.
OR TRY YOUR OWN SUGAR FREE ICE CREAM RECIPE
There are a billion reasons to make a sugar free ice cream recipe instead of buying one from the store. The most important reason for me, and those sticking to low carb foods, is that sugar free ice cream brands are NOT low carb, while homemade sugar free ice cream can be.
Second, homemade is always better, cheaper and you know exactly what goes in them.
Here are some of the best low carb ice creams recipes I’ve found on the internet with minimal effort, some with no churn needed, one with a little bit of banana added for the sweetener and a recipe for the lemon lovers out there.
Strawberry and banana ice cream (great one for the kids) but you need an ice cream maker.
Keto Ice Cream – Just 4 Ingredients!
THE BEST LOW CARB ICE CREAM RECIPE
CHOCOLATE AVOCADO ICE CREAM (LOW CARB, NO CHURN)
WHERE DO THE CARBS IN ICE CREAM COME FROM?
Although sugar is a huge contributor to the carbs in ice cream, there are a handful of carby ingredients in most sugar free ice cream brands. Cow’s milk is extremely high in carbs, and is one of the main ingredients in ice cream (sugar free or not). Other ingredients in classic ice cream are granulated sugar and cream. Other flavours are often added to these ingredients, creating the vast variety you see in the grocery store. Sugar free ice brands also use a lot of “gums” to thicken and stabilise their products.
LOW CARB ICE CREAM ALTERNATIVES
If you’ve decided low carb ice cream is your goal, there are plenty of ways you can have you ice cream and eat it too! BUT CHECK THE INGREDIENTS! Don’t be fooled into clever marketing terms such as ‘low carb’, Keto Friendly’ make sure there are no extra fillers, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or dyes.
Look out for Ice cream flavours sweetened with monk fruit, stevia, or Swerve (and nothing else) are safe to consume on the low carb diet.
Another option is to make ice cream at home using avocado, coconut milk, or heavy cream as a base. Homemade ice cream isn’t as hard as it looks — especially if you’re using a no-churn recipe. All you typically need is heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and diabetic-safe sweetener like stevia or monk fruit.
Do Be On the Look-Out for Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols don’t impact blood sugar levels, so they’re usually marketed toward people following low-carb diets, or those with diabetes.
Unfortunately, sugar alcohols can cause digestive distress in some people. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol used in many brands including Halo Top, and is generally recognised as safe by the USDA[*]. However, there have been growing complaints over digestive discomfort with other sugar alcohols including xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol. Eeek!
Low Carb Ice Cream Recipe
Try making your own sugar free ice cream! Sugar free ice cream recipes can be super easy and are significantly lower in carbs — both of these low carb ice cream recipes are no churn, so they take hardly any time to make.
Keto Ice Cream Recipe Alternative
A delicious keto ice cream recipe alternative is to enjoy a bowl of low carb greek yogurt with a keto sweetener and your favourite toppings. I know it’s not exactly the same, but I find it’s just what I’m craving most of the time!
No Carb Ice Cream – Here’s a recipe that requires no fancy equipment but you will need collagen to make this. And this Collagen has a pretty good profile (US Amazon though 😥)
This Keto Superfood Nice Cream – This recipe uses Cauliflower as the base as is squeaky clean. Mind blown!!
I’d love to hear in the comments below what your favourite no carb ice cream is!
Conclusion
There you have it friends, the best of the sugar free ice cream Amazon, Waitrose and Tesco have to offer! Hope you enjoy these sugar free ice cream brands flavours, and come back to tell me what you think!
Filed Under: Low Carb, Low Carb Resources
Read, Review & Relax 