Sugar Free Vanilla Ice Cream
My husband loves ice cream. He had it a lot growing up, and his mum always seems to have at least one tub in the freezer. It is their family’s standby ‘I haven’t had time to make pudding’ dessert. When we decided to massively reduce our sugar intake, I was determined to find a way to make sugar free ice cream so that we (well, mostly my husband) could still enjoy it from time to time without the excessive amount of sugar and other questionable ingredients found in shop-bought types.
So I have been trying to find a sugar free ice cream recipe for a while now, and I have a tough judge to impress. I have tried several, mostly coconut cream/milk based ones, with very little success. I have tried big tubs, small portions, cream-based ice pops, frozen yogurt…you name it, I’ve tried it. It doesn’t help that I don’t have an ice cream maker, so often end up with crystallized, rock-solid ice cream on top of dodgy flavours!
And then one day, almost accidentally, I found it. THE recipe. I only tried it because it was a warm day and I had a tub of double cream sitting in the fridge that was rapidly nearing it’s use by date.
I didn’t have any sugar in the house (sometimes the only way to avoid temptation!), so I just threw in some xylitol, played around with quantities a little, and stuck it in the freezer, assuming it wasn’t too big a loss if it didn’t work out as the cream would have ended up in the bin anyway.
But oh, it worked. I mean really really worked. And it is gorgeously simple to adapt, if you want to play around with other flavours. I will definitely be trying out and posting some new flavours in the near future, so keep an eye on the website or sign up for our newsletter to get inspired!
A word of warning: this is not a daily, guilt-free ice cream. If that is what you are after, maybe check out my peaches ‘n’ cream ice cream instead. But it is certainly far better for you than the options you will find in shops, and it is unbelievably easy to create. A few ingredients we usually have on hand, about 10 mins, a few bowls, and voila!
Please note: This recipe contains raw eggs, so is not recommended for pregnant women or under 5s.
One of my original and most popular recipes, this sugar free ice cream is a frequent fixture in our house in the summer, and you simply cannot tell it is free of sugar. It's delicious, creamy and very "ice-cream-y"! Delicious on its own, or served with a little melted 85%+ dark chocolate and coconut oil and/or topped with chopped nuts or seeds, and fresh fruit.
- 3 medium eggs, separated
- 280 ml pot (1 cup) double (heavy) cream
- 65-90 g (1/3-1/2 cup) xylitol* (we try and use less each time we make it - I've found going as low as 40-50g to be a perfect place for us after starting around 80g and losing a tablespoon each time)
- 3 tsp sugar free vanilla extract** (I use homemade)
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out, optional
-
Whisk egg yolks in a bowl until frothy (about 3-5 mins).
-
Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks in a separate bowl, add half the xylitol then whisk again until stiff.
-
Whip cream in a third bowl to soft peaks, and fold in the other ingredients (including leftover xylitol and seeds from the vanilla pod if you are using them).
-
Pour into an old empty ice cream tub or similar size tupperware and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. Ours usually ends up soft scoop, but if yours is not, try leaving the container out of the freezer for 15 mins before serving (see note below).
*you can absolutely use sugar here if you are happier using it than xylitol - if you make it with 60g sugar, you are looking at only 3g per portion (about 2 scoops), which is less than 1 teaspoon (a regular tub of store-bought ice cream can be anywhere from 10-20g per portion)!
**I recommend using some extract/alcohol if you are comfortable with it, as there is less chance of crystallization and more chance of obtaining “soft scoop” consistency. Obviously using more than a tsp or 2 of extract will make it unsuitable for children, so be careful with it or keep it for the adults in the house, as we usually do. If you don’t use it at all, you may find you need to leave your ice cream out on the counter for 10-15 mins before serving.
Please note: We usually keep this for the adults or older kids in the house, but if you want to give a little to kids, just be aware it contains raw eggs (so not for under 5s), and if you are using any alcohol, use just a little extract.
Looking for more sugar free snack ideas? Find a week’s worth of healthy simple ones you can make in 30 minutes in our FREE e-book here.
Hello, Claire. I promise that I read the entire post before asking, but I couldn’t find the number of servings this recipe makes. Do you know how much it yields, please? An approximation will do; it doesn’t need to be exact. I’m assuming that I can make this in my ice cream maker by following the maker’s directions, yes? I’ve been on the hunt for a simple, sugar-free homemade vanilla ice cream. So, I really appreciate you sharing this recipe. It looks wonderful, and I can’t wait to make it!
It makes a normal 2 litre ice cream tub, which will giving different servings depending on how much everyone each at once! But I would guess it’s about 8 portions of a couple of scoops each? When my family of four has it, it usually lasts a 2-3 puddings, with my kids having a slightly smaller portion (1 scoop). Hope that helps, and that you enjoy it! 🙂 I haven’t tested it in an ice cream maker, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. It makes a soft scoop ice cream that will never fully harden in the freezer as it is traditional, custard ice cream. 🙂
That’s exactly what I needed to know, thank you!
Hi Claire, how long do you think this will keep in the freezer for, given the use of raw eggs? Thanks.
Hi Caroline, this ice cream will keep for 2 weeks, but best to use it within a week if possible. Make sure to use good-quality free-range eggs and you should be fine. If you are in the UK, British free-range eggs have not led to a case of salmonella in more than 20 years, so they are a good safe bet.