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.