I can’t believe it’s been almost a week since my last post! What a slacker! In my defense, we’ve been pretty busy though. The other day we rescued a kitten from outside of a diner on a busy road. It was skinny and one of it’s eyes was cloudy, but she was sooooo friendly and sweet that we couldn’t resist her! My mother-in-law, who has no pets of her own but is clearly a cat hoarding enabler, was all like “Oh she’s so cute, we’ll take her to your house in my car!” We already have two indoor Siamese cats who would be royally ticked off if we brought another kitten into the house. But Mr. Hungry said he wouldn’t mind having an “outdoor” kitty, and that we could feed her and care for her, but she’d live strictly outside. We reasoned that she’d be better off at our house in a wooded, rural area, than in town on a busy road. So after checking with the owner of the diner to make sure she didn’t belong to anyone, we took her home with us.
First we stopped for flea collar and cat bed at Walmart, then by the local shelter to make her an appt. to get spayed and up to date on the necessary shots asap. It was rainy and cold, so Mr. Hungry built her a little lean to shelter, which we put on our patio close to the house, and we put her plushy cube bed inside of it with some toys and an old t-shirt. We checked on her a million times throughout the day and she seemed happy – we basked in our magnanimity, and the satisfaction of a good deed well done.
So that night we had to go out for a few hours, and when we got home around 10pm we decided to check on her before turning in. Imagine the horror of finding her food bowl overturned and her plushy cube upside down on the patio! NO kitty to be found. My son was like “where did our outside kitty go?” and all I could think of is that we’re going to find her poor mangled body in the yard from some raccoon, or worse that a fox got her and we wouldn’t find her at all! How could we be so STUPID as to think she would be safe out there with all the other animals around??? Gah! We called and called and finally heard some pitiful mewling from far away. We eventually located her way up in a tree on the edge of the yard.
I thought we’d never get her down but as soon as she realized it was us she shimmied down like a lumberjack and purred like crazy when we lifted her out of the tree. Huge relief, but now what? Can’t bring her inside even if we wanted to because she hasn’t been tested for feline leukemia or aids yet, which is highly contagious to other cats. So we closed her up in our big shed with her bed, food and water and a litter box. It’s been a few days and she’s adjusted perfectly. She gets shut in at night and let out in the morning and she seems content, even sleeps in there during the day while the door is open. Ironically though, Mr. Hungry created several different cushy sleeping areas for her, and she pretty much ignores them and sleeps on the lawnmower seat!
Hungry Jr. named her Rusty, because she is black and orange, but I call her Ki-ki so we’ll see which one sticks! If I can get her to sit still long enough I’ll take a photo and post it. She’s adorable, and we fell in love with her instantly! So anyway, that’s what we’ve been up to. And this chocolate ice cream has absolutely nothing to do with rescued kittens. But it IS delicious! Consider it an apology for not posting anything this week! It’s rich and decadent and perfect! If you need to apologize to anyone for anything, make them this ice cream ASAP, and it will get you out of the dog house (cat shed?) for sure! ;)
PrintChocolate Ice Cream (Low Carb & Sugar Free)
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar substitute
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup premium cocoa powder
- 1 cup almond milk (unsweetened vanilla)
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine the sugar substitute, eggs, cocoa powder and almond milk in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for one minute. Stir. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir. If the mixture hasn’t thickened slightly, repeat for 30 seconds one more time. Stir. If you end up with a few lumps you can stir vigorously or run through a strainer to remove them.
- Whisk in the heavy whipping cream and a pinch of salt. Chill in the refrigerator overnight. Or if you’re impatient like me, pour it out onto a cookie sheet and put it in the freezer for about 20 minutes until cold.
- Then run it through an ice cream maker following the manufacturers instructions.
- Optional stir-ins: Chopped dark chocolate, toasted nuts, sugar free toffee bits, etc.
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Ice cream
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 236
- Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 5.1g net
- Protein: 5g
Abbie says
I just made the mixture and its sitting in the fridge now and it hit me.. I’ve never made ice cream with whole eggs before. Was I only supposed to use the yolks? Thanks in advance.
Lee says
I made this with stevia and it was horrible. So bitter and with a nasty aftertaste. I’ll try it again using xylitol but I’m wary because it is expensive ingredients to be dumping down the sink if it doesn’t work out.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Stevia and chocolate can react to each other and cause bitterness.
Rouhina Mehregan says
I make this ice cream over and over again!! Thanks for sharing!!
Michelle Carson says
Did you try it with veg glycerin? Is that keto friendly to use??
Lori says
Love it! I actually add 8oz.of cream cheese and use a blender. SO yummy! Thanks…
Tammy says
Delish !!
Carol says
Getting my new ice cream maker tomorrow. Can’t wait to try this! Could you please tell me where you get sugar free toffee bits? I can’t seem to find any. Thank you so much.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Russel Stover sells them and I bought them at Walmart in the sugar free candy section!
Carol says
Thank you. I will look for them there.
Cheryl says
I have made this twice now and it is better than ANY store bought ice cream and without all the yuck that is in them!
Thank you for the recipe, this is delicious!
Terra says
Question: My blender is not working could I use a food proessor? Has anyone done the ice cream with xylitol?
Martha says
This reply is very late, but I just now found this question. I thought I’d answer with my experience in case anyone else has the same question.
I have used xylitol in ice cream several times and it works very well. Since it is actually somewhat sweeter than sugar, I found that I don’t need to use as much as the recipe calls for. Taste is highly subjective, though, and this is simply my preference. You can experiment with what tastes best to you ?
Now, because xylitol granules are larger than sugar, it’s helpful to grind up the granules first in a blender or food processor. It reduces the amount of stirring needed to blend all of the ingredients completely.
As a side note, because I’ve eliminated sugar from my diet, I’ve found that I no longer WANT my desserts to be too sweet. So, now I’ve begun combining 3 parts erythritol and 1 part xylitol as the sweetener for ice cream. Hopefully, I can eliminate the xylitol completely, using only erythritol because it is 0 on the glycemic index. Xylitol is 13, and “supposedly” doesn’t raise blood glucose levels, but as a recently diagnosed Type-2 diabetic, I really need to find alternatives that are a sure thing ?
Ann says
I’m curious if you or others of your followers have made this using a different type of milk than Almond Milk. I’m severely allergic to all nuts.
Thanks for your help!
anon says
Wow. I’m a life long diabetic and I see nothing in this that would be high in carbs – usually even diet ice cream recipes require ingredients like sweetened condensed milk which aren’t even a little bit low carb. I’m excited. And it’s no-churn, too – I’m going to try this for the 4th of July!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hope you like it! :)
Mary says
Will those of you who have made this share what kind of granulated sugar substitute you used that tasted great? This recipe calls for one cup. I’m afraid to waste it if I don’t like it. A cup of SweetLeaf cost here locally just under $7.00 so, I’d like to get some feedback from what the specific sugar substitutes you used for this recipe since it would be an expensive one to make and be wasted. I’m new to the low carb thing and there are several sugar subs to choose from. I am wondering what tastes best and still is low carb. Thanks in advance!
Lor says
I’ve made this recipe using different combos of sweeteners consisting of Stevia Glycerite drops blended with either Now Foods brand Eyrithritol or Swerve confectioners or granulated sweetener. It doesn’t take much. The recipe is great, thanks Mellissa! Ps: I’ve started adding vegetable glycerin to the ice cream recipes to keep them soft.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I’ve been meaning to experiment with the glycerin Lor, thanks for letting me know that it works – also I’m glad you like the recipe!!! :)
Maniemar says
Swerve confectionery .
Allie says
You are so wonderful! I made this ice cream last night! It was so delicious and such a treat! Easy too! I didn’t feel like messing with my big ice cream maker that uses tons of salt and ice so I just froze it in a rectangular tupperware and stirred it occasionally. I have never made ice cream with eggs however….. is it safe when using just regular old grocery store eggs? Do they get cooked during the microwave process? Just curious but it was all completely worth it and beyond delicious! I love your blog so much and I dream of my loved ones making your recipes for me all the time! haha or at least helping me with the dishes!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hi Allie, glad you liked the ice cream! The eggs should be fine after being microwaved – it only starts to thicken once the yolks have been cooked so you should be good to go there! Here’s hoping your dreams come true – at least with the dishes lol!
Patricia Delgado says
This may be a silly question but is it unsweetened cocoa?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes Patricia – unsweetened cocoa like you’d use in baked goods!
Linda says
Anything to do with cats and ice cream, all will be forgiven.
Melissa says
Hey Mellissa!
Yet another amazing recipe from your website. I made it with granulated Splenda and it tastes as good or better than any gourmet ice cream I have ever had! Brava!
I would like to avoid maltodextrin, so I’m thinking about trying spoonable Stevia. Any experience with this?
Thanks so much!
Melissa says
Oh! I should add that in my impatience I put the bowl with the blended ingredients in the freezer for about 30 minutes at a time, stirring in between, and poured it into the ice cream maker after an hour. It turned out brilliantly!
Robin says
I have made a version of this several times and finally saved the recipe tonight so that I don’t have to search for it time and again.
My version (served to my carb loving father for fathers day tonight)
no cocoa
Use coconut almond milk (califia farms, 1g carb per C)
add handful 1/3 C of raspberries (5 carb)
sometimes I add 1 TBsp of darkest chocolate bar I can find smashed. This is usually 1/4 bar or less and adds 7 or 8 carbs to the recipe.
The coconut milk gives a slight coconut flavor and the add-ins are a decadent treat.
Lowers the carb count slightly over the original recipe and tastes great.
Comes out of the ice-cream maker perfect soft serve but able to be scooped. I freeze the remainder in small freezer containers as it does freeze hard. If you pull out a couple when you sit down for dinner They are perfect afterwards for dessert.
Experimented tonight with new vitamix blender. I blended the first ingredients on the soup level which lets the contents heat up by the speed of the blender. when steaming I poured into bowl and refrigerated. The results were the creamiest of any of the times I have tried it
Thanks for a great recipe. I will have to try the chocolate version.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Glad you liked it and thanks for that vitamix tip Robin, never thought of using the “soup” method to cook the custard base! Will definitely be trying that soon!!!
Patti says
My husband is on a low carb diet and feared that he couldn’t have ice cream. Not so! I made this today and he loved it!! Such a creamy texture and decadent chocolaty flavor.
LindainCO says
Yum! I can’t wait to try this!
I wanted to send hugs to you for rescuing KiKi/Rusty, and for
posting your great story!
We have 3 rescued kitties, and a crazy rescued dog….
Love them!
Deana D says
Have you tried Nectress sweetener in any of your recipe’s. I was thinking of substituting it for splenda.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I tasted it awhile back in drinks, but have never used it in actual recipes because I wasn’t able to find accurate nutrition info in large enough amounts – I suspect it’s higher in carbs than Splenda which is why they don’t seem to publish it. That was when it first came out though – it might be different now. The flavor is fine so I don’t see why not – just be sure it doesn’t mess with your carb budget for the day!
Penny C says
Sorry, my Ghirardelli cocoa is actually 32 net carbs per cup.
Penny C says
I see it’s been a while since you posted this, but I tried it tonight, and while it looks and tastes great, i’m wondering about the carb count. My cocoa is 24 grams, the cream and almond milk total 11, and a cup of Splenda is 24! I used the drops to save, but I still get 5 per serving. It looks as though using Splenda you’d get over 8 grams per serving.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hi Penny, thanks for checking that for me! I went back and double checked the numbers and they were off a little bit so I fixed them. Original: 209 calories, 20g fat, 4g net carbs, 3g protein, Corrected: 236 calories, 22g fat, 5.1g net carbs, 5g protein.
I arrived at these numbers this way: 1 oz of granulated Splenda (or 1 cup) has only 14g net carbs according to CalorieKing. Unsweetened almond milk (I use silk brand) has 0 net carbs, organic heavy cream has 5 -7 depending on your brand, the cocoa I used was 21g net carbs, and the 3 eggs had 1g. It’s good that you’re calculating your own based on what you’re using though, because it does vary by brand which is why I post the nutrition values here as approximate.
Thanks for keeping me honest! ;) I definitely want to be as accurate as possible!
Penny Carlson says
Thanks. Wow, big differences! I also saw the coffee ice-cream recipe and plan to make that next. Much lower and I lurve coffee as much as you. So glad I found your site! You’ve been coming up with so many great sounding recipes.
Jaime says
Hi there! We tried this recipe yesterday, and it tastes amazing. I had a problem with the texture, though- mine froze to the sides of my ice cream maker almost immediately and the paddle got stuck after about 5-7 minutes of churning. We scraped it out and placed it in a tupperware and froze it for about an hour, and it was rock hard. It melts a bit, but still has an oddly hard consistency. Almost like a fudge pop- but harder? The taste is spot-on though… hubby said it reminded him of dark chocolate Haagen Dazs. What could I have done wrong?
Thanks for everything- I made the tiramisu for hubby’s bday and THAT was the most fantastic thing EVER.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hi Jaime! Sorry you had a problem with the texture! What did you use as a sweetener? If you used liquid drops as opposed to the granulated, that might have been part of the problem, but I’m just guessing as I’m really not sure. It does get harder than regular ice cream so you do have to let it sit for a couple of minutes to soften up, but it shouldn’t have gotten stuck in your ice cream maker like that. If you changed the almond milk to heavy cream ration that could also cause an issue because less fat in the recipe would make it harden up as well. Glad you enjoyed the flavor though!!! :)
hina says
I am so glad I found your blog! I was diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes recently, and I am looking to go low carb. I was very depressed at the prospect of not being able to indulge in my favourite desserts. But, these recipes look heavenly and would fit very well with my carb allowance. Could I PLEASE request a green tea flavoured ice cream recipe and a green tea flavoured low carb sugar free cake?
I am just not sure how to get the green tea flavour in my desserts.
Thank you so much! Keep doing what you’re doing! I look fwd to buying your book. It looks great!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I love green tea Hina, thanks for the suggestions! I’ll add them to my list of recipes to develop so keep checking back! :)
Cakemix says
I made this ice cream the other day and I must say, it taste delicious and has the consistency of store bought ones. This recipe is definitely is a keeper.
Mellissa Sevigny says
So glad that you liked it – I love the texture too, because it’s super rich and creamy but without all of the extra junk in store-bought!
Reg says
I just stumbled upon this site while searching for low carb recipes. When my husband (hardcore ice cream junkie) saw this picture he accused me of being mean, leaving this up where he could see it. He was thrilled to hear that it was in the works! It’s in the fridge now, cooling off before going into the ice cream maker. Of course I had to lick off the spoon and it’s AMAZING. I think I’ve found a new home :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Awesome! I hope you guys both liked it! I can’t wait to make it again – I try not to keep it in the freezer or it’s too tempting to eat lots of it in one sitting! ha ha!
Anonymous says
Hello, I am one of your biggest fan. Every post on your blog is so precious to me. However, I have an question. Unfortunately, I don’t have a ice cream maker. Is it impossible to make an ice cream without using a ice cream maker?
Mellissa Sevigny says
You can use the baggie method that I linked to above. I haven’t tried it but I’ve heard it’s really easy and it works. Hope that helps, enjoy! :)
Aimee says
Melissa,
I don’t see the “baggie method” link anywhere in the string? I really want to make this but don’t have an ice cream maker. Can you repost the link?
Thanks, I’m dying to try this!!
Aimee
Mellissa Sevigny says
Here’s one baggie method Aimee – http://teachnet.com/lessonplans/science/plastic-bag-ice-cream-recipe/
Eric says
Great cat story; can’t wait to hear about part 2 when you have to decide what to do after getting her tested…Indoors or out? When you decide to bring her in, keep her in a separate room with the door closed for a few days, so that the other cats can sniff her under the door, then supervise the first few times that they actually meet face to face. After that, as my step-mother said when I called in a panic about bringing home a new kitten to my house dominated by a large male Maine Coon cat, “Cats don’t usually kill each other”. Separate litter boxes help, too. Mine now compete to see who gets to sleep closest to me on the bed!
Chocolate Ice Cream? So much for lost weight!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for the tips Eric! I think we’re going to keep her as our outside kitty since it’s working out well so far, but that could change in a weak moment so I’ll use some of your tips if we end up caving in! :)
Jennifer says
Aaaw, I pray she stays safe. What a sweet story. The ice creams look wonderful, Mellissa. Blessings to you and your family this happy, festive season. :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Jennifer!
Aline says
What a great post! Awwwwww and delicious ice cream, yes, I approve! I am so glad to read how well informed you are about cats. I didn’t expect it otherwise but a lot of people are not aware of the possible dangers when bringing home an untested cat to existing indoor cats. I was also a bit afraid that she might have left on purpose..maybe you know that common saying:When you move (well more the cat here ;)), keep the cats inside for at least 4 weeks to make sure that they won’t try to return to their old and known environment”. Glad that this was not the case here…well no wonder, thinking of where she actually lived before.
Can’t wait for a picture of her, tuxedos and black cats are my favourites so black/orange must be really cute! <3
Can’t wait to try that ice cream, I have some almond milk in my fridge but can’t really stand the taste of it and had no creative idea how to use it yet :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Aline, Rusty is doing great! Her appt isn’t until the 14th and I’m a little concerned that my son is getting so attached to her and that if she does have an untreatable disease and we have to put her down that he’ll be devastated. It’s a risk you take anytime you have a pet I guess. So far she seems in very good health and eating like a champ so we’re optimistic. We love our indoor kitties who are both 8 years old and I could never put them at risk for the sake of a new kitty. Keeping her outside is the perfect solution and it’s working out really well though it breaks my heart when she sits on the stairs meowing to come in. She stays in the yard though and appears to have adopted us so I’m no longer worried that she’ll take off. I took a few photos and I’ll try to post them today if I get a chance! Hope you like the ice cream – you can’t even taste the almond milk so it works well!
Janet NZ says
Mellissa – I’ve been lurking for some time… I just wanted you to know (that I love your recipes) that the outside kitten that we took in in March… is right now… asleep on our bed… The inside cats did NOT approve… at first. Now, they… still hate each other, but.. whatever. Your recipes are wonderful! Thank you XO
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hi Janet, glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes and thanks for commenting! :) So far Rusty is still our “outside kitty” and I think it will stay that way. She loves to be outside and if we let her in she’d be a strictly inside kitty like our others and I hate to restrict her that way since she’s used to playing outside all day. The other thing is that having her out there gets my son to go outside more too. He must head out there 4 or 5 times a day just to be with her and they run and play together which is great. So we’ll see what happens but for now, she’s thriving and it’s working out well to have her in the shed at night and outside during the day. But the first few days were hard not to let her in! I’m glad we stuck to our guns though – but who knows what the next couple of weeks will bring!
A Fat Girls Jouney to Healthy says
I don’t have a microwave. Would heating it up on the stove create the same creamy results? I have tried making ice cream before but it always turns out with a more Popsicle texture? Icy and hard, not so much creamy.
Mellissa Sevigny says
You need plenty of fat to get a creamy texture, this one was perfect! Cooking it over low heat in a saucepan will take about five minutes, just be sure to keep stirring so you don’t scorch the pan or end up with sweet scrambled eggs from cooking it too fast!
Nancy says
Bless you for rescuing the little kitten! He is a very lucky little guy! He sounds adorable and will quickly become a member of the family. Also, love the ice cream recipe!! My son adores choclate, but I don’t make it very often at all. Love that his uses almond milk!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Nancy – Rusty is doing great and eating like a horse! She’s really filling out and we love her to pieces already!
Priscilla says
This is a must try. Saving it for next summer.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Priscilla! Definitely a perfect summer treat – though I don’t think I could go without ice cream until then! :)
Priyanka says
Delicious ice cream….love the second pic…makes me drool
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Priyanka – and it really does taste as good as it looks!
Saguna says
That looks perfect! Hopefully it’ll work with my granulated stevia- it’s not as heavy as sugar but has the same volume so I’ll see how it goes! The mint chocolate one looks amazing too, I think this is about to get dangerous for me. I may just while away my days making and eating ice cream.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Whiling away your days making and eating ice cream sounds like a good plan to me! :)
KIM says
I would really like to know if anyone made this with stevia and did they adjust the quantity and how it turned out. Thank you
JustMaxine55 says
Hmmm….that heart warming story and this delicious looking ice cream…..yes, I forgive you for slacking! ;-)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Maxine, I knew you couldn’t stay mad! ;)