I Tried 7 Keto-Friendly Ice Creams — Here's The Winner

Alas, our favorite flavors from the local scoop shop are also laden with sugar, calories, and carbs. Not to mention the struggle of portion control when it comes to store-bought pints. Enter the widening low-carb ice cream aisle.

Being a writer in the health space, as well as someone who leans toward a low-carb, low-sugar lifestyle, I’ve tried my fair share of keto ice creams. Most of them have been delicious, with some even rivaling the decadence of traditional ice cream.

So with summer in full swing, I decided to rank the keto ice creams I’ve tried from worst to best. My ranking is based on three factors: consistency (how creamy it is), flavor (how well it compares to non-keto ice cream), and the calorie and carb counts per serving.

Here we go!

Serving size: ⅔ cup
Calories: 50
Net carbs: 8 grams

This pint doesn’t offer that thick, creamy cake batter consistency I desire. It’s icy and hard straight out of the pint and thin and watery once softened — which makes sense since Arctic Zero is a dairy-free, water-based ice cream that uses gums and faba bean protein as thickeners and allulose and monkfruit as sweeteners. While it’s super low in calories, carbs, and sugar, this flavor has zero fat, which may be a bummer for keto dieters trying to meet their daily fat macros. Since I’m not keto, this wasn’t a problem for me. It’s the taste that makes me never want to dig my spoon into Arctic Zero again.

Serving size: ⅔ cup
Calories: 110
Net carbs: 4 grams

This carb smart ice cream is pretty bland — even for vanilla. As keto ice creams go, this one didn’t feel worth it. The taste and texture didn’t hold a candle to real vanilla ice cream. It also uses maltitol for sweetness, which some keto dieters like to avoid for its higher glycemic index.

Serving size: ⅔ cup
Calories: 160
Net carbs: 8 grams

I don’t find Halo Top’s keto ice creams to be as rich and indulgent as other keto pints I’vetried. The texture is a bit icy — but definitely not as icy as Arctic Zero. Since I love bananas, I was excited to give keto Halo Top another try. Unfortunately, this missed the mark. For a milk-based keto pint, I expect a creamy, rich texture, but this felt like eating light ice cream. I did love that it’s higher in protein (18 grams) and has a moderate 12 grams of fat per serving. There are nine other flavors in Halo Top’s keto series, as well as newly introduced ice cream bars.

Serving size: ⅔ cup
Calories: 210
Net carbs: 2 grams

This rich mint chip ice cream is super creamy and delicious — so much so that it’s hard for me to maintain a single serving size. It is sweetened with erythritol and monk fruit, so there’s zero sugar, and neither of these sweeteners do not cause any digestive distress for me in this recipe of ice cream. However, some stomachs are sensitive to erythritol.

Yet I do have one issue: I can devour half a pint of Rebel ice cream in one day, easily. For that reason, I prefer lower calorie ice creams that also happen to be low carb. I don’t have enough willpower to put the pint away after one serving! Next I’ll have to try Rebel’s ice cream sandwiches, which have around 300 calories per sandwich. The double chocolate mint chip sandwich sounds delicious!

Serving size: ⅔ cup
Calories: 210
Net carbs: 3 grams

If you want a super rich keto ice cream with mix-ins that don’t skimp on taste, you’ve got that here. This triple chocolate brownie is fudgy, smooth, and dotted with chocolate chips for crunch. Sweetened with erythritol, this pint is gluten free, soy free, and uses hormone-free milk. It has five grams of satiating protein per serving and 18 grams of fat.

I liked this ice cream so much that I’m apt to try the brand’s keto ice cream bars, which are around 160 calories per bar. The peanut butter cup ice cream bars stand out in particular, since I’m such a peanut butter and chocolate lover.

Serving size: ½ cup
Calories: 200
Net carbs: 1 gram

This pint is almost too good for me to keep in my fridge because it’s so decadent, smooth, and flavorful. The peanut butter flavor is prominent throughout and the brownie cookie dough adds texture and some rich chocolate flavor. With 18 grams of fat, it’s also higher in calories per serving, so you may need to stick to one serving. But that serving will probably be one of the tastiest keto scoops you’ve had!

Serving size: ½ cup
Calories: 90
Net carbs: 5 grams

Nick’s ice cream is not only keto-friendly, it’s also low in calories. You can eat an entire pint of this delicious peanut butter flavor for 360 calories. It’s part of Nick’s keto-friendly line, which includes other flavors like butter pecan, birthday cake, pistachio, and more.

I loved this flavor for the Reese’s-style peanut butter cups laced throughout the pint. Nick’s makes Swedish-style light ice creams that have a creamy, rich texture with no added sugar. I loved this pint so much that I joined the brand’s ice cream subscription, as well as their keto protein bar subscription. At 200 calories each, the bars taste like Snickers and make a perfect post-workout or midday snack. You can also chop them up and use them as ice cream toppings.