5 low-carb ice creams less likely to spike your blood sugar
Creamy and satisfying, these low-carb ice creams use natural sweeteners less likely to trigger blood sugar spikes or impair metabolic health.
When you’re eating for metabolic health, whole foods reign supreme. But that doesn’t mean all convenience foods are off-limits. This ongoing series highlights some of the most metabolically friendly packaged foods found in popular supermarkets.
As much as they may love it, most people blacklist ice cream if they’re eating for a specific health goal. A pint is typically high in calories, sugars, and fat and light on beneficial nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals. In fact, some popular ice cream varieties contain over 30 grams of sugar per serving, and according to Levels data, ice cream causes an average of a 31 mg/dL glucose rise and low zone score of 5.6 (out of 10).
Ice cream also causes a significant insulin response, partly because dairy appears to be an insulin secretagogue, which means it causes your body to release insulin independent of glucose. That means that some people can eat regular ice cream and not see a blood sugar spike since all that insulin shuttles the glucose out of the bloodstream quickly, but that doesn’t mean ice creams with added sugar are good for you—your body still has to deal with all that glucose.
However, with non-dairy, keto, and low-carb ice creams on the rise, it’s possible to eat ice cream while minimizing the effects on metabolic health. Many of these new varieties are lower in sugar, sugar free, or use alternative sweeteners, so they have less impact on blood glucose. The trouble is, not every option delivers the flavor and creamy consistency you crave. So we scoured the grocery store aisles and taste-tested the top low-carb ice cream brands to identify the most recommended varieties. Here’s what we found.
Shopping Advice
When selecting an ice cream that will have minimal effects on your blood glucose and metabolic health, but delivers the flavor experience you want, keep the following in mind:
1. Serving size
Although all of the ice creams listed below use ⅔ cup as a serving size, some brands still consider ½ cup a serving. Others tout the number of carbohydrates per pint, so read the label closely so you can compare equal portions.
2. Sweeteners
Choose ice creams with natural sweeteners. Options such as stevia, allulose, and monk fruit don’t appear to impact blood glucose or insulin levels. Note that while sugar alcohols like xylitol and erythritol have minimal or no effect on glucose and insulin, these can upset some people’s GI systems.
3. Additives
Different flavors may contain questionable ingredients such as carrageenan (a seaweed extract linked to inflammation that may lead to inflammatory bowel disease) and artificial colors such as titanium dioxide and Red 40 (which may damage DNA). You may want to avoid these.
4. Toppings
Traditional ice cream toppings such as chocolate sauce, sprinkles, and cookie crumbles would pile sugar onto your dessert. Lucky for you, many popular low-carb ice creams have non-sugary versions of these ingredients already mixed in. Of the ones we tested, the selections below were the most generously incorporated. Conversely, topping your dessert with nutritious foods like nuts and seeds would add protein, fat, and fiber that may help stave off a glucose spike.
5. Consistency
Some popular low-carb ice cream brands are known for having a dry, chalky consistency. This is mostly due to the low-fat content in their formulations. Fat from dairy, and dairy alternatives such as coconut milk, deliver the creamy, scoopable texture you associate with “real” ice cream. When comparing nutrition, remember that a higher fat content may offer better consistency and a more satisfying flavor.
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5 Low-Carb Ice Creams to Satisfy Common Cravings
Rebel Coffee Chip Ice Cream
This full-fat, keto-friendly ice cream has a creamy coffee ice cream base and plenty of chocolate chips. It’s sweetened with the sugar alcohol erythritol and monk fruit. That means there are less than 3 grams of net carbs (total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols) per serving. Plus, the fats from the heavy-cream base help slow digestion, which means your blood glucose levels may rise more slowly. Among Levels members’ food logs, “Rebel Ice Cream” caused a 15 mg/dL glucose rise, scoring a positive 8.2 (out of 10). Rebel brand also has a few fruit flavors to choose from (rare among keto ice creams). Orange Cream and Black Raspberry are both tasty options. Across the board, Rebel’s low-carb ice cream flavors all taste great.
Per serving (â…” cup): 210 calories, 21 g fat (14 g sat), 16 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 0 g sugars, 3 g protein, 75 mg sodiumPrice: $5.99* per pint
Nubocha Chocolate Arriba Gelato
With a deep, dark, rich flavor, it’s hard to believe this low-carb gelato is dairy-free. The main ingredient after water is a low-calorie sweetener called allulose. Your body excretes most of this sugar through your urine, so it is unlikely to impact blood glucose or insulin levels. Note that Nubocha is only available online and in select retailers, so it’s more expensive than other options.
Per serving (â…” cup): 100 calories, 8 g fat (3 g sat), 31 g carbs, 1 fiber, 0 sugars, 2 g protein, 95 mg sodiumPrice: $12 per pint
Enlightened Keto P.B. Cookie & Brownie Dough
Enlightened uses heavy cream and egg yolks for a rich consistency and erythritol, allulose, monk fruit, and stevia to sweeten this vanilla ice cream with a peanut butter swirl and chunks of brownies. Let the pint sit at room temp for 5-10 minutes for the best texture. Their Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter pint is another delicious option. One possible drawback with this treat: It contains several gums (tara gum, guar gum, carob bean gum, xanthan gum, and guar gum), some of which may cause digestive problems in some people, especially in large doses.
Per serving (â…” cup): 230 calories, 20 g fat (11 g sat), 20 g carbs, 5 g fiber, <1 g sugars, 6 g protein, 130 mg sodiumPrice: $9 per pint
Nick’s Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream Birthdäg Cake
This is the ice cream form of Funfetti cake, complete with loads of sprinkles. Unlike many brands, though, Nick’s uses vegetable juice rather than artificial coloring to naturally dye the sprinkles. In addition to allulose, erythritol, and stevia, this low-carb ice cream pint contains EPG (esterified propoxylated glycerol) oil, a low-calorie modified plant-based oil that doesn’t appear to cause gastrointestinal problems as Olestra did. Nick’s Peanöt Choklad Cup is another tasty choice.
Per serving (â…” cup): 80 calories, 5 g fat (4 g sat), 21 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 0 g sugars, 3 g protein, 105 mg sodiumPrice: $9.99 per pint
So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Mint Chip Coconutmilk Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
This dairy-free option with chocolate flakes in every bite is as creamy as regular ice cream, thanks to a coconut milk base. Erythritol, stevia, and monk fruit balance to create a non-bitter sweetness, and there’s just the right amount of mint flavor. Butter pecan is another delicious flavor.
Per serving (â…” cup): 160 calories, 11 g fat (10 g sat), 25 g carbs, 11 g fiber, 2 g sugars, 2 g protein, 115 mg sodiumPrice: $6.39
* The prices in this article reflect those listed by the retailer at the time of publication. Prices and local store availability may vary.
Or just make your own low-carb ice cream…
And here are two recipes if you prefer to skip the store and just make your own low-carb ice cream:
4 Ingredient Dairy-Free Keto Ice Cream: With only coconut milk, almond butter, vanilla extract, and stevia, this vegan low-carb ice cream is as simple as it gets and still maintains a creamy texture.
Almond Milk Ice Cream: This basic recipe built around almond milk and nut butter can be customized for your flavor of choice, from cookie dough to mint chocolate chip. There’s also directions for what to do if you don’t have an ice cream maker.
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