This Creamy Keto Low Carb Butter Pecan Ice Cream is not only an easy recipe, it tastes incredibly similar to traditional sugar filled butter pecan ice cream! You can make this with to without an ice cream machine!
The Best Sugar Free Keto Ice Cream
When it comes to ice cream one thing is certain, it’s got to be creamy for that perfect mouth feel. With the right combination of flavors, just one spoonful, will linger on your tongue for days, bringing you back again for another taste.
Creating the perfect keto ice cream that can hold up against traditional sugary ice cream is no small feat, but today’s recipe will make you believe in miracles. You can enjoy this luscious ice cream in your low carb life style for little effort in the kitchen and few carbs.
Churn or No Churn Ice Cream
Using an ice cream machine is truly the very best way to create that texture you’ll remember from before your low carb days. If you have a stand mixer, like a KitchenAid, you can get an attachment to make ice cream so you wouldn’t need another separate appliance. I have this one.
If you really want to try this recipe but don’t have an ice cream machine then try whipping the heavy cream in a stand mixer and set aside. Melt the butter and gradually add it to the egg yolks then try blending it in the mixer together then pouring into the loaf pan and freezing. I can’t say this is the best method for a creamy ice cream, but let me know if you do try it.
For the best results I highly recommend using an ice cream machine or attachment.
Nut Free Option
Since the base of the ice cream itself is completely nut free, you can certainly leave out the added pecans to make this nut free. It will still be a BUTTERY CREAMY Maple flavored ice cream and I’m sure you’ll love it.
Try adding other items like sugar free chocolate chips instead of nuts for a bit of texture. Or crumble my low carb vanilla wafers into it or stir in my crumble mixture from my cookies and cream dip!
Tasty Toppings
You obviously don’t need any toppings but if you’re really in the mood for delicious, top this ice cream with more toasted pecans and a little drizzle of Choczero Maple Pecan syrup or Sukrin Fiber Gold Syrup.
If you’re more of a chocolate kind of person, my DIY Sugar Free Magic Shell would be awesome on top of this!
Brenda’s Notes:
- If you don’t have Swerve just use any sweetener of choice you prefer.
- Again if you don’t have the Choczero sweetener that’s fine too just use what you like, and add more maple extract, but I do highly recommend trying the Choczero sweetener.
- If you don’t have MCT oil you can replace it with vodka. Both of these help to keep the soft texture after freezing.
Enjoy!
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Keto Low Carb Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Swerve sweetener confectioners
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tsp maple extract
- 1 tbsp Choczero Maple Pecan sweetener or sweetener of choice
- 1 tbsp MCT oil
- 2 tbsp pecans toasted, chopped
Instructions
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Melt the butter, heavy cream, Swerve sweetener and salt in a small sauce pan. Heat over low heat do not boil.
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Whisk egg yolks until light in color. Take a spoonful of the butter cream mixture and stir into the yolks to temper them. Continue with a few more spoonfuls then gradually add in the remaining yolk into the mixture on the stove.
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Continue to stir until mixture thickens over low heat, and coats the back of a spoon, 175 degrees F. Pour into a bowl to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.
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Then add maple extract and Choczero sweetener or sweetener of choice and MCT oil.
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Once combined pour mixture into your ice cream machine. Follow manufacturer's instructions. Stir in pecans then spread ice cream into an 8 by 5 loaf pan and freeze for 2-3 hours for soft serve.
Mae says
April 10, 2018 at 8:12 amI can’t have milk so can you make this with coconut cream?
Brenda says
April 10, 2018 at 2:58 pmI’ve not tried it but I think it could work.
Vickie Maness says
April 10, 2018 at 10:23 pmThis looks so delicious! I do not have MCT oil, do you think that coconut oil might work as a replacement? I have every other ingredient… 🙂
Brenda says
April 11, 2018 at 7:16 amNo coconut oil will harden when cold, MCT oil will not and will keep the texture smooth instead of icy. Try vodka instead.
Steve Pritchett says
August 12, 2018 at 11:55 amWould Bourbon work instead of Vodka?
Jane says
April 19, 2018 at 2:26 pmMany keto icecream recipes call for vegetable glycerin instead off mtc oil for the same purpose. I would prefer to use mtc oil but if you have the glycerin…
Anil Anand says
April 12, 2018 at 1:05 ami will try making this at home. Yummy Ice – cream.
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Janel says
April 13, 2018 at 1:25 pmBrenda, what is MCT oil?
Brenda says
April 14, 2018 at 7:29 amMedium Chain Triglycerides, a fatty acid with so many health benefits. Here’s more info from Dr.Axe https://draxe.com/mct-oil/
No Junk says
April 13, 2018 at 3:34 pmI like to brown my butter before adding the other ingredients. It was the first keto ice cream recipe that I tried and I LOVE it!
No Junk says
April 13, 2018 at 3:36 pmI also don’t add maple flavoring, just vanilla. The browned butter adds all the flavor.
Noel says
April 14, 2018 at 9:18 pmWhat is the serving size of the nutritional guide. 1/2 cup??
Brenda says
April 15, 2018 at 7:06 amright under the title of the recipe, 8 servings @ 1/2 cup
mary says
April 20, 2018 at 12:15 pmI don’t have an ice cream maker, can I do this in the freezer?
Brenda says
April 20, 2018 at 1:15 pmI mentioned the method without using an ice cream machine under the title that say, Churn or No Churn.
mary says
April 20, 2018 at 3:34 pmThank you so much, I’m going to order that part for the Kitchenaid!
Mary says
April 26, 2018 at 10:01 pmI can’t have dairy. I plan to use coconut cream in place of the heavy cream. Would butter flavored coconut oil work instead of butter?
Brenda says
April 27, 2018 at 6:08 amI think so though I have not tested that out.
Mary says
April 29, 2018 at 8:42 amThanks! I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Anitha says
April 30, 2018 at 1:55 pmI just put this in the ice cream maker and the taste before is yummy. I did not see the comments but I added coconut oil but very little. Looking forward to sharing this with my kids.
TK says
May 3, 2018 at 4:33 pmI wanted to share since I did not use an ice cream maker. I followed the directions and whipped the cream in a standing mixer & then added the saucepan of butter, eggs, etc into the cream S L O W L Y, then I added the pecans. It turned out GREAT. My only advice is to maybe up the amount of MCT oil. I used the correct amount but it’s kind of like chiseling a giant fat bomb. 😉
Brenda says
May 4, 2018 at 6:22 amThank you for sharing!
Linda Call says
May 6, 2018 at 6:09 pmThe choc zero maple pecan syrup says it’s keto – but it’s made from corn and tapioca solids. Corn is not keto.
Replacement?
Brenda says
May 7, 2018 at 6:55 amMaple flavored syrup from Lakanto sweetened with monk fruit would be a good replacement. https://amzn.to/2IeZaxJ
LynC says
August 27, 2018 at 12:48 pmEverything from ChocZero is keto. The ingredients for the Maple Pecan syrup is Liquid vegetable fiber, natural toasted pecan flavor, natural maple flavor and monk fruit extract. It does not have corn or tapioca solids.
Gina says
May 24, 2018 at 3:45 pmWhen I put my ingredients into my app it gives me 8 carbs per serving. The only thing I changed was Monk fruit instead of swerve and I used the vodka instead of mct. I’m not sure the change in sugar added 6 carbs per half cup. I even used half the amount of sweetener as well.
Brenda says
May 24, 2018 at 4:18 pmI don’t count the carbs from Swerve in my recipes as it is directly excreted through urine and never actually enters bloodstream so it has little effect on blood glucose. Monk sweetener may have carbs that you counted?
Dense Meyers says
June 3, 2018 at 4:28 pmI have not read all the comments, sorry if this is a repeat. The nutritional information says it is for one serving but I didn’t see how many servings the whole recipe contains or what the serving size is. Do you have that info?
Brenda says
June 4, 2018 at 6:51 amRight under the title in the recipe card, it shows 8 servings @ 1/2 cup each.
Ursula L Banks says
June 25, 2018 at 10:43 pmMade this last night. I subbed vodka for MCT oil and I left out the pecans. I also used an ice cream maker. Taste is phenomenal. Texture is DISGUSTING (I’m talking frozen, crumbly, sandy, butter chunks, disgusting.) HELP! What did I do wrong?
Brenda says
June 26, 2018 at 10:20 amDid you use an ice cream machine? How long did it churn? Did you let the mixture chill in the fridge before adding it to the ice cream machine?
Ursula says
June 26, 2018 at 11:57 amI did use an ice cream machine. I chilled the mixture in the fridge for approximately six hours before churning. I churned twice (40 minutes each time) because the texture looked very odd after the first churn.
Brenda says
June 26, 2018 at 7:10 pmI’m so sorry. I’m stumped then I’ve no idea why you had trouble with it. Did you bring the mixture to a boil on the stove?
Ursula says
June 26, 2018 at 10:40 pmYes, but only for about 30 second-not long enough?
Joda says
August 3, 2018 at 1:38 amDON’T “boil” eggs — you cook them that way. You probably had chunks of cooked egg in your ice cream. Just get it over about 155 degrees. Even that isn’t really necessary unless you’re worried about bacteria.
Kris says
July 24, 2018 at 11:42 amThis turned out amazing! The taste is addictive. I don’t know if I would have self control other than the fact it is so rich. Right out of the ice cream machine it was very smooth and fluffy. This morning after being in the freezer (yes I said morning) it is very hard. So, I’ll try with more mct or vegetable glycerin. Either way a quick sit on the counter and it will soften. Thanks.
kellkit says
July 24, 2018 at 1:02 pmI have been keto for two years. I have lost 55 lbs. and feel better than ever, at 60 years old. My one weakness has always been ice cream, which is a no-no on the keto way of eating. I made this yesterday and it is absolutely fabulous!!! It is very filling and you cannot eat a lot of it. I did not have Choczero but used Lakanto Maple Flavored Sugar-Free Syrup. I see myself using this base and adding many different flavors. Thanks, so much for this wonderful recipe.
Kelley
Brenda says
July 24, 2018 at 3:24 pmThanks so much Kelley!
Sara says
July 24, 2018 at 3:39 pmI love this & have made it a couple of times (didn’t use the ChocZero due to ingredients). But today I motioned the pecans & maple flavoring as well. I added blueberry extract & made a syrup using cooked, sweetened, strained blueberries & swirled it in before freezing. Oh my goodness!! It was awesome!!!
Brenda says
July 24, 2018 at 4:12 pmThank you Sara!
Julie Ransopher Baker says
July 26, 2018 at 7:07 amHi Brenda,
Have you ever tired adding peanut butter to this? Thanks! Julie
Brenda says
July 26, 2018 at 7:23 amNo but that sounds like a great idea!
Genyl Bayona says
October 17, 2018 at 8:34 pmIf you are keto, you CANNOT add peanut butter.
Brenda says
October 18, 2018 at 6:41 amNot sure where you are getting your information but you can have peanut butter on a keto diet. All nuts are allowed.
Lynn says
November 10, 2018 at 11:13 amNuts, yes. Peanuts are a legume. It’s a no for strict Keto.
Samantha Lundnlad says
August 3, 2018 at 2:02 pmHow far ahead can you make and store the mixture before you churn it?
Brenda says
August 4, 2018 at 7:24 pmAt least 24 hours.
Bri says
August 8, 2018 at 5:54 pmTHE BEST ICE CREAM EVER! I had to tell because it’s so delish! Thank you!
Brenda says
August 8, 2018 at 8:52 pmThank you!
sammy says
August 19, 2018 at 8:27 pmI made this and had to post it on my IG I’ve made lots of ice cream but this recipe is honestly “The BEST ONE EVER!!”
Its so creamy I really couldn’t believe it and soft!
I used the 1 tablespoon vodka as a substitute as I didn’t have MCT. Even hubby asked where I bought it and said I should have got more haha!
I’m going to try more if your recipes thanks so much @sugarfreemom!!!!
Thanks so much,
IG: shrinking Sammy
Brenda says
August 20, 2018 at 10:12 amThank you so much Sammy!
Slammbo says
August 21, 2018 at 5:53 pmCan you add cocoa? And at what point would you add, after chilled or while on stove?
Brenda says
August 22, 2018 at 7:57 amHmm sorry I’ve haven’t experimented with it, not sure on how much, don’t want it to change the texture.
Annette says
August 26, 2018 at 5:38 pmIf using vodka instead of MTC oil is it the same measurement?
Brenda says
August 27, 2018 at 7:35 amSame amount
Audrey says
September 20, 2018 at 1:14 amSwerve; granulated or confectioners? Thanks.
Brenda says
September 20, 2018 at 7:09 amconfectioners is better for this recipe
Jeff Hughes says
October 2, 2018 at 1:30 pmHI BRENDA,
I LOVE YOUR RECIPES. I MUST SAY WITH THIS ONE I HAVE MADE TWICE AND I’M HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THE TEXTURE. THE FIRST TIME I PUT MIXTURE IN FRIDGE FOR 30 MINUTES THEN CHURNED FOR 30 MINUTES AND IT CAME OUT VERY WATERY. THE SECOND TIME I PUT THE MIXTURE IN THE FREEZER FOR 40 MINUTES THEN CHURNED FOR 35 MINUTES AND IT STILL CAME OUT JUST AS WATERY? THE TASTE IS OUT OF THIS WORLD BUT MOST OTHER KETO ICE CREAM RECIPES COME OUT OF THE ICE CREAM MAKER READY TO EAT.
ANY SUGGESTIONS??
Jeff
Brenda Bennett says
October 2, 2018 at 8:22 pmI’m not sure why it’s watery. The only thing I can think of is that you didn’t wait long enough to allow the butter and cream to thicken in the pan. If you took it off the heat before allowing it to thicken that’s probably what the issue is. If you make it again, you could always try adding a 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum while your heating the butter and cream and that will surely thicken it.
Hailey says
October 7, 2018 at 7:47 pmAmazing! I candied the pecans on the stovetop in a little swerve/water/butter/maple/vanilla and then toasted in oven, and then cooled them before adding to ice cream mixture and it was amazing. Wonderful recipe and sugar free. Wow. Thank you.
Tara Gaston says
November 7, 2018 at 5:31 pmOH, MY, GOSH!! This ice cream is so incredibly decadent! It taste even better than a full sugar version and I am not easily swayed! Pretty sure my eyes roll back in my head while eating it. I did not have the choczero so I used Walden Farms pancake syrup and an extra 1/2 tsp of maple flavor. I also made candied pecans (butter and swerve granulated) and put them in this recipe. The whole thing is just amazing! I highly recommend trying this recipe! Bravo!
Brenda says
November 8, 2018 at 7:47 amThanks so much Tara! Did you have any tips for those that mentioned in the comments, having an issue with the texture?
Sherri says
November 17, 2018 at 4:45 pmOh my GOODNESS, this was soooo delicious! I made it exactly like your recipe and its perfect! I think i may even like it better than the regular kind. Now ive got to check out what other recipes youve got. Thank you!
Caralyn Silver says
December 10, 2018 at 4:37 pmI just made this and it was AMAZING. I plan to use the base recipe (minus the flavorings) to make other flavor ice creams in the future. This is the best, easiest recipe I have found. Thank you so much!!
Melanie S. Murray says
December 11, 2018 at 12:12 amHey Brenda, i made this once. But that didn’t taste good. Your recipe seems right to me.i will make it again in your way. Hope this time its taste will be good.thanks for sharing this article. Keep posting like this.good wishes.. 🙂
Qiana says
December 27, 2018 at 6:29 pmI received an ice cream maker as a gift for Christmas and this recipe was my first try and WOW oh WOW! I have never tasted butter pecan ice cream so delicious before in my life! Thank you thank you thank you for sharing this recipe! I didn’t have the mct oil but did have some mct oil powder vanilla flavored on hand. Also didn’t have the chocZero but used a tbsp of Jamaican rum cream and lakanto maple syrup instead. Just WOW again, I keep thinking that this can’t be low carb!!?!?!?!?!? But it is and I’m in heaven! 😘
Julie says
December 29, 2018 at 3:46 pmHi!
Just thinking of what I have in my cabinet already. Can beef gelatin be used instead of MCT oil, to serve the same purpose? Cannot use vodka as some family members do not consume alcohol. Thanks!
Brenda says
December 29, 2018 at 3:59 pmThat might work instead of MCT oil or vodka, let me know.
Julie says
February 10, 2019 at 8:04 amI’ve used beef gelatin and it works until everything is frozen solid. I bought MCT oil hoping that would be the magic ingredient, and I just took it out of the freezer from last night and it’s a brick of ice. I need an ice pick. So I don’t see any difference versus without MCT oil. I also tried vodka on one occasion and I could taste it (we don’t drink much), so I wasn’t interested in making it with vodka again.
What could I be doing wrong??? Thanks.
Amy Hester says
January 21, 2019 at 3:59 pmI am coming up with 16g carb per serving.
Brenda says
January 22, 2019 at 7:16 amI do not count Swerve (erythritol) in my recipes as it does not effect blood sugar.
Julia says
January 28, 2019 at 5:20 pmThank you for this recipe. I followed it precisely, and used my ice cream maker – churned for well over an hour, but it did not thicken up; it stayed liquid. I now have it in the freezer, but, based on my past experience, shouldn’t it be like a creamy soft serve after churning? wonder what I did wrong. Before churning,I did let it chill in the frig for an hour because it still felt warm after 30 minutes.
Brenda says
January 29, 2019 at 8:49 amYou churned it for over an hour? Could it be your machine? Mine was ready after just 10 minutes of churning.
Aika Ignacio says
February 5, 2019 at 8:37 pmWhat an appetizing post! I’m craving for ice cream these days but I’m restricting myself not to eat it as I have gestational diabetes and I’m keeping my blood glucose at a normal level. However, since this is sugar-free, maybe I can try this at home.
Rachelle says
March 5, 2019 at 6:54 pmI just made this and it’s yummy. I used half Swerve and half stevia and vodka instead of mct oil. I also added cake batter flavoring and no nuts. Very tasty and firmed up nicely but it was gritty…. Not sure why. I used an ice cream maker. I didn’t use choczero but stevia…. Maybe that was it. I guess next time I can try liquid stevia to see if that helps. Great recipe though thanks!!!
Cherie Sullivan says
March 17, 2019 at 3:27 pmTry confection not granular unless you cook on stove top to desolate.
Cherie Sullivan says
March 17, 2019 at 3:25 pmHow do I make this just plain churn vanilla ice cream? I don’t want a buttery flavor. I know not to add the butter then, but anything else I should omit? Thank you, I’m having a hard time finding keto vanilla ice cream CHURN methods. I want to use my ice cream maker. I also don’t want a recipe with tons of eggs, that’s actually custard ice cream, not just ice cream. Thank you so much
Cindy Gise says
April 17, 2019 at 5:19 pmI made this yesterday and had some issues. First, it makes a very small amount. That’s ok. Second, I used my ice cream freezer and it never increased in volume. Third, it took forever for it to start freezing. Double the time it takes to make my 6 quarts peach ice cream with regular ingredients. Fourth, the taste was so rich a person could only eat a spoonful.
My suggestion – it needs milk added to get the volume in a ice cream freezer and tone down the richness. The flavor was very good – just too rich.
While I have to limit carbs and fat, I don’t do keto for several other health reasons. Making for a co-worker looking for a special treat. I will adjust your recipe and see what happens. Always fun trying new recipes.
Sandi says
April 28, 2019 at 2:49 pmJust made this and it is so delicious and creamy! Wow! I did use Lankato maple syrup and vodka as subs for the choczero and MCT because that’s what I had on hand. I also candied the pecans with swerve and vanilla as another commenter suggested. The only problem is that I wish I made a double batch. Haha! Thank you for this recipe!! 😁
Tracy H says
June 12, 2019 at 9:38 amOkay, it’s been churning for over 20 mins and not getting thicker. I used Vodka instead of MCT and more Swerve instead of the other ChocZero. Other directions followed to a tee. .
What could be the issue? Should I have waited until the end to add Vodka??
Please help. I’m so disappointed.
Brenda says
June 12, 2019 at 9:49 amCould it be a problem with your ice cream machine? Was the bowl frozen?
Josy says
June 16, 2019 at 1:08 amI just started keto 2 weeks ago and needed to make something for my husband for his birthday and Father’s Day. OMG this is AMAZING! Thank you so much for the recipe!