Ice cream is a delicious frozen dessert that people love to eat on a hot summer day or after dinner. The key ingredients in standard ice cream are cream, milk, and sugar. The sugar is added to make the ice cream sweet. But is it possible to make ice cream without adding sugar?
What Gives Ice Cream Its Sweet Taste?
Table sugar, also known as sucrose, is the most commonly used sweetener in ice cream. Sucrose is a disaccharide made up of glucose and fructose. It is extracted from sugarcane or sugar beets. Table sugar has a sweetness intensity of 1, which means it is the standard for measuring the sweetness of other sweeteners.
When table sugar is added to ice cream, it dissolves into the mixture and spreads sweetness throughout each bite. The amount of sugar added contributes to the overall sweet flavor. It also impacts texture, helping ice cream stay scoopable straight from the freezer.
Why Sugar is Added to Ice Cream
There are several reasons why sugar is standard in ice cream recipes:
- Sweet Taste – Sugar makes ice cream taste sweet and delicious.
- Texture – Sugar lowers the freezing point of ice cream, slowing crystallization so it stays creamy and scoopable.
- Mouthfeel – Sugar creates a smooth, lush mouthfeel characteristic of ice cream.
- Caramelization – Caramelization occurs when sugar is heated, contributing to ice cream’s caramel notes.
- Preservation – The high sugar concentration prevents spoilage by bacteria and mold.
In commercial ice cream, sugar accounts for 12-20% of the product. Some premium ice creams have even higher sugar contents. Sugar is deeply ingrained in the expected taste and texture of ice cream.
Can You Make Sugar-Free Ice Cream?
Yes, it is possible to make homemade or commercial ice cream without sugar. However, removing standard table sugar affects the finished product in several ways:
- Less Sweet – Without added sugar, ice cream tastes significantly less sweet.
- Different Texture – The texture may be harder, icier, and not as creamy.
- Less Body – Sugar contributes to the full, thick body expected in ice cream.
- Fast Melting – Sugar-free ice cream often melts faster.
- Mouthfeel – The mouthfeel can seem thin without the lush sweetness.
- Icing – Too much iciness from quick freezing and lack of sugar’s effect.
While you can make sugar-free ice cream, the end result will be quite different from what people expect when they eat traditional ice cream.
Alternatives to Table Sugar
To make reduced sugar or no-sugar ice cream, alternative sweeteners need to be used. Here are some options:
Natural Sweeteners
- Honey – Provides sweetness along with some nutrients. Sweeter than sugar so less is needed.
- Maple Syrup – Made from boiled sap of maple trees. Has earthy, caramel-like sweetness.
- Coconut Sugar – Derived from the sap of coconut palm flowers. Minerals like iron and potassium.
- Date Syrup – Made by boiling dates. Rich, almost caramel-like sweetness.
- Stevia – Extracted from stevia plant leaves. Up to 200 times sweeter than sugar.
- Monk Fruit – Natural sweeteners derived from monk fruit. Around 100-250 times sweeter than sugar.
- Yacon Syrup – Made from yacon root. Contains prebiotics and half as sweet as sugar.
These natural sweeteners can provide sweetness for sugar-free ice cream, but may alter flavor compared to table sugar.
Artificial Sweeteners
- Aspartame – Commonly sold as Equal or NutraSweet. Around 200 times sweeter than sugar.
- Sucralose – Known as Splenda. Derived from sugar but 600 times sweeter.
- Saccharin – One of the oldest artificial sweeteners. Up to 700 times sweeter than table sugar.
- Acesulfame Potassium – Sold as Sunett or Sweet One. About 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Artificial sweeteners provide intensely sweet flavor without calories or carbs. But they may have an aftertaste. And they don’t contribute to texture or melting the way real sugar does.
Tips for Making Sugar-Free Ice Cream
It is challenging to make reduced sugar ice cream with the same creamy texture and sweet indulgence as normal ice cream. Here are some tips:
- Choose sweeteners carefully based on flavor and sweetness intensity needed.
- Use a blend of sweeteners for better flavor.
- Add a small amount of sugar alcohol like erythritol to improve texture.
- Include cream, egg yolks, or xanthan gum to help mimic the lush texture from sugar.
- Freeze in an ice cream maker for proper churning and incorporation of air.
- Store in freezer for 1-2 hours before serving for optimum texture.
- Enjoy right after served, as it may freeze harder if left to sit.
While not exactly the same, you can create delicious sugar-free ice cream with a well-chosen blend of alternative sweeteners and the right method.
Sugar-Free Ice Cream Brands
Many brands now offer ice cream made without traditional sugar. Here are some popular options:
| Brand | Sweeteners Used | Carbs/Serving |
|---|---|---|
| Halo Top | Erythritol, Stevia | 16-24g |
| Enlightened | Erythritol, Monk Fruit | 8-16g |
| Breyers CarbSmart | Aspartame | 2-5g |
| Rebel Creamery | Monk Fruit, Allulose | 1-4g |
These brands use combinations of natural and artificial sweeteners to create low sugar ice cream options. But the taste and texture may not be identical to sugary ice cream.
Recipes for Sugar-Free Ice Cream
Basic Sugar-Free Ice Cream
This recipe uses stevia and almond milk for a simple, no-sugar-added ice cream.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups almond milk
- 1/2 tsp stevia powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions:
- Whisk together almond milk, stevia, vanilla and salt.
- Stir in heavy cream.
- Pour into ice cream maker and churn 25-35 minutes per manufacturer instructions.
- Transfer to airtight container and freeze for 1-2 hours before serving.
French Vanilla Sugar-Free Ice Cream
The cream cheese and xanthan gum help improve the texture in this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup powdered erythritol
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
Instructions:
- Mix heavy cream and cream cheese until smooth.
- Beat in erythritol, vanilla and xanthan gum.
- Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Freeze 1-2 hours before serving.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sugar-Free Ice Cream
The chunks of cookie dough provide sweetness and texture to complement the ice cream.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 2/3 cup powdered erythritol
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Cookie Dough Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp almond flour
- 2 tbsp powdered erythritol
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp almond milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Whisk together cream, half and half, erythritol and 1 tsp vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, stir cookie dough ingredients except chocolate chips. Fold in chips.
- Churn ice cream base in ice cream maker. Add cookie dough chunks in last 5 minutes.
- Transfer to container and freeze 1-2 hours before serving.
Nutrition Facts of Sugar-Free Ice Cream
Since they contain little to no sugar, sugar-free ice creams are lower in calories and carbs. But nutrition can vary based on ingredients used.
| 1/2 Cup Serving | Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halo Top (Vanilla) | 60 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Enlightened (Butter Pecan) | 60 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Breyers CarbSmart (Chocolate) | 50 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Basic sugar-free recipe | 125 | 12 | 1 | 1 |
As you can see, sugar-free options are significantly lower in carbs and calories compared to regular ice cream, which has 13-18g carbs and 145-167 calories per half cup.
The Scoop on Sugar-Free Ice Cream
Sugar-free ice cream provides a way to enjoy the cold, creamy treat while limiting sugar and carbs. But it does require some substitutions to try to mimic the sweetness, texture, and taste provided by real sugar. Brands combine sweeteners like stevia, erythritol, and sucralose to reduce sugar and calories.
While you can purchase or make sugar-free ice cream, expect that it may taste different and freeze harder than sweetened options. Look for recipes that incorporate ingredients like cream, egg yolks, or xanthan gum to help counteract the lack of sugar. Overall, sugar-free ice cream can be a tasty lower-carb treat, though it doesn’t perfectly replicate the real deal.
