This content originally appeared on Sugar-Free Mom. Republished with permission.
This creamy Blackberry Gelato is low-carb, keto, without sugar added, and made in 3 simple steps! Nothing better on a hot summer day and just 2 grams net carbs!
HOMEMADE ICE CREAM WITH BLACKBERRIES
It’s a known fact how good berries are for you. They’re full of antioxidants and phytochemicals as well as vitamins, minerals and fiber. I am constantly trying to get my kids to enjoy more berries when they want something sweet in their day.
Berries are all-natural, unprocessed and keto friendly so your blood sugar levels won’t spike enjoying a small serving of berries on your ketogenic diet. When I want to curb my sweet tooth I opt for berries with my sugar-free whipped cream on top!
Not to mention that berries, like blackberries, fresh raspberries and blueberries are fabulously lower in carbs then many other fresh fruit options, so they are perfect to include a few times a week on a low-carb and/or keto diet.
One of the keys to enjoying more berries is always having them on hand. I always have frozen berries in my freezer, especially when they aren’t in season where I live.
We use them for smoothies and baked goods to make for my family because they stay fresh in the freezer for up to 6 months! Most grocery stores carry organic berries and though more expensive than non organic, at least I know they aren’t sprayed with pesticides.
GELATO VERSUS REGULAR ICE CREAM
So you might be wondering what the difference is from gelato to traditional ice cream?
Typically it’s the ratio of milk and cream and usually no egg yolks are used when making gelato. It’s churned more slowly and produces a nice soft-serve texture.
I like not having to cook anything like egg yolks for a creamy texture for a keto ice cream recipe, so gelato is my summer favorite during ice cream season!
In this recipe you can use fresh or frozen blackberries. The fresh season for blackberries is typically August through September, so now is the time to get them fresh in the market.
FROZEN BERRIES VERSUS FRESH FRUIT
More than 90% of the berries grown are flash frozen within hours of being picked at the peak of ripeness, locking in maximum nutrition, taste and color. The good news is that the peak of ripeness is right NOW, but you can get them any time of year in the freezer section of your local market!
Anytime is a good time for low-carb ice cream! My kids loved this sugar-free ice cream recipe and I love how easy it is!
Enjoy for a special occasion or anytime in the summer for a fun backyard party and awesome healthy snack for the kids and their friends! If you don’t have an ice cream maker, then you could simply mix this up in your blender and pour into a popsicle mold instead.
CAN I USE ANOTHER LOW-CARB SWEETENER?
You can use any sweetener you like because there are no eggs or cooking in this recipe, you could simply add a small amount of your preferred sweetener then taste and adjust as needed.
But be careful because not all work well in this recipe and will hinder your results for a smooth, creamy dessert.
Monk fruit extract comes from the monk fruit, luo han guo, a cousin of the cucumber and melon that’s native to China and Thailand. Monk fruit is rarely used fresh but more often is dried and used as a sweetener. It is 300% sweeter than sugar, but is calorie-free and does not raise blood sugar levels.
It is sold as a pure liquid concentrate and also can be found as erythritol blends to swap cup for cup with sugar. I love the Lakanto brand Monk fruit.
Sugar alcohols are often used for reducing sugar intake in no sugar-added ice cream made at ice cream parlors. Often they contain artificial sweeteners.
Artificial sweeteners and brands like Aspartame, Splenda, Sweet-n-Low, Equal, Saccharine, Dextrose, Sucralose, etc contain carbs even if they say they are calorie free. They cause your blood sugar to spike and raise your insulin. Steer clear and don’t be fooled by these misleading sweeteners.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that occurs naturally in some plants. Though it looks and tastes like sugar, it has 40% fewer calories. It can slightly raise blood sugar or insulin, but not nearly as much as white sugar would do.
It can cause digestive issues in some people. Dog owners beware, that if your dog were to accidentally ingest xylitol, it could be fatal. It measures cup for cup like sugar and is fairly easy to bake with. I have a dog so you won’t see any recipes of mine using xylitol.
Stevia comes from the stevia plant, typically grown in Paraguay. Its leaves are boiled down to produce the liquid form on the market today.
Stevia leaves are also dried and sold as pure concentrated extract with no added fillers. A calorie-free option, it is 300 times sweeter than sugar and does not cause digestive issues, does not raise blood sugar or spike insulin.
The type of stevia I use the most in my recipes is the liquid form from the brand Sweetleaf. depending on the extraction process used, some brands may be sweeter or more bitter than others.
Allulose occurs naturally in only a few foods, such as wheat, raisins, and figs. The body isn’t able to metabolize allulose. Instead, nearly all of it passes into the urine without being absorbed, thereby contributing negligible carbs and calories.
It works wonderfully in ice creams to keep the texture smooth and soft rather than hard after freezing.
SWEETNESS LEVELS IN SUGAR-FREE NATURAL SWEETENERS
Stevia is 300 times sweeter than white sugar
Monk fruit is 300 times sweeter than white sugar
Erythritol is 70% as sweet as white sugar.
Allulose is 70% as sweet as white sugar.
Xylitol is just as sweet as white sugar.
HOW TO REDUCE AFTERTASTE
I’ve learned over all these years of perfecting my sweet sugar free recipes, that in order to reduce an aftertaste effect, using two kinds of sugar free sweeteners helps balance each other better avoiding any aftertastes.
Often in my recipes you will find the bulk I use to replace sugar, is using erythritol and to avoid that cooling effect, I only use a small amount, but to bring up the sweetness I add liquid stevia.
It works well to cancel out any aftertaste of either sweetener and get the right sweetness level for my low-carb and keto desserts.
LOW CARB ICE CREAM RECIPES
Sugar Free Chocolate Ice Cream
No Churn Sugar Free Vanilla Ice Cream
Keto Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Dairy Free Chocolate Sorbet
Low Carb Blackberry Gelato
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Brenda’s Notes:
You can find frozen blackberries at Whole Foods. Look for brands like Stahlbush Island Farms, Scenic Fruit or Willamette Valley Fruit Co.
If you don’t have berry stevia, no worries, you can use any sweetener you prefer. Use ½ cup of your favorite sweetener than taste and adjust as needed.
The MCT oil helps keep the gelato nice and soft even after being frozen overnight. If you don’t have MCT oil replace it with vodka.
This recipe was first published in August 2016 and updated with video in July 2019.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information may vary depending
on the specific brands of products used. We encourage everyone to check specific
product labels in calculating the exact nutritional information.