Low-Carb Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup cocoa
4 egg yolks
4 large eggs
1 cup of peanut butter
3/4 cup erythritol or similar artificial sweetener (blue agave also works!)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt
1/4 cup unflavored/unsweetened almond milk
2-3 teaspoons gelatin mixed together with 3-4 tablespoons water (optional)
2 ounces chopped unsweetened extra dark (90%) chocolate or chocolate chips (optional)
4 tablespoons MCT oil or 2 tablespoons vodka or 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (all optional to reduce iciness)
Note: You might need to play a bit with the sweeteners and the cocoa ratio to appease your personal preference. However the cream, milk and egg base are going to provide the consistency. MCT oil, vodka, and xanthan gum are all popular options for reducing iciness and hardness while frozen, while gelatin will also aid in keeping the ice cream soft by adding some richness and creaminess to the texture. However, if you don’t have those ingredients on hand or you find it to be superfluous to the preparation process, then by all means leave them out, especially if you plan to eat your ice cream sooner rather than later.
Preparation
Set up an ice bath (bowl of ice water). In a separate bowl (slightly smaller than the ice bath bowl), whisk together the egg yolks, eggs, sweetener, and vanilla extract.
Put the cream and cocoa into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer at medium-high heat. Add half of the cream mixture to the eggs to temper and whisk together. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan. Stir with a spoon for 10-15 seconds and remove from heat. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, but if the eggs curdle, then it is overcooked and will not work.
Return all of the mixture back to the bowl and set on top of the ice bath. Whisk in the salt, almond milk and peanut butter. This is the step where you whisk in either the MCT oil, vodka, or xanthan gum, and/or the gelatin (plus water).
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature for 1 hour.
Pour the contents into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions. Churning usually takes 30-60 minutes. If adding chocolate, fold it in after the ice cream mixture is finished churning.
It can be served immediately or scooped into a container for freezing. Freezing will firm it up a bit, but it will need to sit out for 10-20 minutes to soften before serving if frozen for more than a few hours.
