This tangy low carb lemon ice cream is the perfect dessert for the summer! Sugar free and keto friendly recipe.
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Creamy, zesty, sweet and tangy – this ice cream is SO good! It is perfect for a hot summer's day, although it is so refreshing that you can enjoy it at any time of year!
How to Make Low Carb Lemon Ice Cream
To make the ice cream base, grate the zest of a lemon, then cut it in half and squeeze out the juice. I use a Microplane Zester – it is really easy to grate the zest of lemons or limes!
Add the zest and juice to a food processor along with room temperature cream cheese, unsweetened almond milk and a liquid sweetener like my homemade simple syrup or Da Vinci sugar free sweetening syrup. Blend until smooth.
Do a quick taste test for sweetness – you may prefer it a little sweeter, if so you can add more of the syrup, then blend again. You could also add a couple of drops (no more!) of yellow food coloring if you want to give it an extra lemony look!
Pour it into a bowl and leave in the fridge for an hour. Then pour the mixture into an ice cream maker – I love my Cuisinart! Once the ice cream has churned, transfer it to a container and freeze. Sprinkle with extra lemon zest if desired.

Low Carb Lemon Ice Cream
This tangy low carb lemon ice cream is the perfect dessert for the summer!
Ingredients
- 1 lemon - zest and juice
- 8 oz brick of cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ - ½ cup low carb simple syrup, or Da Vinci Sugar free syrup
- 2 drops yellow food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor. Start with just ¼ cup of the syrup. Blend until mixed well.
- Test for sweetness, add more syrup if required and blend again. Add food coloring (if using), and blend for the final time.
- Transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge for an hour.
- Transfer to an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
- Place in the freezer. To serve, sprinkle the extra lemon zest over the ice cream, if desired.
Notes
5g net carbs per serving (quarter of whole recipe)
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size Quarter of the recipeAmount Per ServingCalories 205Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 62mgSodium 203mgCarbohydrates 5gNet Carbohydrates 5gFiber 0gSugar 2gProtein 3g
Alison says
Sounds lovely!
Mio says
I love the recipe, however erythritol or monk fruit would be a better substitute, as Splenda is an artificial sweetener and many people are allergic to it. The closer to real food that we can get, the better.
Emma says
The nutritional values are missing the fat from the cream cheese. When I run the numbers, I get 208 kcal, 18.3 fat, 2.3 net carbs, & 4.2 protein
Georgina says
Oh that’s really strange – thanks for spotting that! I have now corrected it.
Kaylene B. says
I have a Xylitol Sweetener Syrup. Do you think that would work in place of the Da Vinci’s? Thank you.
Georgina says
Ooooh I’ve never tried that! Does it have a brand name? I can’t see why you couldn’t use it though, but I’m not certain whether you’d need the same quantity without knowing how sweet it was. I would suggest adding it in last and adjusting to your personal taste.
Sparky Lisa says
I saw one of your readers comment the erythritol sweetener would be better. Not in ice cream. It makes it freeze too hard. Allulose is much better. For a creamer texture, can add a up to 1/4 cup of MCT oil. For less icy texture, add one tablespoon of vodka. I am going to try this recipe. Thanks.