These keto ice cream bars are creamy vanilla dipped in sugar free chocolate with a sprinkle of chopped nuts, at 2.8g net carbs each. I whisk the base in one bowl, freeze it in popsicle molds overnight, and I let the melted chocolate thin with coconut oil so it coats each bar in a clean shell.
I started making these in 2019 when I realized I could skip the ice cream maker entirely and still get a creamy, scoopable vanilla base that freezes perfectly in popsicle molds. The method is almost embarrassingly simple: whisk heavy cream with confectioners Swerve and vanilla, pour into molds, freeze, and dip. That's it.
The real technique here is the chocolate shell. I use keto chocolate chips melted with coconut oil, and that coconut oil isn't optional. One of my readers, Tim, asked about it in the comments because I didn't mention it in the video. The coconut oil thins out the melted chocolate so it coats the bar in a smooth, even layer instead of clumping up. Without it, the chocolate is too thick to dip cleanly. I've tested it both ways and the difference is obvious.
The other thing I learned the hard way: have your nuts chopped and ready before you start dipping. The chocolate sets fast once it hits the frozen bar, so you have maybe 10 seconds to sprinkle before it hardens. I line a sheet pan with parchment, dip one bar at a time, sprinkle immediately, and set it down. Assembly line style.
These taste like the ice cream bars I grew up eating on hot summer days, just without the sugar crash afterward. My kids grab them straight from the freezer and don't think twice about whether they're keto or not. They just taste like real ice cream bars. If you're looking for more frozen options, I also make keto ice cream sandwiches when I want something different.
Vanilla ice cream bars dipped in chocolate and rolled in crushed nuts, ready for the freezer.
Heavy whipping cream is around 36% milk fat, and that is what keeps these bars creamy with very few ice crystals.
I used milk chocolate chips for the dip, and melted white chocolate to drizzle stripes on some of the bars.
Nuts and Other Toppings
Crushed peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, pili nuts, or macadamia nuts all work here. You can dip the whole bar in the nuts or just the top half.
Sugar free sprinkles are another option my kids love. Press them on right after the bar comes out of the chocolate.
Molds and Popsicle Stick Tips
Any popsicle mold will work. You can even use dixie cups, or pour the base into a parchment lined square baking dish, freeze it, and cut it into bars.
I like a flat silicone mold because the sticks lie flat and the frozen bars pop right out. If you use an upright mold, soak the sticks in water for about 30 minutes first so they sink instead of floating up.
The vanilla cupcake flavoring drops are optional, so if you skip them, add 1/2 teaspoon more vanilla extract to the base.
More Sugar Free Popsicles to Try
Here are some other sugar free popsicles my kids love:
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until combined.
2
Pour into molds
Pour ice cream mixture into popsicle molds and insert a popsicle stick. Freeze until hardened or overnight.
3
Melt chocolate
Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Stir in coconut oil to thin out the chocolate.
4
Dip it
Dip ice cream bar in the melted chocolate until coated with chocolate.
5
Sprinkle nuts
Sprinkle nuts over the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper until chocolate has hardened.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1 ice cream bar
Calories
616
Fat
59.2g
Protein
0g
Total carbs
16.8g
Net carbs
2.8g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these ice cream bars really keto?
Yes. Each bar comes out to 2.8g net carbs and 616 calories with the chocolate shell and nuts included, and my batch makes about 5 bars depending on mold size. The card shows 16.8g total carbs because the sugar alcohols in confectioners Swerve and keto chocolate chips count toward total carbs. I count Swerve as zero net carbs since it's erythritol based, so I subtract those sweetener carbs to get the net number. If you use a different sweetener or chips, check the label.
Can I make these dairy free?
I've tested these with full-fat coconut milk in place of heavy cream and they work. The texture is slightly less creamy and you get a faint coconut flavor, which I actually liked. Use canned coconut milk (the thick kind), not the carton. For the chocolate dip, most sugar-free chocolate chips are already dairy free, but double-check yours.
Can I use monk fruit or allulose instead of Swerve?
I use confectioners Swerve because it dissolves completely and doesn't get gritty when frozen. Granular sweeteners can leave a sandy texture in frozen desserts, which I learned the hard way. If you switch to monk fruit, make sure it's a powdered blend that measures 1:1 with sugar. Allulose works well too and stays softer when frozen, so your bars will be slightly less firm. I've tried both and prefer the Swerve texture, but allulose is a close second.
Why did my chocolate coating clump or pool instead of setting?
Two different causes. If the chocolate clumped or seized, water got in, even a drop from a wet spoon. I make sure my bowl, whisk, and the outside of the bars are completely dry before dipping. If it seizes anyway, I stir in a teaspoon of coconut oil over low heat until it smooths out. If the chocolate pooled on the parchment instead of setting, the bars were not frozen solid, so they started melting the second they hit the warm chocolate. I made that mistake once and ended up with chocolate puddles on my parchment paper. Freeze the bars at least 3 hours, and overnight is better. The 1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil I stir into 7 ounces of chips is what keeps the chocolate thin enough to coat cleanly, so do not skip it.
Might be obvious to everyone else, but I was wrecking these trying to pull them out of the molds. Then I started running the outside under warm water for a few seconds first. They slide out clean with the stick still in. I also whisk the Swerve into a little of the cream before adding the rest, otherwise I get grit in the finished bar.
The chocolate dip is all about timing. Pull it too cold and the shell slides off. Wait too long and the base softens before the coat sets. Took me four batches to dial it in. Still use the vanilla extract too, skipped it once and the whole thing tasted flat.
Four batches sounds exactly right. I’ve done both – the one where the shell slides clean off before it grips, and the one where it starts weeping at the base before the coat sets. The margin is tighter than I expected when testing this.
Gina, pull them straight from the cooler right when you’re ready to serve. The chocolate shell buys you but they go fast in the sun. Extra ice packs under them are a good call.
Kept putting this off, half-convinced it would taste like eating frozen air with chocolate on it. The Swerve base with double vanilla comes out like actual ice cream. Not a consolation prize. Hadn’t felt that way about a frozen dessert since going keto.
Jordan, that ‘consolation prize’ feeling is exactly what I was fighting while testing the base. I added more vanilla until it stopped tasting like one.
Not as bad as you’d think. The heavy cream keeps them smoother than water-based pops, but after day 3 or 4 they firm up. I wrap each one in plastic after they’re set and it helps.
Tried a handful of keto bar recipes before landing here, and the difference is the base. Most use coconut cream or cream cheese and end up with that slightly grainy, icy texture after a day or two in the freezer. Heavy whipping cream whips smoother and stays that way. Only reason I’d give it four stars is the coconut oil coating sets pretty hard straight from the freezer. Give it 2-3 minutes and it’s fine.
The hard shell is coconut oil doing its thing. Sets firm when cold, softens fast at room temp. And yeah, heavy cream is what keeps it from getting icy – I went through a coconut cream phase and the texture after day two was never quite right.
The vanilla cupcake extract kept nagging at me, so I swapped in half a teaspoon of almond and stopped overthinking it. Against the dark chocolate shell, the flavor gets genuinely layered in a way the straight vanilla version can’t touch. If you’re making these: full four hours in the freezer before dipping, not two. Bring the coconut oil to around 100°F before melting in your Lily’s chips. Chocolate stays fluid, coats cleanly, doesn’t seize.
My daughter can’t have dairy so I’d use coconut cream instead of heavy whipping cream. Will the bars still freeze firm enough to hold together for dipping?
Coconut cream is thicker than coconut milk so it should actually hold up better. I’ve tested with full-fat coconut milk and the bars froze solid, still dippable. Just expect a faint coconut flavor in the base.
The vanilla ice cream part was spot on, creamy and not icy at all, but I probably overdid the coconut oil because my chocolate shell came out more like a thick slab than a thin coat.
Actually more coconut oil makes it runnier, not thicker. A thick slab is usually the bars not being completely frozen – when they’re not solid the chocolate melts against them and pools instead of setting. Try an extra hour, or overnight.
Skeptical about Swerve and that cooling aftertaste, but once the chocolate shell hardens it’s completely gone. Four stars only because I need bigger popsicle molds.
I’ve gone through almost every store-bought keto ice cream bar and they all have this off sweetener taste that just lingers. Made these once and that problem isn’t there. The Swerve stays clean and the chocolate shell actually snaps when you bite in.
That snap is what I was going for. And yeah, granular erythritol gets gritty frozen – confectioners is the only version I use for anything in the freezer.
Brought a batch to a Super Bowl party and set them out next to the regular store-bought bars. By the third quarter they were completely gone and the others were barely touched. A few people asked where I ordered them, not who made them. Used Lily’s dark chips and the shell set really clean, so they looked the part.
Mom bought Good Humor bars every summer and we’d eat them on the back porch. Made these this week and that first crack of the chocolate shell brought me right back. Lily’s chips with coconut oil sets up perfectly.
My husband is dairy-free so I’m swapping the heavy cream for full-fat coconut cream. Will it freeze firm enough to hold the bar shape when dipping in chocolate, or does it get too icy and fall apart?
Coconut cream freezes solid, so the bar shape holds. I’ve tested these with full-fat coconut milk and they were firm enough to dip without falling apart. Coconut cream is even fattier so you’re in better shape than I was with the milk version. Just make sure it’s canned, not from a carton.
