Going sugar-free can be tough but trying to find no sugar ice cream brands might seem almost impossible. But if you're watching your blood sugar and are looking for sugar-free ice cream or diabetic ice cream brands to try, there are actually a few options out there that won't freak out your blood sugar levels. Most ice cream brands contain Splenda or stevia as alternative sweeteners to stay both keto-friendly as well as diabetic-friendly, but you can also find other artificial sweetener options.
Mostly you're going to have to look for "light," low fat, low sugar, and low-calorie versions of regular ice cream if your dietitian allows ice cream, ice cream bars, and ice cream sandwiches safe for diabetics in your diet. You could also whip up some homemade ice cream using an ice cream maker if you want to be able to control the sweeteners, carbohydrates, added sugars, serving size, etc. as part of your meal plan. Sometimes this is the best option if you'd like to avoid overly sweetened ice cream altogether.
Just because you're trying to avoid sugar or eat a diabetic-friendly diet doesn't mean you should enjoy the sweet things in life. There are a number of brands that focus on making delicious ice cream that you can enjoy without worrying about your blood sugar levels. You can still have vanilla bean, chocolatey, caramel syrup-filled sweet treats. You just need to be intentional with the ice cream brands you buy! These three brands make some regular ice cream and some low-sugar, low-calorie varieties to meet the needs of all.
If you'd rather stick with Amazon's Whole Foods or other store-bought brands than figure out how to make your own diabetic-friendly ice cream, here are a few options.
1. Blue Bunny
Blue Bunny makes some ice creams in light versions that should be safe to eat if you're diabetic. Their Blue Bunny Hi-Lite Chocolate Ice Cream is fairly low-carb and has just two grams of saturated fat in a half-cup portion size of ice cream. This frozen dessert is a good replacement if you're used to snacking on a little chocolate ice cream, and it won't send your blood glucose into a tailspin!
2. So Delicious
So Delicious has non-GMO, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free ice cream options that are made with coconut milk and monk fruit extract to make it sweet but still low in sugar. The Vanilla Bean No Sugar Added Coconutmilk dessert looks especially promising if you're craving some vanilla ice cream, and the vanilla extract it contains is safe for diabetics. With only 4 grams of sugar in the entire container, you don't have to feel like a rebel while eating this one.
3. Halo Top
Medical News Today recommends Halo Top for diabetics, among other brands. It has additional protein, low carbohydrates, and lower amounts of sugar per cup serving compared to regular ice cream by using the sugar alcohol erythritol instead. Give it a try!
