This keto cottage cheese ice cream has all the flavors of your classic Italian Tiramisu dessert, but without the high carbs, sugar or time in the kitchen! Just a few minutes to whip up in your Ninja Creami or ice cream machine and just 6 ingredients!
Carbs in Traditional Tiramisu
Who doesn't love a delicious Italian dessert with sponge cake layers that have a nice coffee soak then covered with a creamy mascarpone filling and a dusting of cocoa powder?
I mean, it's a perfect dessert in my opinion BUT not something I indulge in since I've been gluten free and low carb since 2012.
It requires a lot of work using a double boiler to get that egg yolk mixture just right for the cream layer and in the summer I just don't want to do that much work.
I have a low carb version of this traditional recipe in my cookbook Naturally Keto and an even easier one made just for 2 in my book, the 30 Day Sugar Elimination Diet.
A traditional recipe for tiramisu requires lots of sugar that makes it a pretty delicious dessert for special occasions, but definitely not something to consume if you're following a keto diet or low-carb diet.
According to Cronometer, one serving of this classic dessert has 21 total g carbs.
That amount is too high for being able to stay in ketosis on a ketogenic diet or for anyone else who is watching their sugar intake, that amount of sugar and carbs will cause cravings.
Our delicious ice cream keto tiramisu recipe for hot weather will satisfy for a lot less work in the kitchen!
Carbs in our Cottage Cheese Ice Cream Keto Tiramisu Recipe
Our delicious recipe for Tiramisu ice cream has just 4 grams net carbs so it won't spike your blood sugar, but will certainly curb the sweet tooth!
The rest of the nutritional information is at the bottom of this blog post on the full printable recipe card.
Ingredients for Sugar-Free Tiramisu Ice Cream
Our low carb tiramisu recipe doesn't require lady fingers, egg yolks, or baking anything!
Your favorite dessert just got a whole lot easier! You need just 6 simple ingredients.
Full Fat Cottage Cheese- keep it higher in fat because low fat cottage cheese or fat free cottage cheese will not produce a thick and creamy low carb dessert.
Strong Brewed Coffee that is chilled or swap with unsweetened almond milk if you prefer.
Unsweetened Cocoa powder- you could also sub chocolate protein powder or chocolate collagen, but I found when I tested both of those that the ice cream wasn't as smooth as using cocoa powder.
Instant espresso powder really helps give you that classic Italian dessert flavor. If you decide to skip it, you will not have as strong of a coffee flavor like the real thing.
Rum extract or you can use rum liqueur if you prefer. If you hate the taste of rum, you could just use vanilla extract.
Chocolate Monk Fruit sweetener which gives it a deep intense chocolate flavor. If you're going to swap out this liquid sweetener I would not recommend any granulated sweetener as the keto ice cream will be grainy.
Powdered erythritol would make the ice cream hardened with ice crystals.
See below for other low carb sweetener options, but be aware that changing out ingredients from my easy recipe with produce different results.
Can I swap the cottage cheese?
You can swap the cottage cheese with ricotta cheese as the protein will still be about the same but you do add carbs and fat to the nutrition info.
Can I add cream cheese?
You can add 1-2 tablespoons of full fat cream cheese or mascarpone cheese which is Italian cream cheese, but again that will add more carbs and fat to the recipe.
Can I change the sugar substitute?
If you don't want to use the chocolate liquid Monk Fruit sweetener I used in this recipe, you could use powdered Monk Fruit sweetener as long as you can find one that doesn't include erythritol because if it does, your ice cream will be grainy.
I use this Monk Fruit & Allulose blend when I don't use the liquid monk fruit sweetener in recipes. The Allulose will help keep the ice cream softer after being frozen.
Can I make this without a Ninja Creami?
Yes if you don't have a Ninja Creami and have a regular ice cream maker or have an ice cream attachment for the Kitchenaid mixer like I have you can pour the mixture into either machine and churn it for the required amount of time according to your machine.
Mine takes about 10 minutes to churn. You could enjoy it right away like soft serve ice cream or freeze in an airtight container.
If you freeze ice cream overnight you will need to allow it to come to room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Can I skip the espresso powder?
You can skip the espresso if you want, but I do think it gives this ice cream recipe more of the flavor of traditional tiramisu.
Keto Tiramisu Ice Cream
Keto Cottage Cheese Tiramisu Ice Cream Ninja Creami
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup coffee strong brewed, chilled or to sub use unsweetened almond milk
- 2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 2 teaspoon rum extract
- 2 teaspoon chocolate monk fruit sweetener
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetener if needed.
- Pour the mixture into your Ninja Creami Freezer container. Cover and freeze for at least 12 hours or more, you just want it completely frozen through. Freeze 8 hours for soft serve.
- Remove from freezer, place container into the Ninja base container and click into place. Press Lite Ice Cream. Remove, stir. If chalky, repeat on lite ice cream. If still chalky, add 1 tablespoon of cream and press respin.
- Half of the container is a serving. Remove the remaining ice cream from the container and place into a glass container with cover to refreeze. This way you can heat a bit in the microwave when you want the rest of it without having to respin and heat plastic.
Notes
Nutrition
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
Monika
Would greek yogurt or labneh work here instead of cottage cheese??!?!?
Brenda Bennett
Yes Greek yogurt will work but it won't have the same amount of protein.
Patti
Hi Brenda,
Can you use a regular ice cream maker to make this?
Thanks!!!
Brenda Bennett
Yep! Right above the questions about skipping espresso powder I answered that and how long it takes in my own ice cream attachment for my kitchenaid. It's delicious either way!