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GET IT NOWCraving a cool and creamy chocolate treat that’s also packed with protein? Skip the protein shake and make this protein ice cream recipe! It’s super smooth (never gritty!), incredibly rich, and satisfying — not your typical zero sugar dessert. It has a similar flavor to my keto chocolate ice cream with a custard base like my almond milk ice cream, so you’ll get the same great taste and texture but with an added boost.
When I first made this, I served this for my kids (ages 3 and 5 at the time), and they couldn’t get enough. I challenge you to tell the difference between this high protein ice cream recipe and regular ice cream! ?
Why You Need My Protein Ice Cream Recipe
- Tastes like the real thing
- Smooth, firm, and creamy
- Rich chocolate flavor
- 6 simple ingredients
- No special equipment needed
- 13 grams of protein per serving
- Much less sugar than store-bought (in fact, it’s low carb and there’s no added sugar!)
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my chocolate protein ice cream recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Egg Yolks – These form the base of the custard. (If you need a way to use up the whites, try coconut macaroons.)
- Sweetener – I use Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend as a sugar substitute because it has 0 calories, 0 glycemic index (i.e. won’t spike blood sugar levels), and tastes just like sugar. I don’t recommend most other sugar alternatives because the ice cream will turn out rock hard. Regular powdered sugar works fine if it fits your lifestyle, but why add refined sugar when Besti tastes just as great? 😉
- Sea Salt – Just a pinch of salt brings out the sweetness in the recipe. Don’t worry, your protein ice cream won’t be salty.
- Vanilla Almond Milk – I used store bought unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but you could make homemade unsweetened almond milk as well. Most non-dairy milk options will also work, though you may need to add vanilla extract to create a similar flavor profile.
- Heavy Cream – For perfect creamy texture and flavor. You can make it dairy-free by using full-fat canned coconut milk instead.
- Cocoa Powder – Look for unsweetened high quality cocoa for the richest chocolate taste (I like this one).
- Protein Powder – I use this collagen because I like the benefits, but you could use any protein powder you prefer, such as whey protein powder, a plant-based variety, or even chocolate protein powder if you want it extra chocolaty.
VARIATION: Make other flavors!
If you’re not a fan of chocolate ice cream, replace the cocoa powder with an additional 1/4 cup of protein powder and make these changes for different flavors:
- Vanilla – Use vanilla protein powder, or add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
- Strawberry – Puree 8 ounces of strawberries in a blender or food processor, then add during the last 5 minutes of churning.
- Chocolate Chip – Make vanilla protein ice cream (above) and add 1/2 cup chocolate chips during the last 5 minutes of churning.
- Peanut Butter – Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut butter during the last 5 minutes of churning.
How To Make Protein Ice Cream
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Make the ice cream base. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, powdered Besti, and sea salt, until combined and light yellow in color.
- Make the chocolate protein base. In a small saucepan, whisk together the almond milk, cream, cocoa powder, and collagen. Heat until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat.
- Temper. Very slowly, pour the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking vigorously – it will get frothy. Once custard is smooth, transfer back into the saucepan.
TIP: Pour the hot liquid in a thin stream.
This is called tempering, and doing this while whisking will prevent the egg from scrambling.
- Heat. Heat the custard mixture over low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 170 degrees F.
- Chill. Remove from heat and cover. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until very cold and below 40 degrees F. There will be a film on top.
- Churn. Pour the cold custard mixture into a pre-frozen ice cream maker bowl. Churn according to manufacturer instructions, until your homemade protein ice cream is the texture of soft serve.
- Enjoy or freeze. Spoon into a serving dish to serve immediately for a soft-serve consistency. For a firmer consistency that you can scoop, transfer to a freezer container or loaf pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and freeze until solid.
TIP: You can store protein ice cream in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To enjoy, let it thaw on the counter for 5-10 minutes and wet your ice cream scoop with warm water for easy scooping.
More Easy Ice Cream Recipes
Protein powder is one of the easiest elements to add to healthy snacks and breakfast — I already tried it in warm recipes like protein waffles and fluffy protein bread. Desserts like this high protein ice cream might be my favorite way to use it, though! If you’re looking for more healthy ice cream recipes for a summer treat that also makes you feel great, try these:
Protein Ice Cream (Chocolate)
This easy protein ice cream recipe tastes exactly like regular chocolate ice cream, with a healthy boost from 13g of protein per serving!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, powdered Besti, and sea salt, until combined and light yellow in color. Set aside.
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In a small saucepan, whisk together the almond milk, cream, cocoa powder, and protein powder. Heat over medium heat, until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat.
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Very slowly, pour the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. (Doing this in a thin stream and whisking vigorously will prevent scrambling the egg.)
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Once the custard is combined and smooth, transfer the mixture back to the saucepan. Return to the stove over low heat and heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 170 degrees F (76 degrees C), about 3-5 minutes.
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Remove from heat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until very cold (below 40 degrees F (4 degrees C)).
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Pour the cold custard mixture into a pre-frozen ice cream maker bowl. Churn according to manufacturer instructions, usually about 20-25 minutes, until ice cream is the texture of soft serve.
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Serve immediately, or for firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer container and freeze until solid.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/2 cup
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Protein Ice Cream
44 Comments
Christian Guzman
2This is delicious! I’m going to have to make more very soon because it mysteriously disappeared. Thanks for another great recipe!
Andrea
1This was amazing ice cream. I used Fairlife nonfat lactose free milk in place of the cream. And bought Besti granulated sugar replacement. I used Holmes Nutrition cookies and cream isolate whey protein powder. I followed the recipe precisely other than those replacements. When I put it in my ice cream maker, it froze on the sides and wouldn’t churn the ice cream so we just ate it. I think I let it get too cold before putting it in the ice cream maker. It was still a soft serve to hard consistency. The first bite was a little icy but immediately turned creamier as it melted. All 10 of us loved it. We just needed more!!!
Dana
0In case you get this, you replaced the alluose with lely erithritol based sweetener which changes the consistency entirely. So does changing milks and creams in terms of water content and becomes more icy. The only recipe i found to bypass that using erithrytol sweetener and mostly cream is using vodka. You need that “sugar” type sweetner that behaves like sugar or it mucks it up.
Gina
1This was a fun treat without any guilt! Loved knowing dessert wasn’t a total waste of calories and it tasted delicious!
Lindy
0Could I make this recipe in my Ninja IceCream maker? I love all your recipes! ❤️
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lindy, Yes, I think you can, but I don’t have one to test it. Please let me know how it turns out if you try!
Karen
0I made mixed this up yesterday and churned it today. My first low carb ice cream. The whole family liked it. Very tasty.
Jill
0I can’t tolerate Allulose. If I use straight monk fruit, are the measurements the same?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jill, No, if you’re using concentrated monk fruit the amount would be much less. However, the protein ice cream would likely come out hard without the allulose.
Cindy
0This recipe was amazing. Thanks for sharing it Maya! ?
Karen
0I don’t have almond milk on hand. Can I use all heavy cream instead?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Karen, I haven’t tried it with this particular recipe, but have tried with other ice cream recipes, and it turns out too butter-like using only heavy cream. You need some kind of milk. Coconut milk beverage (the kind from a carton) would work instead of almond milk.
Coley
0This was soooo rich and chocolatey! I love that it’s sweetened with monk fruit and that it’s loaded with protein. I could eat this for breakfast!
Lindsey
0Oh my gosh, this was soooo good I could cry! My husband asked me three times if I was sure it wasn’t the real thing! It’s probably a good thing I can’t double it because I’d need a bigger machine! lol
Shelby
0Mmm the best of both worlds, chocolate and protein! Love how creamy this homemade ice cream comes out!
Janice
0I really loved this protein ice cream! Such a delicious, guilt-free treat! I will make this all over again!
Eyal
0Hi Maya, Any suggestions how to covert this recipe to vegan? I was thinking of substituting the eggs with agar agar or lecitin and the heavy cream with coconut cream + coconut oil. But not sure if this will work…. Thanks, Eyal.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Eyal, I have never tried that so I’m not sure those substitutions would work. I do have other vegan ice cream recipes on my site.
Liz
0Could you sub coconut milk( canned) for the heavy cream? This looks like a great recipe!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Liz, Either coconut milk or coconut cream will work great in this recipe. Coconut cream will give a more decadent and creamy result, but whichever you have on hand will be great!
Dottie Bacon
0Would unflavored whey protein work in this recipe?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Dottie, I have never used unflavored whey protein in this recipe, so I can’t say for sure if it would work.
Maegen
0I love your recipes and don’t usually have a problem but I think I must have done something wrong with this recipe. I followed all of the steps and everything looked right when I put the mixture into the fridge to cool. But when I went to take it out of the fridge and pour it into my ice cream maker, I found that it was no longer a liquid. The entire thing had solidified into firm chocolate jello! Oops! 😉 What did I do wrong?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Maegen, It doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong, the chocolate mixture should be custard like before going into the ice cream maker.
Ariel
0Can I just use whey protein powder instead of collagen?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ariel, Whey powder may slightly change the texture of the ice cream, but it will work in the recipe.
Cassie
0What can I do if I don’t have an ice cream maker ?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Cassie, You can stir the ice cream at half hour intervals for the first couple of hours. If you are interested, I have a couple of other ice cream recipes that don’t require an ice cream maker. Check out Keto Mason Jar Ice Cream and No Churn Keto Ice Cream.
Jennifer
0I want to make ice cream with my matcha tea flavored collagen protein powder. Any suggestions on modifying this recipe to achieve that?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jennifer, You can probably substitute it but I haven’t tested to confirm the result. The amount of sweetener you need can also be impacted if your powder is sweetened.
Zulma Alamos
0I already made this ice cream and loved it, but my husband didn’t like the almond flavour. Can I use more heavy cream instead of almond milk?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Zulma, Yes that’s fine. Or you can use any other alternative milk you prefer (coconut, macadamia, etc.)
Alison
0Hi! Does anyone know if a dairy alternative (coconut milk or cream maybe?) would work for the cream? I’d love to make this for my family but not all of us can handle dairy.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Alison, Either coconut milk or coconut cream will work great in this recipe. Coconut cream will give the more decadent and creamy result, but whichever you have on hand will be great!
Kim
0Is the collagen powder flavored or unflavored? If I purchase some of the powder what else can I use it for? I have never tried it before? thanks
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kim, Yes, this collagen protein powder is unflavored.
Barbara
0I do not have an ice cream maker… Can I just stop at the custard level? I love custard.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Barbara, Yes, if that is your preference. You may want to scale back on the liquid so your custard can be a bit more firm straight out of the fridge. I would Try reducing the almond milk to 1 cup for a thicker consistency. Enjoy!
Marjori Miller
0Looks DELISH! I already have protein powder & collagen separately, any idea on how much of each to recreate the premade collagen protein powder? 🙂 Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Marjori, You just need to use your collagen powder. Protein powder is not needed for this recipe.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
0What a delicious and guilt free way to enjoy ice cream – this sounds SO tasty!
Bhawana
0What a tempting pic of this keto ice cream scoop. I have never tried ice creams with eggs. But this one looks very yummy.
Stephanie
0My husband was just asking me to find some recipes for making homemade ice cream. I can’t wait to try this one out, especially since it’s much healthier than regular ice cream!
Shanna
0I always love finding amazing keto recipes. This chocolate ice cream is so yummy!! Thanks so much for sharing.