Toasted Almond Ice Cream (keto, protein)

If you have a Ninja Creami machine you have try this healthy toasted almond ice cream recipe. It has all the taste of a burnt almond torte in ice cream form and it’s sugar free, low carb and high protein! This is a keto dessert you can feel good about eating.

You my also like this burnt almond torte chia pudding dessert.

I don’t know if you’ve ever had a burnt almond torte but it delicious! The outside of the cake is covered in candied toasted almonds. This Ninja Creami toasted almond ice cream is my healthy substitute for that cake.

This sweet almond flavored ice cream has all the flavor of my favorite cake. It is topped with toasted candied almond slices but this healthy option is low carb, high protein and sugar free. Plus you if you don’t like nuts you can easily skip that step and enjoy a delicious creamy protein treat!

This is the newest of many keto-friendly high protein Ninja Creai ice cream recipes I’ve created.

Recipe ingredients and substitutions.

The keto friendly but simple I used for this recipe were cream cheese, heavy cream, unsweetened almond milk, pure almond extract, Swerve sweetener, Isopure ZeroCarb vanilla protein powder and sliced raw almonds.

• almond milk, heavy cream and cream cheese – This makes the cream ice cream base and while you can substitute with other dairy free milk for the almond milk, I think you should keep the heavy cream and cream cheese. You could try coconut cream or coconut milk for the heavy cream but it will add a bit of coconut flavor. For the cream cheese you can try 2 tablespoons of sugar free vanilla pudding mix. However this will add more carbs to the dish.
• IsoPure vanilla protein powder – This is my favorite protein powder and I’ve tried MANY. I like this one of the taste and that it has zero carbs. However you can use whatever vanilla protein powder you want.
• Swerve sweetener – This is my favorite brand but you can use your sweetener of choice. You can use granulated sugar sweetener or the powdered sweetener. Either works.
• almond extract – This is a must and it has a cherry flavor to me. You can usually find it in bigger grocery stores in the baking section right by the vanilla extract. I believe Target and Walmart carry it and you can always buy it online. You could also substitute with a cherry extract but that is much harder to find.
• sliced raw almonds (optional) – I buy these at Aldi but you can find them in most grocery stores in the baking section. This is for the topping or you can mix them in. However if you don’t have or want nuts you can eliminate them.

TIP 1 : If you are watching your carb intake and want to use a vanilla protein shake I recommend FairLife Protein shakes. And if are using a protein shake you don’t have to use the cream or the milk. I would still use the cream cheese or substitute that with 2 tablespoons of sugar free vanilla pudding mix.

How to make toasted almond ice cream in the Ninja Creami.

Step 1: Add the milk, heavy cream, cream cheese, sweetener, almond extract and protein powder to a high speed blender or high processor. Sometimes I add a pinch of salt because it brings out the sweetness a bit more.

Blend and then pour into the pint freezer container and attache the storage lid. Place on a flat surface in the freezer over night. This is our almond flavored ice cream base.

Step 2: Note you can also do this the day before and it’s totally optional but delicious.The next day make the sugared toasted almonds if using, by adding the raw almond slices and sweetener in a nonstick skillet. Heat over medium heat. Mix them together as the sweetener melts and coats the sliced nuts. Watch that they don’t burn. You want them to be golden brown.

When they are done, take the caramelized almond pieces out of the pan and then spread out on a piece of parchment paper. Let them dry and harden. 

If you have extra store in a sealed bag or container. You can use them in yogurt, salads or just eat them as is for a crunchy sweet snack.

Step 3: When ready to eat place the frozen pint container into the outer bowl assemble and attach the lid. Place in the Ninja Creami ice cream machine and use the LITE function.

When it’s done, check the texture to see if it’s to your liking and if so you are done. You can see mine below. I wanted mine a bit more creamy so I ran it through once more using the respin function this time.

Step 4: And this is what I wanted as you can see how smooth and creamy it gets. Now you can use the topping if you want or just eat it as is.

TIP 2: You have to watch that you don’t process it too much as it can get too soft. This is remedied by just freezing for 5-10 minutes.

TIP 3: A note about the topping and toppings in general. Because I can get 2-3 servings out of each pint, I don’t like to mix in my toppings because if I refreeze the leftovers, and then run it through the machine again, the toppings will be crushed and blended in too much for my taste. So I always spoon my ice cream into a bowl and then add my toppings.

TIP 4: Another option I’ve been using lately are these cute 6 oz ice cream containers. I bought them along time ago and they seem to hold a half pint. What I like about them is that you can add your leftover ice cream with mix in toppings and freeze. Then you can just let it sit out or microwave for 5-10 seconds and eat it right out of the container without running it through the machine again.

More keto recipes using sliced almonds.

I use sliced almonds a lot in my cooking whether it’s in rice pilaf, with veggies, in salads or as a dessert topping. Here are more keto recipes that use them if you have extra.

• keto chocolates
• keto Asian green beans
• low carb gluten free rhubarb
• keto kung pan chicken salad or lemon and herb chicken salad
• keto spinach and cauliflower rice pilaf

Well I hope you give this keto toasted almond ice cream recipe a try because we just LOVED it. My husband even ate the leftovers when I was sleeping much to my despair and he’s not even a sweet eater. And try the toasted almond cake coating because they add so much flavor and crunch but it’s still delicious without. Enjoy!

The nutritional information for 1 serving is 226 calories / 15.4g fat / 3.3g carbs / 0.6g fiber / 14.2g protein = 2.7g net carbs.

And for 1 tablespoon (makes 4 tablespoons) of candied nuts is 31 calories /. 2.6g fat / 1.1g carbs / 0.8g fiber / 1.1g protein = 0.3g net carbs