Low Carb Ice Cream Bars (PB + Chocolate)

 

 These low carb ice cream bars are just the perfect low carb desserts to satisfy that sweet tooth while cooling you down in the warm summer heat!

Ingredients:

Ice Cream:

• ▢3 3/4 cups heavy cream divided
• ▢1 1/4 cup swerve or lakanto 
• ▢2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• ▢1/2 cup peanut butter flour

Cookie Crumbles (Optional):

• ▢1 cup almond flour
• ▢1/4 cup cocoa powder
• ▢1/2 cup swerve or lakanto 
• ▢1/4 cup unsalted butter melted

Chocolate Coating (optional):

• ▢1 cup low carb chocolate
• ▢1/4 cup coconut oil

Instructions:

Bars:

• Bring heavy cream (1 3/4 cups) to a simmer in a heavy-bottom saucepan. Continue to cook at a simmer for 30 minutes, and watch carefully to maintain a simmer, not a boil -- you'll see small bubbles forming around the edges. Whisk occasionally to fully incorporate everything.
• Remove cream from heat, and whisk in erythritol (1 1/4 cups), butter (2 tablespoons), vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), peanut flour (1/2 cup), and lastly the xanthan gum (1/2 teaspoon). You want to sprinkle xanthan gum over the top a little at a time so it dissolves without clumping.
• Pour reduce cream in a large bowl and allow it to come to room temp -- the fastest way to do this is to place it in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile make the cookie crumbs by tossing the almond flour (1 cup), cocoa powder (1/4 cup), and erythritol (1/2 cup) together in a bowl.
• Pour melted butter (1/4 cup) over the top and coat until the combo resembles coarse sand.
• Toss in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. Before adding the cooking crumbs to the ice cream, break them up with a fork until they're your desired "crumb" size.
• Once the reduced cream has cooled to room temp, remove it from the fridge and whip together using an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
• In a second large bowl, whip the remaining heavy cream (2 cups) with an electric mixer until you've formed soft peaks.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently combine the whipped cream, reduced cream, and cookie crumbles, making sure to thoroughly combine while keeping the combo light and aerated.
• Place 12 small plastic cups on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Evenly divide the ice cream into each cup and place the tray in the freezer for an hour.
• After an hour, place popsicle sticks in the center of each cup. Allow the bars to harden completely in the fridge before removing, should be 3 more hours.

Coating:

• In a large bowl, melt together low carb chocolate (1 cup) and coconut oil (1/4 cup), and prep a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove each bar from the plastic cup, and dip into the melted chocolate.
• Place on the prepared baking sheet. Once you've dipped all the bars in chocolate, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and allow chocolate to harden. Enjoy!