If thriving means giving up ice cream then that’s just not a type of thriving we’re interested in. The main problem with ice cream is not the fat, but the sugar. As study after study have shown, both kids and adults consume way too much sugar, leading to higher rates of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, as well as problems in school, depression, and other mental health challenges.

Luckily, several new ice cream brands have come on the market recently, allowing us to have this creamy, delicious dessert without all that sugar.

What are low-sugar ice creams made out of?

Each brand has a slightly different formula, but most are made from cream, milk, soluble corn fiber, and a zero-glycemic sweetener like erythritol or allulose. (As we showed in this article, erythritol and allulose are great non-sugar sweeteners.) There are a few low-sugar, non-dairy ice creams out there and we highlight one of them below. These use similar ingredients as above but swap out the dairy for coconut milk or almond milk.

Not only are these ice creams low sugar but they’re dramatically lower in calories as well. A serving of Ben & Jerry’s classic Chunky Monkey has 400 calories, 41 grams of net carbs (38 grams of sugar), zero fiber, and 6 grams of protein.

The low-sugar ice creams we highlight here have between 120 and 200 calories per serving, between 1-11 grams of net carbs (0-9 grams of sugar), between 3-9 grams of fiber, and between 1-8 grams of protein.

What are the drawbacks of low-sugar ice cream?

Low-sugar ice creams are generally more expensive. The cheapest pint we reviewed was Halo Top’s, which was $3.99/pint at Target. The most expensive in the store was Enlightened’s which was $5.49/pint.

But to keep all this in perspective, a pint of Ben & Jerry’s will run you between $4-5, depending on where you buy it.

The other drawback is that many low-sugar ice creams are rock solid out of the freezer because they don’t use much if any sugar. We have to wait quite a while for them to soften up, whereas regular sugar-based ice cream gets softer much faster.

Besides price and their being slow to soften, all of these are way better than the normal, sugar ice creams. You and your kids can absolutely have your delicious ice cream and feel great about it afterwards.

Here’s a quick overview with a list of national stores that carry each brand:

Enlightened

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Macronutrients per serving: 8 g protein | 10 g net carbs | 9 g fiber | 130 calories
Milk type: Dairy
Main sweetener: Erythritol
Kid review: "Pretty creamy for a healthy ice cream"
Pro/Con: Lower calorie than keto and tastes really good, but pretty pricey
Best flavor: Brownies & Cookie Dough
Cost: $5.49/pint
Where to buy: Walmart, Target, Kroger, Publix, Sprouts

Halo Top

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Macronutrients per serving: 6 g protein | 11 g net carbs | 3 g fiber | 120 calories
Main sweetener: Erythritol
Milk type: Dairy
Kid review: "Too icy," "It's ok but not my favorite"
Pro/Con: Lowest calorie of the low-sugar ice creams; doesn't have the same creaminess or flavor of the other low-sugar ice creams
Best flavor: Candy Bar
Cost: $3.99/pint
Where to buy: Target, Publix, Sprouts, Whole Foods

Killer Creamery

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Macronutrients per serving: 6 g protein | 2 g net carbs | 4 g fiber | 200 calories
Main sweetener: Allulose
Milk type: Dairy
Kid review: "Super creamy," "Tastes like real ice cream"
Pro/Con: Great flavors and also have low-sugar ice cream sandwiches, but pretty pricey
Best flavor: Peanut Blubber
Cost: $4.99
Where to buy: Albertson’s, Ingles, Harris Teeter, and online orders

Rebel Creamery

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Macronutrients per serving: 3 g protein | 2 g net carbs | 6 g fiber | 190 calories
Main sweetener: Erythritol
Milk type: Dairy
Kid review: "Really cremy," "Good flavors but basic"
Pro/Con: Great flavors but not a lot of unusual flavors
Best flavor: Triple Chocolate
Cost: $5.29/pint
Where to buy: Whole Foods, Publix, Kroger, Target

So Delicious

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Macronutrients per serving: 1 g protein | 1 g net carbs | 7 g fiber | 200 calories
Main sweetener: Erythritol
Milk type: Coconut
Kid review: "Pretty good for not being ice cream"
Pro/Con: Non-dairy for those who need to avoid and it's pretty good, but there are only a few flavors available
Best flavor: Mint Chip
Cost: $4.45/pint
Where to buy: Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, Publix