"Can I use Splenda?" was The Question this time around.

Even though having a blog gets you in the habit of covering every possible opening my finely-honed readers might find, I've learned not to leave any sort of issue unresolved, since someone's bound to find it. For example, if I say, "This Walnut Cake can be made with hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, black walnuts, chestnuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, pine nuts, peanuts, coconuts, filberts, gingko nuts, or pecans", I'm sure I've covered all my bases.

But someone will invariably pipe in, "Hey, can I use cashews?"

Sugar-free baking isn't my area of specialty, but I do love a challenge—which is good, since I'm hoping to change internet providers next month here in France, which I'm looking to with as much excitement as I would to having unanesthetized oral surgery.

I don't use artificial sweeteners in my cooking and don't know how they behave so I'm not going to dole out advice on how to use them. But some people can't have highly-refined or white sugar for health reasons, so I told those folks I'd "get back to them on that", which I'm doing here and now. I wanted to come up with a recipe for ice cream-lovers who are looking for a sugar-free option that tastes every bit as good as regular ice cream. And this is it.

In one of my favorite cookbooks this year, Super Natural Cooking, Heidi Swanson extols the virtues of natural sweeteners and is particularly keen on agave nectar, which I've read is suitable for those of you out there avoiding sugar. Although since I've disappointed my mother by not becoming a doctor, you can read for yourself more about the virtues of foods with low-glycemic indexes at Slashfood. And I did discover for those of you hoping to lose those last few pounds before swimsuit season comes to an end (even though we didn't have one in Paris this year), Kalyn tells me this is South Beach-friendly.

No word if frozen Polish vodka is on either list. Somehow I don't think so.

After my book tour ended, I jettisoned home and decided to come up with a top-drawer recipe for Sugar-Free Chocolate Ice Cream that used no artificial ingredients. I made a trip to my favorite health food store in Paris, picked up a jar of agave nectar, and got a-churning.

I decided to create sugar-free chocolate ice cream, since the luscious, silky-smooth taste of dark chocolate was probably something that most folks on sugar-restricted diets were craving. But I didn't want to make something that tasted like just an acceptable substitute for chocolate ice cream: I wanted it to be the real thing, smooth and creamy, with the luxurious flavor of rich, dark chocolate.

If you live outside the United States, you can often find tablets of unsweetened chocolate at some chocolate shops and specialty stores. In France it's usually labeled, '100% pâte de cacao'—100% chocolate paste. You can also find Lindt bars in many supermarkets that boast cacao content of 99%, which has just a slight whisper of sugar, which'll work well in this recipe.

Agave-Sweetened Chocolate Ice Cream
About 1 quart (1 liter)

Since the custard is made without sugar, keep an eye on things as it will cook rather quickly. You can either use a flame-tamer or cook the custard in bain-marie, a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, to avoid overcooking if you've never made a custard before. And because I don't like washing dishes, I use the same saucepan for cooking the custard that I used for dissolving and blooming the cocoa powder, I simply scrape it as clean as possible and use it again for making the custard.

If you're concerned about the quantity of agave nectar here, you can reduce the amount to ½ cup (120 ml) if you wish, although it's texture and taste is exactly right for me.

10 tablespoons (155 ml) agave nectar
2 ounces (55 g) unsweetened chocolate, very finely chopped
1/3 cup (35 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)
3 cups (750 ml) half-and-half*, divided
5 large egg yolks
pinch of salt

1. In a small saucepan, warm the agave syrup with the unsweetened chocolate over the lowest heat possible, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and transfer mixtures to a large bowl. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, add 1½ cups (375 ml) of the half-and-half and whisk in the cocoa powder. Cook over moderate heat until the mixture begins to bubble, then simmer for 30 seconds, whisking frequently, making sure to break up any clumps of cocoa powder.

3. Remove from heat and scrape the mixture into the bowl with the chocolate-agave mixture. Stir them together, then set a mesh strainer over the top.

4. Add the remaining half-and-half to the saucepan with a pinch of salt, turn on the heat, and when warm, slowly pour the warm half-and-half into the yolks whisking constantly, then pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.

5. Cook, stirring constantly over moderate heat, until the mixture becomes steamy and thickens. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read about 170-175F degrees. (76-79C).

6. Pour the mixture through the strainer into the chocolate mixture.

7. Stir, then let cool a few minutes until tepid. Once it's not super hot, whiz the mixture in a blender for ten seconds until it's smooth and velvety. (Never blend very hot liquids in a blender, since it creates a hot vortex and can cause the liquid to blast out of the top.)

8. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Or follow my step-by-step instructions for freezing ice cream without a machine.

*If half-and-half isn't available where you live, just substitute equal parts of heavy or whipping cream and whole milk mixed together to equal 3 cups (750 ml).

Official: you are a demi-god. You have managed without fake food, although where I would find agave nectar is beyond me!

You can get god status by inventing potato chips with no calories other than those of the potato.

this looks absolutely yummy! and i do have a bottle of agave syrup(hard to find here!) that i got from a recent food expo. i first heard about it from Ideas In Food. i can only imagine what a splash of bailey's will do to this! maybe i'll buy myself that ice cream maker attachment for KA that i've been wanting. i'm still trying to justify the expense.

Love your blog. Always have been a big fan and supporter.

However, I ask you to please make a slight correction (or amendment) to your yummy post above.

Agave nectar is not sugar-free, however low-glycemic and wonderful it is. When nutritionists say it's safe for diabetics, they immediately qualify that with a statement that diabetics who use agave nectar must watch their carb intake when using it. I've been using agave nectar in my cooking and baking for about two years now, and have researched its sugar qualities because I live with sugar sensitivities.

Agave nectar comprises 70% fructose and 30% glucose, two naturally occurring sugars. This information comes from Dr. Cheryl Mitchell, who published "The Use of Nutritive Sweeteners in Organic Food Processing Operations."

Because it's so high in fructose, it's safe for diabetics and folks like me. Just please, don't call it sugar-free. Thanks!

Hi Deb: Thanks for your comment.

When I said 'sugar free' I meant there was no granulated sugar in it, instead of calling it 'unsweetened', which would mean there's no sweetener (stevia, agave, honey, malt, etc.) in it.

There's so many recipes out there that use Splenda and artificial sweeteners that I wanted to present a natural alternative, although I do point out that this is a recipe for people avoiding white/highly-refined sugar.

I did a quick search on the internet for 'sugar free ice cream' and found almost all the recipes used some truly frigthening products and hoped to provide a natural, good-tasting alternative.

Anything with carbohydrates has natural sugar in it; pasta, bread, Judith's miracle potato chips, etc...so I'm not sure what is the correct term or definition for something without refined sugar is:naturally-sweetened?

But then again, white sugar extracted from sugar cane or beets without additives. Is that natural?

Yikes!

I swapped the title of the post so there would be no confusion...and I'd better stick to sugar from now on.

Thanks : )

Americans are obsessed with artificial sweeteners. They somehow think that using them in their beverages will allow them enough extra calories to consume a Big Mac.

I understand that diabetics and others with dietary restrictions may need to reduce sugar. I am glad to see that you chose to substitute Agave nectar instead. Agave is great in tea (I haven't tried it in anything else). The ice cream looks positively luscious. You have inspired me to try Agave in my baking. Great post!

I have 3 bottles of agave nectar so I'm definitely going to try this.

Btw, I bought mine on Amazon (it was 6 bottles for around 18 bucks). I'm diabetic so I use it on my Oatmeal and it is really great stuff. The best part is how great it tastes (no artificial aftertaste).

Izzy: Yes, I agree. And just to add another two cents, Heidi does talk in her book and gives specific guidelines about substituting agave for other sweeteners. But in general, you can use it to flavor fruit crisps, compotes and in other baking applications using less since it's sweeter than sugar. And because it's acidic, like honey, it can cause custards to break so take care, as I have in the recipe above.

I really like agave, and other natural sweeteners and always want to learn more. If anyone has great tips on baking or cooking with agave, feel free to share them here...

Hi David,
Thanks so much for making the alterations to the post. Oh, and please don't stop noodling around with agave nectar! I'd love to see what kind of delicacies you can make with it. I'd begun to feel like the agave outpost for a while. ;D

It's nice to see folks trying it, albeit it's challenging to use liquid sweeteners like agave in baked goods, but it's such a good fit for ice cream.
Thanks again!

Hi.. great looking recipe. I was wondering if you could use local honey as a sugar substitute? We've been trying to use local honey as a replacement to boost immunity for allergies. Do you think this would work?

This ice cream looks fantastic. Judging from some of the comments, it looks like you can never get away from another "the question" though :) But thanks for trying to cover all your bases!

Kate: Yes, you can use honey. I would choose a very mild-flavored one, which complimented chocolate, and use the smaller amount (½ cup, as indicated in the headnote.

Bravo! We keep a gallon jug of agave syrup (we like Aunt Patty's certified organic brand) in the fridge and always at the ready for margaritas, but I'm excited to know that it will work in ice cream too...

Have you tried Xylitol?
Terrible name for a naturally derived product. I've tried it for baked goods, it retains some moisture, so works better for moist things. It's not as viscous as sugar so didn't work well for sorbet, but ice cream? Its sweetness exchange is pretty close to sugar too, unlike all the nasties.

HA! I was in one of your classes (Austin) when someone asked if she could use Splenda. You should have seen your face!! Wish I'd taken a picture.

grumble grumble. I've gone and gotten an ice cream maker just so i can use that book you gave me and I am meant to be on a diet. I'am going to clip you round the ear for all the trouble you've caused when i get to paris next month.

I was shocked to see not one, but two brands of agave syrup at my local Sunflower Market today! It's not something I've ever heard of (or tried), but if it's better for me than Splenda, I'll give it a whirl.

You dear man. I knew nothing about you but a friend sent me this recipe and this page today and now I'm going to go home and build an altar to you. Keep cooking with the natural sweeteners and you will open up new worlds. Mille grazie.

David, the ice cream looks just fantastic. I really like the flavor of agave and I've had good luck with it in everything I've tried it in. I don't know about in Europe, but in the U.S. I think it's pretty widely available in health food stores, or in the health food section of grocery stores.

I'm pretty sure the South Beach Diet police would insist that this has to be what I call a "once in a while treat," but what a treat it would be!

I'm very grateful for this one -- I love agave and like to keep my sugar consumption down. Cannot wait to try it.
Merci!

Bravo! Um, can I substitute the unsweetened chocolate (if I can't find a good one) with cocoa powder? Ha!

I also read that the fructose in agave is bad for you, but whatever. It's dessert.

by what you meant with "taking care not to break the custard" how was this done? would this have to do with heating the syrup(acidic) with the chocolate(alkaline?) first before introducing to the cream? would be using dutch-processed cocoa make a difference?

Hi David,
On page 212 of your book, "Ripe for Dessert" you have a wonderful recipe for Mixed Berry Pie. I'm wondering if the filling would be a good place to use the agave, thus cutting down on the overall amount of sugar needed.
I have an incredible 'sweet-tooth' as well as a yen for everything home baked as much as possible - but I also happen to be sugar sensitive - so, hopefully this ice cream paired with a rather large slice of the Mixed Berry Pie will be a good place to start restricting myself :)

Oh how interesting. While I personally am one for using real sugar, I also share your curiosity about trying different ingredients and incorporating different dietary restrictions.

When I need something low in sugar, I keep stevia in my pantry as a substitute (not only is it all natural, but high in fiber). This year, I grew stevia in a pot on the balcony. It grew like mad, and the leaves are amazingly sweet: we started chopping them up and adding them to fruit salad, and I want to experiment more with them.

Wonderful! I got this question just last week from a diabetic friend. Great timing, David! Thanks.

I find your blog very interesting and informative, thank you for making me smile!

look how many comments you have elicited. you always know how to start a conversation...

i just put up a post about using agave nectar in lemonade. Worked like a charm, although some thought it too tart. I've started to realize that bleached white sugar is useless (although so sweet and pretty). Heidi's book pushed me to make the ideas I had been brewing into action.

We could all do with a little more experimentation in our food. It's easy to be stuck in a rut. i like discovering.

Hey David: Have you heard about the new ice cream place Caramella on the rue des Martyrs? They got lots of flavors too, like peanut butter and jelly.. yummy..

Shauna: I love using different sweeteners and finding one that's a plausible alternative that acceptable to people on restricted-sugar diets is a real boon. But aside from any health benefits, many of these sweeteners simply taste good.

Agave is terrific since it dissolves easily and doesn't have an overwhelming taste, making it a perfect match for Chocolate Ice Cream.

Kayenne: If you heat acidic things (honey, brown sugar, fresh ginger, citrus, etc..), they can cause custards to break. So I add them at the end, or at another point in the recipe.

Christine: I've not only heard about it...I've been there!

They're listed in my round-up, The Ice Cream Shops of Paris.

thanks david! I had an idea about acids and creams curdling, but didn't know that adding heat can further encourage it. I've always wanted to try making lemon custards, but unsure how. I love agave... it has this homey, mellow flavor not unlike brown sugar.

Hi David:

Is it possible to use Fage non-fat yogurt instead of the half and half in this recipe? I just got my ice cream maker and can't wait to try this recipe!

I love this! I stumbled upon it tonight while looking for a recipe for chocolate syrup sweetened with Agave (I didn't find one, so made one up myself)- I'm bookmarking this for next week!

FWIW, I use only Agave (well, sometimes Xylitol) to sweeten in our house: iced tea, coffee, sweet breads, cookies, etc. It just requires a reduction in liquid ingredients, and personally I use less Agave than the amount of sugar called for in a recipe.

Hi there. I first heard your name from my friend Heidi, but then randomly was in Teo, my favorite espresso place in Austin, and Matt had an email from you claiming theirs is the best gelato in the US taped to the register. Random. And inspiring! I can say I routinely eat the best gelato in the country.

Anyway, on fructose. Different agave syrups have different ratios of fructose to glucose. Sucrose, normal table sugar, is a 50/50 mix (guaranteed, since they're fused together molecule-for-molecule.) But some agave syrups are as much as 90% fructose.

A little science: the glycemic index of a food is the rate at which it causes the blood sugar to rise. Pure glucose is the definition of maximum GI, and is set at 100, because nothing spikes blood sugar faster than drinking pure glucose. Blood sugar *is* glucose, and so it goes straight from the digestive system into the bloodstream.

Fructose, on the other hand, must be metabolized by the liver to be made into glucose to be released into the blood. This rate-limiting step is the reason it has a lower glycemic index -- like a "time release formula" sugar.

That said, it's worth being careful with fructose. In studies on rats, excess fructose consumption leads to cirrhosis and excess fat production, whereas glucose doesn't really have any adverse effects. No doubt that's related to all the work in the liver.

I think it's interesting that there's a sense that high-fructose corn syrup is this total poison because it's highly processed, whereas stuff like agave is really healthy because it's less processed. In fact, the normal HFCS used in food in the US is something like 43% fructose and 52% glucose, so it has far less fructose than agave syrup, and is closer to sucrose. There's an argument that the free fructose is worse than the fructose bound up in sucrose molecules, but if that's the case, agave syrup is all free fructose, and should be especially bad.

Now, I don't like HFCS because I find the taste unpleasant. But as far as health risks go -- and obviously nutritional science changes its tune on a regular basis, so maybe this will all be proven false next week -- but right now, glucose seems much less risky than fructose. For diabetics it's a tough call, of course, but at the very least, anyone using fructose as a primary sugar probably ought to do so in moderation.