Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex hormonal condition that impacts nearly every part of your body during your reproductive years. It can lead to weight gain, fatigue, intense sugar and carb cravings, irregular periods, and mood swings. One of the biggest factors influencing how your PCOS shows up every day? Your diet—especially your sugar intake.
Up to 80% of women with PCOS struggle with insulin resistance, which is when your body can’t properly process glucose. Instead of turning it into energy, it stores it as fat. This makes weight loss harder and affects your mood, energy levels, and menstrual cycle. And, as you may have guessed, sugar is one of the main drivers behind those dramatic blood sugar spikes and crashes.
I always encourage Cysters to follow a gluten- and dairy-free anti-inflammatory diet to help reverse PCOS symptoms. However, I totally understand how intense those ice cream cravings can get, especially right before your period. Though I recommend Cysters avoid dairy products and sugar, that doesn’t mean you have to give up ice cream altogether.
Today, I’m sharing a PCOS-friendly ice cream recipe that tastes amazing and works with your hormones—not against them. Simple, delicious, and easy to make right at home, so you can enjoy a sweet treat without the blood sugar crash!
Low Sugar Ice Cream for PCOS (5-Minute Recipe!)
Learning how to follow a PCOS diet that works with your body is one of the most powerful things you can do for your health. It can ease (and even heal!) your PCOS symptoms, support weight loss, and help you feel more balanced every day. And that’s exactly why I’m sharing this low-sugar ice cream recipe made just for Cysters.
I know how tough those sugar cravings can be, especially when that “sugar monster” comes knocking. So I wanted to give you a delicious, hormone-friendly option you can enjoy without the guilt or blood sugar crash.
This is one of my absolute favorite PCOS-friendly ice cream recipes. Plus, you can find hundreds more of your favorite comfort foods recreated to support your hormones inside The Cysterhood app!
Because healing your PCOS isn’t about giving up the foods you love, it’s about making them with the right ingredients so your body can thrive.
Is Ice Cream Bad for PCOS?
The ice cream you find at the grocery store is far from ideal for people with PCOS. Especially not ones who want to and are actively working on healing their hormones! Most store-bought options are packed with preservatives, artificial flavors (hello, endocrine disruptors), and sky-high levels of sugar and unhealthy fats.
In other words, it’s the perfect storm for hormone chaos, especially if you struggle with insulin resistance. Even one bowl can trigger blood sugar spikes, inflammation, and symptoms that leave you feeling bloated, fatigued, and moody.
Below, I’m breaking down exactly how traditional ice cream impacts your body when you have PCOS.
Insulin Spikes from Added Sugar
Most store-bought ice creams pack 20-30 grams of added sugar into a single serving. For a Cyster, that much sugar can force the body into overdrive to regulate blood sugar through increased insulin levels.
When your blood sugar suddenly shoots up, it triggers inflammation and raises cortisol (your stress hormone). This combo can throw your hormones even more out of balance. It can cause an increase in testosterone, making symptoms like acne, hair growth on the face or body, and weight gain harder to manage.
This is why choosing the right kind of treat matters so much for your hormones when dealing with insulin resistance. You can learn more about stabilizing your blood sugar in my post, “A Guide to PCOS Blood Sugar Balance.”
Low Nutritional Value
Many patients with PCOS already struggle to absorb essential nutrients. This is why choosing whole, nutrient-dense foods is such an important part of healing. Unfortunately, most store-bought ice cream offers little nutritional value. Instead, they’re packed with empty calories that taste good in the moment, but do nothing to support your overall health.
Because nutrient deficiencies are so common among Cysters, I created the MetaMulti Vitamin to help fill those gaps. Just one daily dose gives your body the vitamins and minerals it needs, especially on the days when food alone can’t fully support you.
High in Saturated Fats and Dairy
Ice cream has high fat content, especially saturated fat. Beyond that, it’s typically made with dairy, a food group I always recommend avoiding for PCOS.
Saturated fats can increase inflammation and worsen cholesterol issues. Dairy can raise androgen levels, trigger inflammation, and contribute to gut and digestive issues—all things that can intensify PCOS symptoms.
One more thing that people don’t commonly discuss: dairy often contains Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1). For women with PCOS, this addition can mimic insulin, ultimately increasing androgens and making symptoms even worse.
Can Disrupt Gut and Hormone Balance
Eating sugar and dairy together can throw your gut completely out of balance. And gut issues are incredibly common for Cysters (nearly half of women with PCOS struggle with them!). When the gut microbiome becomes disrupted, it can spike inflammation, worsen hormone imbalances, and interfere with your metabolic health.
A stressed gut means stressed hormones, and that’s the last thing your PCOS needs.
If you want to dive deeper into how gut health and hormones are connected, be sure to listen to my podcast episode, “The Gut-Hormone Connection for PCOS.” It breaks it all down in a simple, helpful way so you can start healing from the inside out.
How to Make PCOS-Friendly Ice Cream with Low Sugar
It’s completely possible to enjoy ice cream while supporting your hormones. All it takes is understanding which ingredients work with your PCOS body, not against it. Below is a simple, delicious at-home recipe that satisfies your sweet tooth and is actually good for PCOS.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas, peeled, sliced, and frozen
- 2 tbsp unsweetened almond butter (or peanut butter)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed or chia seeds (optional for extra fiber and hormone support)
- 1-3 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (only if needed for blending)
Optional Toppings
- Dark chocolate chips
- Crushed walnuts
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
Flavor Variations
- Chocolate: Add 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
- Berry: Add ¼ cup frozen raspberries or blueberries
- Protein: Blend in ½ scoop PCOS-friendly protein powder
Instructions
Step 1: Slice your bananas and freeze them for at least four hours or overnight. Extra-ripe bananas give you the best natural sweetness.
Step 2: Add the frozen bananas, almond butter, cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, and flax/chia (if using) to a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. If the mixture is too thick, add almond milk one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired texture.
Step 3: Enjoy immediately for a soft-serve consistency. Or, you can also transfer it to a container and freeze for 1-2 hours for a scoopable texture. Add your favorite PCOS-friendly toppings for a little crunch.
Enjoy your favorite foods while healing your hormones with The Cysterhood app.
Paying attention to what you eat with PCOS is one of the first steps toward healing symptoms and balancing hormones. But figuring out which foods work with your body—and which ones to swap out—can feel overwhelming at first.
That’s where The Cysterhood app makes everything easier. Join a growing community of women with PCOS who are ready to balance hormones, lose weight, and feel their best. Inside the app, you’ll find hundreds of PCOS-friendly recipes for weight loss. Plus, there are gentle, effective workout routines designed specifically for Cysters.
Want a little extra support in your healing journey? Explore Ovafit’s line of NSF-certified PCOS supplements. Our formulas are designed to reduce inflammation, improve insulin resistance, and fill common nutrient gaps. They give your body exactly what it needs to truly heal from the inside out.