Creamy Keto Strawberry Popsicles are the best way to beat the heat. With fresh summer berries and no added sugar, they might be the only thing standing between you and the ice cream truck. And they have only 3g net carbs per pop!
Have I ever mentioned how much I love making my own sugar free popsicles? We cannot get enough of them in my house. And there are so many delicious options, like Sugar Free Fudge Pops and Keto Peanut Butter Popsicles.
I first made these Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles way back in 2013, as a way to battle the ice cream truck that ensnared my young kids’ imaginations. They were a huge hit back then and they remain so to this day.
We make multiple batches every summer!
Why make your own popsicles?
One of the advantages to making your own popsicles at home is that it’s remarkably easy. It often takes a few short minutes to whip up the mixture. The hardest part is waiting for them to freeze properly!
Another advantage is that you can make them to suit your own tastes. You can switch up the flavors and sweeten them to your liking. And you can adapt them for various dietary restrictions as well. If you need some inspiration, I have multiple recipes for keto popsicles that you can play with.
You can also add a boost of nutrition in the form of protein powder, collagen peptides, or electrolyte powders. I am trying to increase my protein these days, so I added some whey protein isolate, and they were just as good as ever.
If you don’t own a popsicle mold, I suggest you hightail it to your nearest cookware store. At this time of year, good popsicle molds are widely available and inexpensive, so there is simply no excuse not to have one. I really like this popsicle mold on Amazon.
Once you have the mold, the rest is easy peasy. It’s an inexpensive way to make delicious treats all summer long.
Reader reviews
“I’ve made this a number of times, using different fruits. It’s so good! Grandson loves helping Nana make these treats. The only problem is telling him he has to wait for them to freeze! I appease him with whatever doesn’t fit into the molds 🙂” — Maureen
“Love these! Great substituting blackberries and adding the juice from one medium lemon. Thanks for this!” — Sean
“Came across this on pinterest a couple days ago and made today. SO GOOD! Definitely going to be a favorite treat from here on out.” — Elizabeth
Ingredient Notes
- Strawberries: I prefer fresh berries for these popsicles but you can use frozen berries too. Just make sure to thaw them completely before adding them to the blender.
- Cream cheese: Soften the cream cheese properly so it blends in well.
- Heavy cream: This gives the popsicles a texture that resembles ice cream.
- Sweetener: I like to use Swerve Confectioners but almost any powdered sweetener will work.
- Lemon: A little lemon zest and lemon juice give the popsicles a delightful tanginess.
- Protein powder: This is entirely optional and simply boosts the nutrition of these keto popsicles.
Step by Step Directions
1. Combine 3/4 cup of the strawberries, the cream cheese, heavy cream, sweetener, protein powder, lemon zest, and lemon juice into a large blender. Blend until smooth, then taste and adjust sweetness as desired.
2. By hand, stir in the remaining chopped strawberries. Divide the mixture evenly among 6 popsicles molds.
3. Push wooden sticks about 2/3 of the way into each popsicle. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
4. To un-mold, heat water in the kettle and run it over the outside of the mold for 5 to 10 seconds, and then tug gently on the stick to release.
Expert Tips
Make sure your cream cheese is properly softened so that it blends up well. Cold cream cheese will leave unblended chunks in the popsicles. And be sure to chop up your strawberries before measuring them out. Whole strawberries don’t fit well into a cup and you will mis-measure the amount.
I always recommend wooden popsicles sticks when making any kind of keto popsicles. Plastic sticks often come with cheap molds but they also tend to slide out of the popsicles too easily. The rough surface of the wooden sticks helps them stay in the popsicles as you un-mold them.
Sweetener Options
This recipe is extremely forgiving so you can use any sweetener you like best. However, you should choose powdered or liquid sweeteners to avoid grittiness in the cheesecake popsicles.
How to release popsicles from the molds
I get this question frequently. Here’s the best way I’ve found to release homemade popsicles:
- Heat water in a kettle to almost a boil.
- Stand over the sink with the popsicle mold.
- Run hot water up and down the outside of the popsicle you want to release for a few seconds.
- Be sure not to allow any water into the popsicle itself.
- Gently tug the stick, twisting slightly.
- If it doesn’t release, run a little more hot water over it.
I like using my kettle so that I don’t waste water waiting for the faucet to heat up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most popsicles are not keto-friendly, even if they say they are sugar free. But making your own keto popsicles is easy, delicious, and cost effective. These Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles are very low in carbs and completely appropriate for the keto diet.
This recipe for keto strawberry popsicles has 3.6g carbs and 0.6g fiber per serving. So each popsicle has 3g net carbs.
You can store the popsicles in the molds in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also remove them from the molds and store in an airtight container.
More delicious keto cheesecake recipes
New York Style Keto Cheesecake
This is the best keto cheesecake recipe! So rich and creamy, it will make you swoon at the first bite. With only 3g of carbs per slice, you can dig in with gusto!
Keto Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars
These creamy keto cheesecake bars feature the decadent combination of salted caramel sauce and toasted pecans. So heavenly, you’d never know it’s healthy and sugar free!
Instant Pot Lemon Cheesecake
Keto Instant Pot Cheesecake is extra creamy and delicious! And this low carb lemon cheesecake is so smooth and rich. It’s the perfect sugar-free dessert for lemon lovers. Oven instructions included.
Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (152 g) chopped fresh strawberries, divided
- 4 oz (113.4 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup (60.67 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener, (or other sweetener to taste)
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tsp (1.5 tsp) lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (54 g) protein powder (optional), Can use any unflavored protein, as desired
Instructions
- Combine a three-quarter cup of the strawberries, the cream cheese, heavy cream, sweetener, protein powder, lemon zest, and lemon juice into a large blender. Blend until smooth, then taste and adjust sweetness as desired.
- By hand, stir in the remaining chopped strawberries. Divide the mixture evenly among 6 popsicles molds.
- Push wooden sticks about 2/3 of the way into each popsicle. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
- To unmold, heat water in the kettle and run it over the outside of the mold for 5 to 10 seconds, and then tug gently on the stick to release.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I love the recipe, but my carbs came out different but used mostly what you used. I don’t know what cream cheese you used but I used Philadelphia cream cheese. I used the swerve and it’s saying for 1/3 cup that there is 48g of crabs. What kind of cream did you use? All together for 12 servings I got 7.5g of carbs. Can you list exactly the products you used please and thank you.
Hi Nichole… are you new to keto? Because it’s the erythritol that’s causing the discrepancy. Swerve has carbs… but they have zero impact on blood sugar and should not be counted as a carb. I know this to be true because I test my blood sugar daily. Please read the nutritional disclaimer at the bottom of the post.
I didn’t know that. Thank you!
Welcome. I advise doing your own research a bit, making sure to look at credible sources and journal studies. It took me a while to be confident of erythritol but I’ve been doing this for a long time and since I test my blood sugar, I see it and know it holds up.
I’ve made this a number of times, using different fruits – whatever’s in season – peaches, all kinds of berries. It’s so good! Grandson loves helping Nana make these treats. The only problem is telling him he has to wait for them to freeze! I appease him with whatever doesn’t fit into the molds 🙂
Looks yummy BUT the SUGAR content was left out?
Nope, not left out. You can calculate that yourself if you like. Keto focuses on macros and as a diabetic, it is the carb count that is of most concern.
can i use swerve sweetner in granular or confectioners instead of extract?
I wouldn’t use granular, it will be very gritty. Powdered/confectioner’s is fine.
These remind me much more of yogurt than cheesecake, which isn’t a bad thing as I haven’t had it in forever. I only have a 4-mold popsicle thingy so the rest just went into a bread pan to be served in a bowl. I did have to tweak the sweetener as my berries were extremely tart. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Can I use blueberries in place of the strawberries
Absolutely!
My kids really enjoyed it! Such a fun summer treat!
Just made them! Although I used the lakanto monk fruit sweetener so it might be grainy. The batter is delicious
I’m so excited to try this recipe! This will be such a treat!
These are so delicious on a hot summer day! Love it!
My kids loved these cheesecakes popsicles. We are looking forward to making them with fresh strawberries!
These are happening again and again this summer! So good!
I just made the mix for this and it tastes amazing! I can’t wait for them to be ready!!!
Enjoy!
Would this work with frozen strawberries?
Yes but let them thaw first.
When you say cream, do you mean heavy whipping cream, or light cream, or another cream?
Heavy whipping cream!
Can you substitute stevia in the raw powder for swerve? If so would it be an equal/same measurement substitute?
Thank you
It should be the same amount but I honestly can’t say whether it will be any good in these popsicles.
These are AMAZEBALLS!!! Love them!
Came across this on pinterest a couple days ago and made today. SO GOOD! Definitely going to be a favorite treat from here on out. I read in one of the other comments something about a chocolate version, I’m going to go hunt that down right now 😉
Thank you!
Could you add xanthum gum and place in ice cream maker to make a more soft ice cream?! These are delicious but I would love to be able to scoop like ice cream and add toppings.
You wouldn’t need to add the xanthan…cream cheese typically already has thickeners. You could just churn away.
I’m a keto newbie and I’ve tried several recipes that use stevia and I’m just not fond of the taste after I add stevia. What do you recommend? Omitting the stevia? Or, do I add it and hope that I eventually begin to like it the more that I use it?
Hello there! I don’t have Stevia and I wanted to try to make these right now (all ingredients ready to go) what could I use in place of the Stevia or can I just omit it? Would it change the flavor at all, should I add more Swerve? I do have some liquid sweetner (Monkfruit) but it’s vanilla in flavor. 🙂
You can add a little more powdered Swerve.