Craving something cold, creamy, and dairy-free? Look no further than these delicious keto Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles. So easy to make, your kids could do it themselves! But you might find you don’t want to share and I don’t blame you one bit. Less than 3g carbs per serving!
My whole family is absolutely obsessed with these creamy keto Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles. And by obsessed, I mean that we’ve already made 4 batches of them and I see no reason to quit any time soon. We. Love. Them.
They are totally dairy-free and they might just be the easiest dang low carb popsicles in the world. And they were one of those recipe creations that was just a happy accident. Or perhaps I should say a happy last minute impulse.
I had some coconut cream in my fridge that was on the verge of going bad and I knew it was a use or lose it moment. I hate food waste of all kinds and I contemplated just putting it in the freezer in a jar.
But I also had some sad looking strawberries in the fridge as well. They had been lovely and fresh when I brought them home from the farmer’s market, but we’d let them sit around a little too long and they were definitely past their prime.
So into the blender went the coconut cream and the strawberries, along with a little lemon juice. The resulting mixture was so delicious and it really only needed a little powdered sweetener to make it a perfect keto treat.
I honestly wasn’t sure what my kids would think, but they liked them instantly. All three kids, which is close to a parenting miracle. They’ve become the standard afternoon snack when they return weary and hot from a day at camp.
Coconut Cream in Dairy-Free Popsicles
Coconut cream works perfectly as the base of this keto and dairy-free popsicle recipe. In another life, I might have just blended up some strawberries with lemon juice and added some sugar. But keto popsicles with erythritol in them can be really icy if they don’t have enough a creamy base to provide fat.
The coconut cream, which is really just the thick part off the top of a can of coconut milk, also allows you to use fewer berries while still getting great fresh berry flavor. And the tang of the berries with the lemon juice make any coconut flavor almost non-existent.
What is Coconut Cream?
Wondering what I am referring to when I talk about coconut cream? Don’t worry, it’s not the sugary sweet Coco Lopez stuff you may have seen on grocery store shelves!
The keto-friendly coconut cream I am referring to is just really thick coconut milk. You can simply scoop the thick white part from the top of a can of coconut milk, which is often almost solid. You can get about 1 cup of coconut cream from the top of a can of full fat coconut milk.
This does mean that you end up throwing away the rest of the milk, which does feel a little wasteful. Sometimes I keep it to add to cakes in place of almond milk or water.
And if you live in a hot climate, the thick white coconut cream may not actually be as solid as you need it to be, to scoop it out. In that case, you want to refrigerate it for a while to let the cream rise to the top of the can.
You can also purchase cans of actual coconut cream, which are more of the solid white coconut flesh and less of the coconut water. They are more expensive but then there is less waste.
I have two brands of coconut cream I really like. Let’s Do Organic Heavy Coconut Cream and Native Forest Coconut Cream. One thing I like about Native Forest is that they sell some mini cans too, so you can use those if you only need 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
How To Make Dairy-Free Keto Popsicles
I almost feel like a tip section doesn’t need to be here. This recipe is THAT easy. But a few things to consider:
Do use the coconut cream and not thinner coconut milk. Why, you ask? Because I experimented with this a little and the ones with coconut milk froze a lot harder.
If the mixture is very thick and won’t pour easily into your popsicle molds, grab a piping bag and cut off about 1 inch of the tip, then fill that. It makes it a lot less messy to fill the molds. How thick it ends up depends on your coconut cream. I’ve had thinner batches and thicker batches.
Do use a powdered sweetener such as Swerve. It will be awfully gritty if you use a granulated one. It may also be too soft and the popsicles won’t firm up properly if you use Bocha Sweet or allulose. I recommend sticking with erythritol.
Use wooden popsicles sticks. Because the surface is rough, they stick better into the popsicles and won’t pull out when you try to un-mold your popsicles.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with this. Try other berries and other flavor profiles. I think this one is infinitely adaptable.
Have fun and stay cool. The healthy sugar-free way!
Want more Dairy Free Keto Desserts?
Keto Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles
Equipment
- Popsicle mold
- Wooden popsicles sticks
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 1/4 cup coconut cream
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
- 1/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the sweetener to your liking.
- Pour into popsicles molds, about 3-ounces each. Tap the molds lightly on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Set wooden sticks about 2/3 of the way into the popsicles. (The mixture should be thick enough for the sticks to stay in place but if it's not, freeze the popsicles for 1 hour first, then put in the sticks).
- Freeze at least 6 ot 8 hours.
- To unmold the popsicles, heat some water in a kettle and run it over the outside of the mold you want to release for 5 to 10 seconds. Gently tug the stick to remove the popsicle.
aileen says
Fantastic!!
Chris says
Yum! Would unsweetened almond milk work instead of coconut cream? Or almond/coconut milk blend in carton?
Carolyn says
No, it’s not thick enough. It would be very icy.
Nancy Wilkinson says
I made these fabulous Popsicles yesterday. I used blueberries and added a few whole berries to the mix. I also added zest and juice from one lemon. Got rave reviews from my friends!
Nicole L says
I love your recipes! My son is diabetic and we have switched to low carb eating. These popsicles rock and everyone loves them. Thanks!
Denise says
There must be a reason you use the cream at the top of the coconut milk rather than using canned coconut cream. Would you mind explaining? Thank you for your recipes.
Carolyn says
Yes, because it’s thicker and the popsicles get a lot less icy.
Mary L says
These sound delicious, can you use frozen strawberries and reduce the cream? We don’t always have fresh berries available where I live. Thank you!
Carolyn says
Yes, you could use frozen strawberries. No need to reduce the cream.
Linda Friday says
These sound divine. I have scoured the web for this popsicle mold. Could you please provide a link, Carolyn? Thanks!
Jennifer says
I’d love the link for the popsicle molds as well
Carolyn says
So the ones that I have are from Williams Sonoma and I don’t think they carry them anymore, but this one from Fox Run is very similar. https://amzn.to/3eg29ma
Connie Cox says
Where can I find a list of your KETO cookbooks?
Carolyn says
The Everyday Ketogenic Cookbook (my first book) https://amzn.to/2mDxlmk
Easy Keto Dinners: https://amzn.to/2LIaDnL
Easy Keto Desserts: https://amzn.to/2NEocFg
Keto Soups and Stews: https://amzn.to/2CXafkt
Easy Keto Breakfasts: https://amzn.to/2tG1rJ6
Trang says
Delicious and perfect for summer right now!
Katie says
These popsicles were so refreshing and I especially loved that they were guilt free!
Anna says
These pops are so refreshing! Delicious!
April says
We just bought that exact same popsicle mold and have been looking for fun and new recipes to make in it! So glad I found this one!
Beth Pierce says
What a cool and refreshing treat! Looking forward to cooling down with these all summer long!
Sandra says
I made half a batch of these yesterday (as the only low-carber in the house, I tend to do this with most of your dessert recipes…with great success). After realizing I didn’t have any lemons, I nervously reached for a lime. I felt the lime flavor might be too overwhelming so added less of the juice than the recipe called for. YUM! I highly recommend the lime sub for anyone else who doesn’t check for ingredients before plowing forward with a recipe!
Gloria says
Is there a different sweetener that can be used instead of Swerve? I don’t like the taste of it. Could you use stevia or monkfruit and how much would you use?
Carolyn says
You can use any sweetener here.
Robyn Harris says
Oh wow! A perfect summer treat!
Thank you! 🙏🏽
Amanda says
Talk about kismet! I had a leftover can of coconut milk that I’ve been meaning to do something with. I only had a bit under a cup of the cream on top – so reduced the amount of strawberries and used 1/4 cup swerve. Tasted it before putting in the molds…the mixture tasted delicious. Has almost a strawberry (pina) colada taste to me…maybe the coconut was more potent that I thought! The hardest part was separating the coconut cream from the water; took less than a minute in my blendtec. Thank you for giving me a sweet option when the family is having ice cream (I have enlightened in the freezer, but am trying to watch the amount of dairy). I’ve tried several of your recipes and have purchased (I think) all of your cookbooks…I’ve only been doing keto for the past 2 months, but have been feeling so much better and have the energy to chase my 16 month old little boy. Thank you for making this such an easily-sustainable lifestyle…it’s so greatly appreciated. Have a happy 4th of July!
Carolyn says
So glad you liked them! And glad you’re feeling good on keto.
Tara says
These look awesome. My husband and kids have a coconut allergy– would heavy cream work to sub for the coconut cream in an equal amount? I suppose I can always experiment! And by the way– I LOVE your books and your recipes online. They are my absolute keto cookbook favorites. You have a real talent!! So glad you share your recipes with us.
Carolyn says
Yes, it certainly should!