Keto Strawberry Pretzel Salad
This keto strawberry pretzel salad is the perfect low carb replacement for all your parties and picnics. This tasty dessert has a delicious crunchy crust topped with a sweet fluffy cream cheese filling topped with fresh strawberries and tasty strawberry gelatin! Enjoy your dessert guilt and carb free! Only 3 grams of net carbs per serving!
If you’ve ever been to a potluck chances are you’ve come across a strawberry pretzel salad recipe that you’ve loved! When I first heard about the combination of pretzels, cream cheese and jello I’ll admit I was skeptical but one bite and I was hooked! This layered dessert is always a crowd pleaser and it is perfect for parties, picnics, holiday gatherings, or potlucks!
The problem with the original recipe of this pretzel strawberry salad is that it is full of sugar, something I never minded in my desserts until last year when I found out that I’m diabetic. So it was time for me to take my favorite sweets and give them a sugar free makeover! The amazing thing about this salad is not only that it is sugar free but it is also low carb so it is perfect for anyone on a low carb diet, on a keto diet, or who has any other carb or sugar restrictions!
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Another perk? It is also gluten free! Since the salty pretzel crust is replaced with almond flour and pecans it swaps out the pretzels for something just as delicious but completely free of gluten!
Ingredient checklist-
Find the exact amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Sugar Free Gelatin– You’ll need 2 of the 0.3 oz packages or the bigger 0.6oz package. You can use any brand! Some recipes use homemade strawberry jello for these salads but I’m a fan of the store bought sugar-free jello if you have a homemade recipe you love you can use it!
Strawberries– You’ll need nice fresh strawberries! I like to pick out several that are around the same size so that they look pretty in the dessert. Medium size work the best for me.
Cream Cheese- You’ll want to use full fat cream cheese, any brand will work. Make sure you take it out to soften before starting.
Sugar Free Sweetener– You can use your favorite sugar free crystalized sweetener in this recipe. I love Swerve, and Lakanto both are available at your local grocery store or on Amazon.
Heavy Whipping Cream– This helps the filling to be nice and fluffy.
Pecans– I like to use pecan halves but you can use pecan pieces.
Butter– You’ll need a stick of butter, it will be melted so no need to soften it first. I like to use salted butter, if you have unsalted you can use it but may need to add a pinch of salt to the crust mix.
Sea Salt– For this recipe you want a chunky salt like sea salt or pretzel salt. It mimics the salt on pretzels and helps give this delicious dessert a sweet and salty flavor!
Whipped Cream or Cool Whip– A dollop of whipped topping is delicious on this dessert, make sure to get sugar free!
Here’s how to make this low carb strawberry pretzel salad
Before you get started preheat the oven to 350
First you’ll want to finely chop the pecans,. I like to use a food processor to chop them easily. They don’t have to be crushed like bread crumbs more like crushed pretzel bits. Place the chopped pecans in a medium bowl add the almond flour and stir.
Add in 1/4 cup Swerve (or other sweetener) and stir until well incorporated.
Melt your butter in a small saucepan or microwave safe bowl.
Add melted butter to the pecan mixture and stir well. The crust mixture should be crumbly but hold together when squeezed.
Press mixture into the bottom of a 13×9 inch baking dish. Pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes.
When it is done in the oven place it on a cooling rack to cool and sprinkle evenly with sea salt, allow it to cool completely.
Next we’re going to make the filling mixture. In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip softened cream cheese until light and fluffy.
Add in 3/4 cup of Swerve and continue mixing until well incorporated. Add in heavy whipping cream and beat on high until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over top of the cooled crust making sure to spread it to the edges of the pan, this keeps the jello from leaking down the edges. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Slice or chop strawberries and spread them evenly over the sweet cream cheese layer.
Boil water in a medium saucepan or microwave safe bowl. Remove from heat and add in sugar free strawberry jello whisk the gelatin until it is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool. You want it to be cool to the touch so that it doesn’t melt the cream cheese. Pour the gelatin mixture over the the cream cheese mixture and strawberries.
Place the entire dessert in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
To serve cut into 12 squares and garnish with whipped cream or cool whip if desired.
Tips & Substitutions
Make Sure to Let Everything Cool– It is important in this recipe that the crust, the cream cheese mixture, the Jello, and the entire dessert. The cooling is very important, you want nice layers so cooling avoids the crust or the gelatin mixture melting the cream cheese filling.
Make Sure to Seal the Edges– When you spread out the cream cheese mixture be sure to take it all the way to the edges of your baking pan, if there is a gap the Jello will leak down the sides. You’ll still have a tasty dessert but if you want the perfect dessert with nice pretty layers make sure the center layer is all the way to the edges!
Watch your to toppings– If you want to keep this dessert keto you need to make sure you’re not loading on the sugar with your whipped cream or cool whip. This is delicious with out it if you don’t have sugar free!
Use Raspberries– Another great way to make this dessert is with raspberries and sugar free raspberry Jello. Raspberries have even lower net carbs than strawberries so you don’t have to worry about the carb count! You can use about 3/4 cup of raspberries for the same net carbs as the strawberries.
Use Walnuts– I know that people often have preferences when it comes to nuts so if you hate pecans you’re in luck. Pecans and walnuts have similar carb counts one ounce of walnuts has about 1.9 grams of net carbs the same size serving of pecans contains1.10 grams of net carbs. If you use walnuts you’ll want to toast them first (link https://www.culinaryhill.com/how-to-toast-walnuts/) so that they are nice and crunchy, they tend to be a little softer than pecans so this helps them to be a little crunchier.
Make it Chocolate– Love the flavor combination of chocolate and strawberries you can add cocoa powder to the middle layer of this dish. Just mix in 1/4-1/2 cup depending on your taste preference! You can also garnish it with sugar free chocolate!
Use 3 Cups of Water– The texture of the gelatin layer of this dessert is similar to a Jello jiggler. It creates a lovely thin layer of Jello. However if you’d like a thicker, softer Jello layer you can use 3 cups of boiling water.
Keto Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Ingredients
- For the Crust
- 2 Cups Pecan Halves
- 1 Cup Almond Flour
- 1/4 Cup Swerve or other granulated sugar free sweetener
- 1 Stick Salted Butter
- 1 tsp. Sea Salt or Pretzel Salt
- For The Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 oz. Cream Cheese softened
- 1/2 Cup Swerve or other granulated sugar free sweetener
- 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- For the Jello Layer
- 2- 0.3 oz Boxes Sugar Free Strawberry Jello
- 3 Cups of Water
- 8 Medium Size Fresh Strawberries
- Optional- Sugar Free Whipped Topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Finely chop pecans, they don't have to be crushed like bread crumbs more like crushed pretzel bits.
- Place the chopped pecans in a medium bowl add the almond flour and stir.
- Add in 1/4 cup Swerve (or other sweetener) and stir until well incorporated.
- Melt your butter in a small saucepan or microwave safe bowl.
- Add melted butter to the pecan mixture and stir well. The crust mixture should be crumbly but hold together when squeezed.
- Press mixture into the bottom of a 13×9 inch baking dish. Pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes.
- When it is done in the oven place it on a cooling rack to cool and sprinkle evenly with sea salt, allow it to cool completely.
- Next we're going to make the filling mixture. In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip softened cream cheese until light and fluffy.
- Add in 1/2 cup of Swerve and continue mixing until well incorporated. Add in heavy whipping cream and beat on high until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over top of the cooled crust making sure to spread it to the edges of the pan, this keeps the jello from leaking down the edges. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Slice or chop strawberries and spread them evenly over the sweet cream cheese layer.
- Boil water in a medium saucepan or microwave safe bowl. Remove from heat and add in sugar free strawberry jello whisk the gelatin until it is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool. You want it to be cool to the touch so that it doesn't melt the cream cheese. Pour the gelatin mixture over the the cream cheese mixture and strawberries.
- Place the entire dessert in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- To serve cut into 12 squares and garnish with whipped cream or cool whip if desired.
Not a salad this is a Salad this is a cheesecake with a pretzel crust dont ever call it a salad thats just weird dude
I love this strawberry pretzel salad! Thanks so much for this AWESOME recipe!!
Does say how much water to use in jello
Sorry! I didn’t realize that was missing! You’ll need 3 cups!
Well I only used 2, still good but now I know