Keto Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles
Published August 1, 2020 • Updated March 15, 2026
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I make these keto strawberry lemonade popsicles every summer, and they taste like the real thing (because they are). Tart from six fresh lemons, sweet from cooked strawberries, and only 3.6g net carbs per pop.
I started making these popsicles back in 2018 when I wanted a frozen treat that actually tasted like strawberry lemonade, not like a sugar substitute pretending to be strawberry lemonade. Most keto popsicle recipes I tried back then were icy, weirdly sweet, or both. These are different because of two things: I cook the strawberries first, and I use six whole lemons.
Cooking the strawberries before straining them gives you a concentrated, clean juice that freezes into actual strawberry flavor instead of watered-down pink ice. Raw blending (which most recipes call for) leaves pulp and seeds that turn grainy once frozen. I push mine through a fine mesh sieve and toss the pulp. It takes an extra five minutes and it makes every batch better.
The fresh lemon juice is what pulls everything together. Six lemons sounds like a lot, but that tartness is the whole point. Bottled juice just doesn’t do it. One of my readers, Drew, started zesting three of the lemons before juicing them, and I tried it on my next batch. He was right. The zest pulls the lemon flavor forward in a way juice alone misses. I’ve been doing it ever since.
For the sweetener, I use confectioners Swerve because it dissolves completely and holds up in the freezer without crystallizing. That was a genuine surprise to me the first time. If you’ve had bad luck with sugar free frozen desserts before, the combination of real lemon juice and Swerve is what fixes it. The acid cuts through any aftertaste. If you love these, try my keto lemonade popsicles for a pure lemon version, or go tropical with my dairy free coconut lime popsicles.
A small tweak one of my readers discovered: adding a tiny bit of extra salt to the lemon juice before mixing everything makes the flavor noticeably brighter. I tested it myself, and she was right. It’s a small change that makes a real difference. Another thing I’ve learned from making these dozens of times is to use 3 cups of water instead of 4 if you want a more intense, less diluted pop. I’m doing 3 cups permanently now.
These are low carb enough that my kids eat them without knowing they’re any different from store-bought popsicles. At 3.6g net carbs per pop, I keep a batch in the freezer on rotation from May through September. They also store well for up to two months, so I usually make a double batch since the straining step is the only fussy part. If you’re looking for more frozen treats, my keto strawberry sorbet uses a similar strawberry base, and my avocado popsicles are creamy if you want something richer.
Tips for the best sugar free popsicles
The biggest thing I’ve learned making frozen treats: sweeten the mixture about 20% more than tastes right at room temperature. Cold dulls sweetness. If the batter tastes perfect before freezing, the finished popsicles will taste flat. I add an extra tablespoon of Swerve beyond what I think I need, and they come out exactly right.
If you don’t have popsicle molds, paper cups work perfectly. Pour the mixture in, freeze for about 45 minutes until it’s slushy, then push a popsicle stick in so it stands upright on its own. Once fully frozen, just peel the paper away. Ice cube trays work too if you want bite-sized pieces (great for kids). For getting popsicles out of standard molds, I run hot water over the outside for 5 to 10 seconds, then pull with a gentle twist. They slide right out. For more frozen keto desserts that work with the same molds, try my keto ice cream sandwiches.
Ingredients
1 pint fresh strawberries -
1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 6 large lemons)
-
4 cups of water
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1/2 to ¾ c confectioners Swerve or use sweetener of choice
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two pinches of salt
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Cook strawberries
In a medium saucepan, add strawberries and 1/4 cup of water. Cook over medium heat until the juices have released from the strawberries. Remove from heat and let cool.
Strain them
Strain out the strawberry pulp by pushing strawberries through a fine meshed sieve, strainer or cheesecloth to collect the strawberry juice. Discard the pulp.
Squeeze the lemons
To make sugar-free lemonade, use a juicer or a citrus squeezer to squeeze the juice out of the lemons until you have 1 cup of freshly squeezed juice. Strain out lemon seeds and pulp by pouring the fresh lemon juice through a strainer. You can use concentrated store bought lemon juice too if desired.
Combine in pitcher
In a large pitcher, combine lemon juice, strawberry juice, water, sweetener and salt.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my popsicles taste less sweet after freezing?
I ran into this on my first batch too. Cold temperatures dull your taste buds, so frozen desserts always taste less sweet than the liquid mixture did at room temperature. My fix is to sweeten the batter about 20% more than tastes right before freezing. I add roughly an extra tablespoon of Swerve beyond what I think I need, and the finished popsicles come out balanced every time.
Do I need a popsicle mold, or can I use paper cups or ice cube trays?
I've made these in all three. Paper cups are my go-to when molds are full. Pour the mixture in, freeze about 45 minutes until slushy, then stick the popsicle stick in so it stands on its own. Once solid, peel the paper off. Ice cube trays give you bite-sized pieces my kids grab straight from the freezer. Standard molds give the cleanest shape, but they're not required.
How do I get the popsicles out of the mold without breaking them?
I run hot tap water over the outside of the mold for 5 to 10 seconds, then pull with a gentle twist. They slide right out. Don't submerge the mold or let water get near the tops. If one is stubborn, another few seconds of warm water loosens it.
Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh?
I use frozen strawberries whenever fresh aren't in season, and honestly the flavor is just as good. Let them sit on the counter for a few minutes so they soften enough to blend and cook down smoothly. Frozen berries are often picked riper than what you find at the store, so they can actually be more concentrated in flavor.
Should I use powdered or granular sweetener?
I use confectioners (powdered) Swerve because it dissolves completely into the liquid and doesn't leave any gritty texture once frozen. Granular works too, but I've found you need to stir it longer and it can settle at the bottom of the mold. If you're using a different sugar free sweetener like monk fruit or stevia drops, start with less and taste the mixture before freezing since sweetness levels vary.
Can I make these creamy by adding coconut cream or heavy cream?
I've tested a coconut cream version and it turns these into more of a creamsicle, which is a completely different vibe but still good. I stir in about 1/4 cup of full-fat coconut cream after combining everything in the pitcher. It makes them richer and slightly less tart. Heavy cream works the same way. If you want something fully creamy instead, my keto chocolate mousse freezes well into pops too.
Can I add electrolyte powder or collagen to these?
I've added unflavored collagen to a batch and couldn't taste the difference, so that's an easy protein boost. Electrolyte powder works too, especially if you want a post-workout popsicle. I'd use an unflavored or lemon-flavored variety so it doesn't compete with the strawberry. Stir it in at the pitcher stage before pouring into molds.
How long do these keep in the freezer?
I've pulled popsicles out after two full months and they tasted just as good as day one. The key is keeping them sealed, either in the mold with a lid or wrapped individually in plastic wrap if you've unmolded them. I usually make a double batch since the strawberry straining is the only real work, and having a full freezer stash means I don't have to make them again for weeks. If you're building a frozen treat rotation, my keto strawberry shortcake kebabs are another good strawberry option.
Strawberry season is just around the corner, which means the crimson fruit will be sweeter, cheaper, juicier, and easily available. You can grab a bag full of them and make delicious desserts like these strawberry lemonade popsicles. With a good recipe (hint: this one), your cold sugar-free popsicles will taste amazing and be healthier than store-bought. Another great thing about homemade strawberry lemonade popsicles is that they’re easy to make and don’t require any fancy ingredients. Just strawberries, lemons, sugar-free sweetener and a pinch of salt!
The pop of color exudes a vivifying feel, which is much-needed on any hot, summer day. Sugar-free, this frozen dessert is also appropriate for people with diabetes!
Yes, lemons are keto-friendly! Generally composed of about 0.5g carbs and 0.2g sugar, lemons fit perfectly. They also are a source for 3.7mg Vitamin C, 6.2% of the RDA. The sour lemon water contains antioxidants that promote healthy digestion and even fight free radicals.
To put it simply, adding a spritz of lemon juice to sugar-free strawberry lemonade popsicles keeps the carb count low.
You can have strawberries on keto, but in moderation. One cup, or 152 grams of this delicious fruit contains 12g of carbs. Therefore, as long as you’re diligent with the net carb consumption, fitting some strawberries into your diet will be a breeze. And these tasty popsicles are so good, it’s worth it to fit the carbs from the sugar-free popsicles into your macros.
My grandma used to make strawberry lemonade from scratch every summer and the first bite of one of these just stopped me cold. That tartness from the fresh lemon juice against the strawberry is exactly how I remember it. I did not expect Swerve to get it this right. Triple batch going in the freezer this weekend.
That tartness is the fresh lemon juice, six lemons worth. Bottled just doesn't do it. Swerve surprised me too when I first made these, holds up way better frozen than I'd expected.
Made a double batch last weekend since the strawberry straining step is the only fussy part, figured I'd only do it once. Ten pops didn't make it through Wednesday, so I'm glad I doubled up. The lemon-strawberry balance is exactly right, tart enough that they don't taste like a sugar-free anything. Keeping a batch in the freezer on rotation going into spring.
Made these three times now and the batch where I added a tiny bit of extra salt to the lemon juice before mixing everything came out noticeably brighter. Small tweak, real difference.
Salt in citrus does something weird and good. I add mine to the full pitcher but going to try it in just the lemon juice next batch.
First time making popsicles from scratch and I did not expect the strawberry cooking step to make my whole kitchen smell that good. The tartness from squeezing all those lemons fresh is so worth it. Do you think these would still work in paper cups if you don't have molds yet?
Paper cups work fine. Pour, freeze for about 45 minutes until slushy, then stick the stick in so it stands up on its own. Once fully frozen, just peel the paper away.
I had written off keto sweeteners in frozen desserts after a few icy, weirdly-sweet disasters from other recipes. Made these on a snow day because I had a pint of strawberries going soft and figured I had nothing to lose. Something about the lemon juice cutting through the Swerve fixes whatever goes wrong in every other keto popsicle I've tried, no aftertaste, just tart and cold. Four stars only because I'm annoyed I didn't make a double batch.
Soft strawberries work better anyway. More concentrated. Double next time, they keep two months in the freezer.
Cut the water to 3 cups instead of 4, and zested three lemons before juicing while I had them out. It's February so who knows what possessed me to make popsicles, but the zest pulls the lemon flavor forward in a way juice alone doesn't. If you're already squeezing six lemons, might as well use what's there.
February popsicles, sure, why not. Juice alone is flatter, the zest pulls lemon forward in a way that's hard to pin down until you taste it. Trying 3 cups next batch.
Never made popsicles from scratch before and honestly didn't expect these to taste this good. Fresh lemons make such a difference. Do these work with frozen strawberries when fresh aren't in season?
Yeah, frozen work. Let them sit on the counter for a few minutes first so they blend smooth.
My 8 year old said these taste like real popsicles, not diet ones
Ha, love that. Kids are the toughest critics when it comes to 'healthy' swaps, so that's a real win.