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Super EASY sugar-free pavlova recipe (keto-friendly). The perfect sugar-free dessert for family summer barbecues and parties.
Only 1.9g net carbs per slice with whipped cream and strawberries. There’s even some sugar-free lemon curd if you love a sharp taste.
Pavlova is the perfect high protein low-carb easy dessert recipe. It’s a light dessert that will keep the whole family happy. It’s also the perfect way to use up leftover egg whites.
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What is pavlova (and what is a meringue)
A pavlova is a soft sweet dessert made from sugary whipped egg whites and baked then cooled slowly. It has a crunchy crust and a soft pillowy center.
Meringues are single-serve desserts that are made from sugary whipped egg whites and baked slowly until hard and crunchy.
Both are traditionally served with whipped cream and berries. You can also drizzle with sugar-free lemon curd. It’s an extremely easy summer dessert the whole family will love.
How to whisk egg whites
The secret to whisking egg whites is to start with an extremely clean mixing bowl. Clean your bowl with a paper kitchen towel and white vinegar to make sure there is no grease, oil, or water residue on the surface of your mixing bowl.
You can use a food processor (with whipping attachments), stick blender (with whisk attachment), hand whisk, or elective whisk.
As you begin to whisk egg whites they will slowly become creamy and frothy, then white and fluffy. Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form and the bowl or whisk can be held upside down and the whisked egg whites do not fall off.
When to add sugar replacer (sweetener)
As you are whisking egg whites in a bowl, slowly add your favorite sweetener such as powdered erythritol, monk fruit sweetener, or allulose powder. Add the sweetener 1 tablespoon at a time. Each addition will slowly dissolve as you continue to whisk.
Allulose is a new sweetener that has similar properties to table sugar so will create a crunchy caramelized meringue crust.
Ingredients
To make this delicious sugar-free keto pavlova recipe, you will need the following ingredients (all quantities and methods are in the printable recipe below).
- Egg whites – for the sugar-free keto pavlova
- Egg yolks – for the sugar-free lemon curd
- Granulated sweetener of your choice – allulose, erythritol, or monk fruit.
- Vanilla extract – vanilla essence
- Cream of tartar
- Apple cider vinegar – or white wine vinegar
- Xanthan gum powder
- Double cream – heavy cream whipped for decoaration and serving
- Strawberries
- Lemons
- Butter
TOP TIP: As with ALL recipes here, ALWAYS taste your batter BEFORE cooking to ensure you have added enough sweetener to suit YOUR tastebuds. Read the Ultimate Guide To Low-Carb Sweeteners.
Equipment
Food processor – stand mixer, stick blender, hand whisk, or electric whisk.
Baking sheet – a large baking tray lined with baking parchment paper/baking paper, or greaseproof paper.
Oven – or air fryer.
How to make sugar-free keto pavlova
This gorgeous sugar-free pavlova dessert looks incredible but is insanely easy to make. You don’t even need any special kitchen gadgets or fancy baking equipment. You only need 6 ingredients.
Step 1 WHISK: Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add sweetener, cream of tartar, and vinegar (full details in the recipe card below).
Step 2 POUR: Carefully place the sweetened whipped egg whites into a nest shape onto your prepared baking tray lined with baking parchment.
Step 3 BAKE: Preheat oven or air fryer to 195C/385F and bake the pavlova for just 10 minutes, then turn the oven OFF and keep the pavlova in the warm oven for 1 hour. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. This will reduce the temperature AND it will make your keto pavlova deflate.
Step 3 COOL: For the perfect pavlova, allow it to cool completely then decorate with whipped cream and fresh berries.
Step 4 DECORATE: Decorate with whipped cream and fresh berries.
Oven or air fryer instructions
This delicious keto pavlova recipe can be baked in the oven and it’s super easy to bake in your air fryer.
Oven instructions: Traditional pavlova is baked in the oven on a low setting for a long time, then the oven is turned off and the baked dessert will remain in the oven until the oven is completely cool. This allows the pavlova to be baked then dried out and gives it the traditional crispy crust.
Air fryer instructions: To bake pavlova in the air fryer, you do exactly the same method. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn your air fryer OFF and wait for it to have cooled completely before removing it from the air fryer basket.
Keto Pavlova Pro Tip: To prevent your pavlova from cracking, keep it in the oven once finished cooking to cool off. This also helps to give it a crispy crust which is one of the best parts to any pavlova!
Easy pavlova toppings
To make a gorgeous keto pavlova, whip heavy cream with sweetener until soft peaks form. Carefully spread the whipped cream all over the top of the low-carb pavlova and serve with fresh fruit such as fresh berries and give a light dusting of powdered confectioners sugar (sugar-free) all over.
Blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries are great low-sugar fruits to add to the vibrant look of this dessert.
How to store pavlova
This keto sugar-free pavlova is best enjoyed fresh, soon after baking and cooling. However, you can refrigerate the dessert for up to 2 days although it may soften in the fridge.
More easy sugar-free desserts
Looking for more low-carb desserts? Try some of my other mouth-watering and guilt-free recipes:
Low-carb lemon meringue pie (family-sized)
Low-carb lemon meringue pies (single-serve)
Recipe FAQ
This delicious dessert is inspired by the famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova when she visited New Zealand and Australia in the 1920s and it was named in her honor. This dish grew in popularity in Australia and New Zealand before becoming a favorite also in the United Kingdom and the United States.
This whipped egg meringue dessert covered in cream and berries was the first recorded pavlova recipe and appeared in New Zealand in 1927. Source: Oxford English Dictionary
Although most sugar-free confectionery sweeteners will do the job, I don’t recommend xylitol sweetener because it has been found to leave the meringue soft and chewy instead of that desired crispy crust. Allulose is a new sweetener that behaves like sugar and will give the authentic crunchy caramel meringue crust.
Xanthan gum is used to stabilize the whisked egg whites. It replaces traditional cornstarch which is not keto-friendly. If you don’t have xanthan gum, you may replace it with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (which will only add. a few carbs to your pavlova).
You only bake a pavlova for 10 minutes, then turn oven OFF and keep the pavlova in the warm oven for 1 hour. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. This will reduce the temperature AND it will make your keto pavlova deflate.
Traditional pavlova dessert is not keto because it is made with a high amount of table sugar. This sugar-free pavlova recipe is made with your favorite sweeteners such as monk fruit, powdered erythritol, or allulose powder.
This healthy light dessert is a high protein, zero carbs dessert. It is the toppings such as cream and berries that add carbs, fat, and calories.
No, the whisked egg whites need to be baked immediately after whipping to form stiff peaks. It is so quick and easy to make, it will be ready to bake before your oven is heated up.
Yes, add as much sweetener as you like and according to your sweet tooth. If this is day 1 of your sugar-free diet, you may require more sweetener than the recipe suggests. If you have been sugar-free for some time, you may want to reduce how much sweetener you add. Taste before baking (if you can tolerate raw egg whites).
The cooked pavlova without any toppings can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Once it is decorated with fresh cream and fruit, always keep it covered in the fridge. Warning: This may make the pavlova go soft and lose the crunchy sweet crust.
Easy Sugar-Free Keto Pavlova Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Baking sheets – non stick
- Electric Hand Mixer
Ingredients
Keto Sugar-Free Pavlova Recipe
- 6 egg whites (keep the egg yolks – see notes)
- 40 g granulated sweetener of choice or more to your taste
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- ⅓ tsp xanthan gum (optional)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Keto Sugar-Free Pavlova Toppings
- 250 ml heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice or more to your taste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup strawberries optional, sliced
- sugar-free lemon curd/custard optional
Instructions
Sugar-Free Pavlova
- Pre-heat the oven to 195C/385F.
- As soft peaks begin to form, slowly add the sweetener of choice until it has all dissolved and no granules remain.
- Now slowly add the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk again. Add the cream of tartar and xanthan gum. Whisk for a further minute or two to ensure these final additions are fully incorporated.
- Line your baking tray with a silicone baking sheet or baking parchment.
- Scoop your keto pavlova whipped egg whites onto the lined tray and form a circular tall mound as shown.
- Place in the hot oven and bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven off and keep the pavlova in the warm oven for 1 hour. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. This will reduce the temperature AND it will make your keto pavlova deflate.
- Remove the pavlova from the oven and allow to cool.
Sugar-Free Pavlova Toppings
- Whip the cream, sweetener, and vanilla until medium/soft peaks form.
- Gently place the whipped cream on top of the pavlova. Decorate with strawberry slices and drizzle with sugar-free lemon curd.
Notes
Nutrition
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This dessert was very refreshing! The meringue cake part ended up like angel food cake, not sure what I did wrong there but it was still delicious. Any suggestions for getting the crust crispy? I did follow the instructions as written.
A wonderful recipe, thank you! 😊
Thank you, Anita. It is delightful and fluffy, isn’t it? It never quite goes truly crispy because of the lack of sugar (which creates the crispy caramel/toffee that forms on a pavlova), yummy nonetheless.
Is have tried several merengue recepies and this is the easiest en the best ! Love IT, thanks you!
Chistelle, I like to make my recipes as easy peasy as I can. I’m glad this one is a hit.
I made this for new years but it deflated in the oven. It still tasted good. It just was flat.
Do you know what I did wrong? Thanks.
Hi Aroha, did you open the oven door while it cooled in the oven? Opening the door releases the heat and makes the oven cool more quickly which can cause the pavlova to deflate. Hope this helps. Thanks!
Hi Libby, this is yet another easy sugar-free dessert of yours I have to make. I love pavlova and now i can make it sugar-free is a dream come true. Does it taste like the real thing? Can I serve it without fruit? Thank you.
YES, it absolutely tastes like a traditional pavlova (just without any sugar). Remember to taste before baking and adjust the sweetener to your sweet tooth.
Went very brown after 10 minutes at the high temp. Not crispy on the outside with allulose. Tastes okay apart from the exterior which is slightly over caramelised. Is it possible to bake it the traditional way for longer at a lower heat please?
Hi Gill, oh no. Did you bake the pavlova on the center rack or top rack in your oven? It might get very brown if baked on the top rack. However, yes you can bake it at a lower temperature for longer if desired. The outside won’t crisp as much as a traditional pavlova since there is no sugar. Let us know if the lower temp and longer time works out for you. Thank you!
I would never cook a Pavlova at 195°C. It’s far too high. I’ve made hundreds of Pavlovas including this one and I pre heat the oven at 130°C fan and turn it down to 100°C fan as soon as the Pavlova is in and bake for 90 mins. This recipe is very odd as in the instructions accompanying it, it reads thus. “Oven instructions: Traditional pavlova is baked in the oven on a low setting for a long time…” 195°C is NOT a low setting and 10 minutes is not a long time where meringue is concerned.
This was a big hit with my non keto family! I made the recipe with Swerve and served with the lemon curd spread over the meringue then topped with whipped cream and fresh local strawberries; it was the perfect combination of flavors. The meringue seemed a bit underdone with the recommended 10 minutes plus one hour, so I did another 10 minutes at 200 plus one hour in the cooling oven and got the golden brown crisp exterior I was wanting. I don’t have a glass panel in my oven, so I will experiment with a longer cooking time the next time I make this. I will definitely make again. Thanks for the easy recipe and great instructions!
So happy to hear this was a hit Cindy! Thank you!
Hi
I have just made this pavlova recipe. Since I’ve been really missing this dessert since going Keto.
I cooked it in my airfryer at 190c for 10 mins and left it in there for 3-4 hours untouched. But when I did take it out, it was quite dark in colour and to my disappointment no crispy shell.
How do I get the outside to go crispy? The inside was lovely and marshmallow like.