This strawberry pecan salad is a no-bake dessert inspired from the classic strawberries and cream recipe, and it’s perfectly sweet, light, summery, and ideal for entertaining.
Why This Recipe Works
Here’s why this easy strawberry dessert recipe is one of our favorite things to make with fresh strawberries:
- It’s a fast no-bake dessert, so you don’t need to heat up the house with the oven in the summer. Just like this No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake Recipe
- It showcases sweet, juicy berries at their peak! What could be better? For another delicious berry recipe, try Strawberry Avocado Salad With Feta And Arugula
- You can make this dessert ahead of time, which makes it great for a party. Another favorite recipe for entertaining are these Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
- You can mix up the ingredients to make the dessert vegan, use different nuts, or different kinds of fruit. It’s always delicious!
What Goes Into This Recipe
These are the ingredients for this no-bake strawberry dessert recipe:
- Fresh strawberries. If you can, find fresh local berries for the best flavor and nutrition.
- Pecans. These add buttery flavor and crunch to the dessert.
- Cream cheese. Make sure your cream cheese comes to room temperature before you start making the dressing.
- Greek yogurt or sour cream. Choose full-fat, plain yogurt or sour cream.
- Sweetener. You can use maple syrup, raw honey or keto sugar-free maple syrup to make this dressing.
- Vanilla extract. For a hint of warming flavor.
Ingredient Swaps
Here are a few simple swaps if you don’t have all of the ingredients for this easy strawberry pecan salad recipe:
- You can replace the pecans with any nuts you like. For example, walnuts, pistachios, cashew or almonds. You can use roasted or raw nuts. Avoid salted nuts to keep the flavor from getting too salty
- You can use any liquid sweetener you like, such as maple syrup, honey or agave syrup.
- Feel free to add fresh herbs, like chopped fresh mint or thyme
- You can substitute cream cheese for vegan cream cheese, and yogurt for coconut yogurt to make this dessert dairy-free and vegan.
- I would also try this dessert salad with grapes instead of strawberries!
How to Make This No-Bake Strawberry Dessert Recipe
Follow these steps to make the best strawberry dessert ever:
First, to prepare the strawberries, wash and pat them dry with a paper towel. Then cut off the stems and halve the berries.
Next, to make the creamy dressing, add all of the dressing ingredients to a large bowl and whisk or beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add the chopped strawberries to the bowl with the creamy dressing and gently toss to coat. Finally, top with chopped pecans and serve!
FAQs
The creamy combo of yogurt and cream cheese will perfectly dress this salad.
I also like to add maple syrup for a sweet punch; vanilla and orange flower blossom are the perfect easy flavorings to add to the dressing. You can also add orange or lemon zest.
Yes! Just replace the cream cheese with a vegan version. Also, swap the yogurt for coconut yogurt.
I don’t recommend using frozen berries for this recipe. Frozen strawberries have a very different, mushier texture that will only work well in smoothies or mousses. Fresh is always best when using them for salads.
Yes, this is a good make-ahead recipe. However, you’ll want to keep the creamy dressing separated from the strawberries, and combine them and add the nuts just before serving.
Expert Tips
Keep these tips in mind when making this strawberry pecan salad recipe:
- Vinegar wash is a great way of washing your strawberries or any fruits. It will kill the bacteria and remove any residue. To clean your berries with vinegar, soak them, fully submerged in a large bowl of water mixed with about 1/2 cup vinegar. Allow the berries to sit for 10-15 minutes, then drain and dry very well with paper towels. The fruit and veggies can be prepared ahead like this, and some may even last longer in the fridge.
- For the fluffiest texture, use room temperature cream cheese and beat the dressing with an electric beater.
- If you want to add some color and texture, you could use a combination of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Pumpkin Chocolate Brownies
- Keto Chocolate Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting
- Easy Chocolate Cookies Recipe (Gluten Free)
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Strawberry Pecan Salad Recipe
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 6 cups (2lb/900g) fresh strawberries
- ½ cup (50g) pecans - coarsely chopped
Dressing
- 8 oz (226g) cream cheese - at room temp
- 4 oz (113g) plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup, raw honey or keto sugar-free maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp orange flower blossom - optional
Instructions
- To prepare the strawberries, wash and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Cut off the stems and halve them.
- To make the creamy dressing, add all the dressing ingredients to a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add the prepared strawberries to the bowl with the dressing and gently toss to coat.
- Top with chopped pecans and serve!
Recipe Notes
- This is a great make-ahead dessert for a party. Simply prepare the strawberries and dressing separately, then combine them just before serving.
- To make this strawberry dessert recipe vegan, use coconut yogurt and vegan cream cheese.
- If you want to try other flavors, you can use grapes, a mixture of other berries, or sliced peaches.
- You can use another nut, such as walnuts, pistachios or chopped almonds if you like.
Nutrition
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