High-Protein Keto Pistachio Halva

4.8 stars, average of 22 ratings

By Martina Slajerova, updated June 1 20248
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Are you a fan of the sweet and nutty flavor of traditional halva, but looking for a healthier, low-carb alternative? Look no further than our High Protein Keto Pistachio Halva!

This delicious recipe adapted from my original Halva from The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook combines the rich flavors of coconut butter, tahini, and pistachios, with the added benefits of satiety-inducing collagen powder, and allulose as a natural sweetener. Plus, with the heart-healthy benefits of pistachios, you can indulge guilt-free while still taking care of your health!

Recipe Tips

Collagen powder is the preferred option in this recipe. However, it can be replaced with other options such as whey protein powder or egg white protein powder. Just make sure you use isolate (very low carb) and not concentrate.

Granular Allulose may be too grainy for this treat. You can use a coffee grinder or a food processor and pulse a few times until the Allulose is completely powdered.

Ideal Temperature for Roasting Nuts

Roasting nuts and seeds is a tricky business. In general, 140 °C/ 285 °F is the threshold above which the antioxidants and omega-6 fats in the nuts become damaged. If you do prefer roasted nuts (I get it, more flavor!), I recommend roasting them at 130 °C/ 265 °F (fan assisted), or 150 °C/ 300 °F (conventional) for 15 to 20 minutes. If you want to use a swap, macadamias are a great option. They are more resilient because of their low omega-6 and can be roasted at 150 °C/ 300 °F.

High-Protein Keto Pistachio Halva Pin it Follow us 148.4k

0 days, 1 hours, 0 minutes

Hands-on 10 minutes Overall 1 hour 10 minutes

Serving size bar

Allergy information for High-Protein Keto Pistachio Halva

✔ Gluten free

✔ Dairy free

✔ Egg free

✔ Nightshade free

✔ Pork free

✔ Avocado free

✔ Fish free

✔ Shellfish free

Pescatarian

Vegetarian

Nutritional values (per bar)

Net carbs2.7 grams

Protein8.7 grams

Fat14.9 grams

Calories181 kcal

Calories from carbs 6%, protein 19%, fat 75%

Total carbs5.2 gramsFiber2.5 gramsSugars0.8 gramsSaturated fat6.5 gramsSodium27 mg(1% RDA)Magnesium21 mg(5% RDA)Potassium122 mg(6% EMR)

Ingredients (makes 16 servings)

³/₄ cup tahini (188 g/ 6.6 oz)
¹/₃ cup coconut butter (83 g/ 2.9 oz)
¹/₄ cup virgin coconut oil (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
1 cup collagen powder or beef isolate powder (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
¹/₄ cup powdered Allulose (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
1 ¹/₂ tsp sugar-free vanilla extract or ¹/₂ tsp vanilla powder
¹/₂ teaspoon cinnamon
¹/₂ cup unsalted raw or roasted pistachio nuts (82 g/ 2.9 oz)
Optional: pinch of sea salt

Instructions

To soften the tahini and the coconut butter, place them in a small saucepan over low heat with the coconut oil. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients (collagen powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon and Allulose. Optionally, you can add a pinch of salt. Stir to combine.
Transfer the mixture into an 8 × 8 inch (20 × 20 cm) parchment-lined pan or a silicone pan, or any pan or container lined with parchment paper.
Evenly top with pistachio nuts (raw or roasted for extra flavor). Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or until fully set.
Cut into 16 pieces and serve.
To store, keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or freeze to up to 3 months.

Pistachio Halva
Step by Step

★★★★★★★★★★

4.8 stars, average of 22 ratings

These sugar-free bars are a healthier alternative to the traditional treat. With collagen powder, coconut butter, pistachios, and a natural zero-calorie sweetener, this recipe is low-carb, high in protein and heart-healthy benefits!

Hands on10m

Overall1h 10m

Servings16

Calories181 kcal

Pin it

Ingredients

³/₄ cup tahini (188 g/ 6.6 oz)
¹/₃ cup coconut butter (83 g/ 2.9 oz)
¹/₄ cup virgin coconut oil (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
1 cup collagen powder or beef isolate powder (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
¹/₄ cup powdered Allulose (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
1 ¹/₂ tsp sugar-free vanilla extract or ¹/₂ tsp vanilla powder
¹/₂ teaspoon cinnamon
¹/₂ cup unsalted raw or roasted pistachio nuts (82 g/ 2.9 oz)
Optional: pinch of sea salt

Instructions

To soften the tahini and the coconut butter, place them in a small saucepan over low heat with the coconut oil. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients (collagen powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon and Allulose. Optionally, you can add a pinch of salt. Stir to combine.
Transfer the mixture into an 8 × 8 inch (20 × 20 cm) parchment-lined pan or a silicone pan, or any pan or container lined with parchment paper.
Evenly top with pistachio nuts (raw or roasted for extra flavor). Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or until fully set.
Cut into 16 pieces and serve.
To store, keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or freeze to up to 3 months.

Nutrition (per bar)

Calories181kcal

Net Carbs2.7g

Carbohydrates5.2g

Protein8.7g

Fat14.9g

Saturated Fat6.5g

Fiber2.5g

Sugar0.8g

Sodium27mg

Magnesium21mg

Potassium122mg

Detailed nutritional breakdown (per bar)

Net carbs	Protein	Fat	Calories
Total per bar
2.7 g	8.7 g	14.9 g	181 kcal
Sesame tahini (unsweetened)
1.4 g	2 g	6.3 g	70 kcal
Coconut butter, organic, unsweetened
0.3 g	0.3 g	2.9 g	29 kcal
Coconut oil, extra virgin
0 g	0 g	3.4 g	30 kcal
Gelatin powder, hydrolyzed (collagen)
0 g	5.4 g	0 g	21 kcal
Allulose, natural low-carb sweetener
0.1 g	0 g	0 g	1 kcal
Vanilla extract, sugar-free, alcohol-based
0 g	0 g	0 g	1 kcal
Cinnamon, spices
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Pistachio nuts, unsalted
0.8 g	1 g	2.3 g	29 kcal

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Judy M 5 months ago # Reply

Do I need to remove the skins from the pistachio nuts?
This looks so great. Unfortunately, I soaked my pistachio nuts too long and they got mushy. I was trying to remove the skins.
So I need to know whether or not I should remove the skins at all.
Thank you very very much. I’m absolutely craving this. I hope your twins are doing well

Martina @ KetoDiet 4 months ago # Reply

Hi Judy, you can keep them on or peel them - it's totally up to you! The skins won't make the halva bitter like it would happen if you used hazelnuts. If you're soaking the pistachios, make sure to dehydrate them completely before using in this recipe - you want to keep them crunchy. I hope this helps! 😊

Judy M 4 months ago # Reply

It’s absolutely delicious. I made a half recipe in a loaf pan. I love the texture. Can I freeze half of it?
Thank you for all your hard work.

Thank you so much for the lovely feedback! Yes, absolutely, halva freezes very well 😊

Sherri 6 months ago # Reply

Do you use raw tahini or toasted tahini? The product link for tahini in your recipe is not working.

Martina @ KetoDiet 6 months ago # Reply

Whichever you like more! In this one I used raw tahini (made from hulled sesame seeds that have not been roasted or are very lightly roasted) but you could use dark tahini (made from unhulled sesame seeds that are more heavily roasted) if you prefer the flavor. Thanks for letting me know, I'll fix the link.

Bhavani 7 months ago # Reply

I don’t usually comment on recipes, even if I like them. But your Halva recipe is fantastic, so I had to leave you a congratulations! Even my non-keto friends loved it, saying it was much lighter than regular Halva. It’s the perfect dessert for a meal that has too a few protein grams. Thanks so much for creating this!

Martina @ KetoDiet 7 months ago # Reply

Thank you so much, I'm, glad you like this one! A friend challenged me to create a chocolate macadamia version so this is my task for today. Stay tuned! 😊

High-Protein Keto Pistachio Halva