April 2026 – ANITAEXPERT

Strawberry Balsamic Pasta Salad

This Strawberry Balsamic Pasta Salad is fresh, flavorful, and perfect for spring and summer! Made with juicy strawberries, tender pasta, fresh basil, creamy mozzarella and crisp cucumbers all tossed in a lightly sweet balsamic dressing.

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If you’re looking for a pasta salad that is anything but boring, this Strawberry Balsamic Pasta Salad is it. The perfect mix of sweet, savory, creamy and crunchy! Loaded with juicy strawberries, tender pasta, fresh basil, creamy mozzarella, and crisp cucumbers all tossed in a sweet balsamic dressing. Every bite is fresh, bright and so flavorful!

Why You’ll Love This

Fresh and flavorful – the combination of sweet strawberries and tangy balsamic dressing creates a flavor that’s bright, balances and totally addictive!
Quick and easy – this whole pasta salad easily comes together in about 15 minutes making it perfect for busy days when you still want something fresh and satisfying.
Lightened-up – unlike traditional pasta salads, this one skips the heavy, mayo-based dressing and uses a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette which really lets the ingredients shine.
Customizable – you can easily make this to your liking whether you need to adjust it based on what you have on hand or your dietary preferences.

Ingredients You’ll Need

strawberries – the star of this recipe! Sweet, juicy and perfect for pairing with the balsamic dressy.
pasta – for this recipe I used fusilli noodles, but feel free to use any type of corkscrew pasta such as cavatappi or rotini. The nooks in the pasta really grab hold of the dressing nicely! You could also use farfalle, penne pasta or a gluten-free option.
arugula – adds a boost of nutrition to this pasta salad and balances out the sweetness of the strawberries. I used fresh arugula, but feel free to use baby spinach or other type of lettuce.
cucumbers – I used 3 mini cucumbers which add a fresh, crisp bite to this pasta salad and great texture.
mozzarella pearls – the perfect bite-sized addition to this salad that adds creaminess and flavor to this pasta salad.
almonds – adds a delicious crunch and nutty flavor to this salad. Toasting really brings out their richness so don’t skip this step! Walnuts make a great option as well.
shallot – adds a slightly sweet, mild onion flavor to this pasta salad without being overpowering.
fresh basil – fresh herbs add a pop of color and pairs perfectly with the balsamic dressing. I used basil leaves, but fresh mint would be a great addition as well!
balsamic dressing – a combination of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and black pepper.

How to Make Strawberry Balsamic Pasta Salad

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside to cool.
Toast the almonds. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the slivered almonds for 2 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar with a tight fitted lid, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper until fully combined.
Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add the cooled pasta along with the strawberries, arugula, mozzarella pearls, sliced shallot, cucumbers, toasted almonds and fresh basil.
Toss and serve. Drizzle the balsamic dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Serve immediately or chill before serving.

Tips for the Best Strawberry Balsamic Pasta Salad

Salt the pasta water generously – this is important to add flavor to the pasta salad, don’t skip this set!
Cook pasta just to al dente – overcooked pasta can get mushy once tossed with the dressing.
Cool the pasta completely – if the pasta is warm it can wilt the greens and make everything else soggy. I like to run it under cold water after draining.
Use fresh, ripe strawberries – they sweeter they are, the better the flavor of the whole salad.
Don’t skip toasting the almonds – the toasted almonds add a huge flavor boost and crunch to this pasta salad.
Add delicate ingredients last – toss the pasta salad gently to keep strawberries and mozzarella intact.
Let it sit for 10-15 minutes before serving – this helps the flavors melt together beautifully.

Variations

Add grilled chicken for extra protein.
Swap mozzarella for creamy goat cheese or feta cheese.
Add quinoa or farro for a heartier salad.
Use this poppy seed dressing or this maple balsamic vinaigrette for a different flavor.
Toss in spinach or other leafy greens instead of arugula.
Add avocado slices for creaminess.

Prepping and Storage

To Prep – you can easily cook the pasta and make the dressing ahead of time. You can also chop all the ingredients and store separately until ready to assemble.
To Store – leftovers will last in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. The flavors actually get even better after a few hours marinating!

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Hope you all enjoy this Strawberry Balsamic Pasta Salad! If you love this recipe as much as we do, please leave a star rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny!

Strawberry Balsamic Pasta Salad

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Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword Strawberry Balsamic Pasta Salad

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 274kcal

Ingredients

16 oz fusilli pasta
1/3 cup slivered almonds toasted
16 oz strawberries hulled and sliced
8 oz mozzarella pearls
1 shallot thinly sliced
3 mini cucumbers sliced into half-moons
2 cups baby arugula
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves torn

For the Balsamic Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp each salt + pepper

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside to cool.
Toast the almonds. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the slivered almonds for 2 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar with a tight fitted lid, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper until fully combined.
Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add the cooled pasta along with the strawberries, arugula, mozzarella pearls, sliced shallot, cucumbers, toasted almonds and fresh basil.
Toss and serve. Drizzle the balsamic dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Serve immediately or chill before serving.

Nutrition

Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs

These Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs are an easy no-bake Easter treat made with just a few simple ingredients! A healthier version of Reese’s peanut butter eggs that are gluten-free and refined sugar-free!

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If there is one Easter treat that disappears instantly in our house, it’s these Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs. They have that classic creamy peanut butter center with a rich chocolate coating, but made with simple, better for you ingredients. Everything you love about Reese’s peanut butter cups, but cleaner, naturally sweetened, and incredibly easy to make at home!

The best part? These eggs are no-bake, freezer-friendly, and come together in just minutes, making them perfect for an Easter basket, spring gatherings, or just keeping a stash in the fridge for when that chocolate craving hits!

Why You’ll Love These

No-bake and easy – these healthy peanut butter eggs have minimal prep, no oven required and just 5 simple ingredients!
Healthier than store-bought – we are using simple, wholesome ingredients with zero refined sugar. So much peanut butter flavor!
Perfect for Easter – these homemade peanut butter eggs are festive, fun and kid-friendly! My daughter begs for them any time she wants a sweet treat.
Make-ahead friendly – you can easily store these in the fridge or freezer until ready to enjoy making them great to prep ahead of time.

Ingredients You’ll Need

drippy peanut butter – you really want to use natural peanut butter without any added sugar because it is smoother and easier to stir. You could use almond butter, cashew butter or any other nut butter, if you prefer.
oat flour – this acts as a binder for these eggs. I don’t recommend using all-purpose flour in this recipe as that should not be eaten raw, but almond flour or coconut flour are great options.
honey – naturally sweetens these eggs without using refined sugar. You could also use maple syrup or other natural sweetener.
vanilla extract – boost of flavor!
chocolate chips – I used Lily’s chocolate chips which are gluten-free, vegan and sweetened with stevia making the sugar content really low and they taste delicious! You could also of course use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips to coat these eggs, but the sugar content will be much higher.
coconut oil – I like mixing in a little coconut oil when melting the chocolate because it makes the chocolate a little thicker and really helps create that perfect shell when it hardens without affecting the taste. Feel free to leave this out if you don’t have any.

If you don’t have any oat flour on hand, you can easily make your own by blending old fashioned oats (or instant oats) in a blender or food processor for about 60 seconds!

How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs

Make the peanut butter filling. In a bowl, combine oat flour, peanut butter, vanilla and honey mixing well with a spatula or an electric mixer until all combined and the dough is smooth.
Shape into eggs. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop and shape into small eggs. I used these silicone egg molds to get perfectly shaped eggs. Just press the peanut butter mixture into each cavity, cover and chill and then they pop right out! You can also create the egg shapes with the palms of your hands and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You should get about 16 eggs.
Chill eggs. Place the egg molds (or the baking sheet) into the freezer and chill for about 20-30 minutes until firm.
Melt chocolate. Pour chocolate chips and coconut oil into the pot of a double boiler, or you can simply use a metal or glass bowl on top of a saucepan with about an inch of water in it. As the water heats up, the chocolate will begin to melt and you should continually stir it with a spatula until nice and smooth. You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave at 30-second intervals until melted.
Dip and coat. If using the egg molds, simply pop each egg out before dipping. Using a dipping fork, or regular fork, dip each peanut butter egg into the melted chocolate. Make sure the eggs are completely coated, shaking off any excess chocolate drip. Place the dipped eggs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Decorate and chill. Drizzle the eggs with colored chocolate and top with fun sprinkles or even a little coarse sea salt. You could also just leave them as is (like Reese’s eggs) and place them in the freezer until ready to enjoy.

Naturally Colored Chocolate Decorating

If you want to avoid the artificial dyes found in the colored chocolate candy melts, you can simply melt white chocolate chips and mix in a few drops of natural food coloring. The colors won’t be as bright, but will still look really pretty!

Tips for the BEST Peanut Butter Eggs

Don’t skip chilling – this helps the peanut butter eggs harden and hold their shape when dipping.
Use drippy peanut butter – use creamy natural peanut butter (just peanuts + salt) that is smooth and easy to stir. This makes mixing everything easier and gives the filling a smooth texture.
Use a cookie scoop – using a small tablespoon size cookie scoop to scoop the peanut butter mixture ensures the eggs are all the same size and is just so easy.
Use a fork for dipping – I really found this dipping fork super helpful, but you can also use a regular fork. This makes coating the eggs cleaner and easier as opposed to using a spoon, allowing the chocolate to easily drip off.

Don’t throw out the leftover melted chocolate! Add it to a piping bag, drizzle over the eggs and top with sprinkles. Less clean-up involved since you’re not using assorted colors and it still looks pretty and festive for a special treat!

Variations

Gluten-free – to make use certified gluten-free oat flour or you could use almond flour or coconut flour.
Dairy-free – melt dairy-free chocolate chips for dipping the peanut butter eggs.
Vegan – swap out the honey for pure maple syrup and make sure to use vegan chocolate chips.
Nut-free – if you have a peanut allergy, swap out the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or tahini.
Extra protein – add in a scoop of vanilla protein powder, adjusting the flour or peanut butter as-needed, for a boost of protein.

Prepping and Storage

To Store: These chocolate peanut butter eggs should be kept cold so you can either store them in a sealed, airtight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator, but will last longer in the freezer. When storing, I like to line the container with some parchment paper so the eggs don’t stick.

To Freeze: I also recommend storing these peanut butter eggs in the freezer and they will last up to 3 months. These eggs thaw out quickly when you remove them from the freezer and should be ready to enjoy in 30 minutes or so.

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Hope you all enjoy these Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs! If you love these treats as much as we do, please leave a star rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny!

Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs

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These Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs are an easy no-bake Easter treat made with just a few simple ingredients! A healthier version of Reese's eggs that are gluten-free and refined sugar-free!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs

Prep Time 30

Total Time 1 30

Servings Servings

Calories 166kcal