Easy, no-bake peanut butter cakes topped with vanilla cream and peanut butter drizzle (cuz PB is life!) Sweetened only with fruit and a splash of maple syrup. Gluten & dairy-free!
Jump to RecipePeanut Butter Obsession
Our pb obsession continues. My family went CRAZY for these little cakes full of peanut butter flavor. When my husband declares something as one of "the BEST THINGS I've EVER MADE" I know a recipe's a keeper.
I hope you love these as much as we do! Bite-size peanut butter cakes, whipped vanilla frosting, gooey pb drizzle... What's not to love?
But wait, there's more! These may be the EASIEST cakes you ever make! Just a few ingredients blended in a food processor. No-baking involved! Woohoo!!
Fave Kitchen Gadget
I really hope you have a food processor. Please tell me you do. Cuz you're going to need one to make these! And if you DO have one, you'll be so happy -- because it does pretty much ALL the work for you! Dump in the ingredients and press a button. *Happy dance*
It's like having a robot chef, haha. It makes me excited about the future of cooking. Can you imagine what it will be like to cook 50 or 100 years from now? I sure hope I have a cute little robot in my kitchen someday. But for now I'll use my trusty lil Cuisinart 🙂
Nuts for Nuts
Just like I can never have enough peanut butter.. I can never have enough NUTS. I'm positively *nuts* about nuts. It turns out that WALNUTS and PB make the perfect pair! When you process them with dates, it turns into this sweet, creamy cake-like amazingness. Sort of reminds me of Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies.. but PEANUT BUTTER flavor (and none of the junk!)
AND you don't have to bake it!! For REAL. It's so moist (even though I cringe at the word, lol) I love to use roasted walnuts, but raw work just as well.
You could also try peanuts or almonds, if you like. And if you don't do PB, cashew butter is the PERFECT sub, since it's naturally sweet. (Otherwise, you'd need to add a little coconut sugar or other dry sweetener to compensate)
Rules for Dairy-Free Cream Frosting
To make this super simple vanilla whipped cream frosting, there are a few RULES (yep, rules!). If you want the frosting to turn out just like mine -- thick, smooth and creamy, you have to abide by my Pretty Pie guidelines:
- You must use Thai Kitchen brand coconut milk. I have not had success with other brands.
- It must be refrigerated for a minimum of 8 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Do not shake the can. You want the cream to stay separate from the water.
- Open it carefully and scoop out ONLY the solid white cream (save the coconut water for a smoothie! yum)
- Add the vanilla, & maple and whip with a hand mixer for about 30 seconds until fluffy.
- STIR in the melted coconut oil by HAND. Just a few strokes is all it takes. *Do not whip with a mixer and do not overmix or it will CLUMP.* & Clumpy frosting=bad.
Do you hereby solemnly swear to abide by these Frosting Regulations? Then I grant you permission to proceed with the recipe 😉
A Good Date
Ah, DATES! They're so good. And good for more than just your tastebuds. You can read more about these amazing caramel-esque fruits and all their qualities here. Alright, enough chatter. Get yourself to the kitchen! These can be made in about 5-10 minutes (if your coconut milk is ready!) .. So hurry and throw a can or TWO in there so you can join me in peanut butter heaven. See ya in a few 😉
Peanut Butter Cream Cakes {Vegan, No-Bake}
Ingredients
PB Cakes:
- 1 cup walnuts
- Heaping ⅓ cup natural peanut butter - (+ 1 Tbs for drizzle)
- 8 medjool dates - pitted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of pink salt - optional
Vanilla Cream Frosting
- 1 13.6 oz can coconut milk - solid cream only
- ½ Tbs maple syrup
- 1 Tbs coconut oil - melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the cakes:
- Pulse all ingredients together in a food processor until completely blended and dough-like. Add a splash of water to help it blend, if needed.
- Press cake firmly into a small (7"x5") dish lined with parchment paper overhanging the sides for easy removal. Refrigerate while you prepare the frosting.
To make the frosting:
- (Use a can of coconut milk that has been refrigerated overnight) Scoop out the solid white cream into a mixing bowl. (Save the leftover water for a smoothie!)
- Add vanilla and maple syrup. Whip with a hand mixer for about 15-30 seconds until fluffy and smooth.
- Melt coconut oil in a separate bowl. Pour over whipped cream and stir *with a spoon or spatula* very briefly to incorporate - just a few strokes. *Do not overmix or it will clump!**
- Spread frosting over cake. Drizzle with peanut butter.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes to set. Slice into 1.5"-2" squares. Enjoy!
Notes
Food Processor Coconut Milk Mexican Vanilla Aldi Simply Organic Peanut Butter (just peanuts and salt) Medjool Dates from Aldi Walnuts from Aldi Storage: Keep refrigerated for up to 7 days, in an airtight container. You can also freeze for about 1 month, but it may change the consistency of the whipped cream.
More Recipes Using Dates
Peanut Butter Strawberry Shortcake
Tracy
What did you do for the pb drizzle? Sorry if it says above, just don't see it. Thank you!
Emily
It's just a spoonful of peanut butter by itself, drizzled on top I didn't add anything to it.