Easy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Icebox Cake
A rich and creamy no-bake dessert featuring layers of whipped peanut butter cream, chocolate, and graham crackers or cookies. Perfect for hot days and quick to prepare, this cake offers indulgent flavors without any oven time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (unsweetened or lightly salted)
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) heavy whipping cream, chilled
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (90 g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips or chunks
- Graham crackers or chocolate wafers for layering
- Optional: 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing crackers
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Pour 1 ½ cups (360 ml) of chilled heavy whipping cream into a large bowl. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Avoid overwhipping.
- In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup (250 g) creamy peanut butter, ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until smooth and creamy. Warm peanut butter slightly if thick.
- Gently fold about half of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture using a spatula to lighten the texture. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream carefully to keep it airy.
- Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan or similar dish with a layer of graham crackers or chocolate wafers. Optionally, brush a thin layer of melted butter on the crackers for extra richness.
- Spread about one-third of the peanut butter cream mixture evenly over the cracker layer.
- Sprinkle about ½ cup (90 g) of chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate over the cream layer.
- Repeat layering with crackers, peanut butter cream, and chocolate sprinkle. Finish with a final cracker layer and spread the remaining cream on top. Smooth the surface.
- Cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, to allow crackers to soften and flavors to meld.
- Slice with a sharp knife (wipe between cuts for clean slices) and serve chilled.
Notes
Whip the cream to soft peaks to avoid grainy texture. Fold peanut butter mixture gently to keep the cake airy. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight for best texture. Optional melted butter brushed on crackers adds richness. Use gluten-free crackers and dairy-free cream for dietary adaptations.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1/12 of the ca
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 15
- Fat: 22
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Protein: 6
Keywords: no-bake cake, chocolate peanut butter cake, icebox cake, easy dessert, no oven dessert, peanut butter cream, chocolate dessert