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This Peanut Butter Cake is the ultimate healthy treat for all peanut butter lovers. It has a moist sheet cake base topped with rich peanut butter frosting. So delicious that you won’t be able to resist. Can you believe it’s made with whole grains and no oil?
Peanut butter is my middle name. I love it so much, so much that I can’t go a day without it. Especially as a topping for my morning oatmeal. After using it for cookies, chickpea brownies and even protein muffins, it was finally time to make a cake with peanut butter frosting. Together with my healthy banana bread, this is one of the my favorite desserts ever.
The best old fashioned Peanut butter cake
The frosting was so good that I ended up eating it by the spoon. Peanut buttery, rich, creamy and so delicious. The crushed peanuts on top drive me crazy. Luckily it is not a threat to my diet, because this recipe is actually good for you.
Made with whole grains and no oil, this easy pb cake recipe is healthy and packed with nutrients. It provides a good amount of fibers and won’t spike your blood sugar levels. Because it’s made without refined flour and no white sugar. We’ll need maple syrup or honey instead. Honestly, if you are looking for healthy desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth, this pb cake recipe is for you.
The ingredients for peanut butter cake
This may be the BEST peanut butter cake recipe. Besides being healthy and delicious, it only requires simple ingredients. Here are some details and replacement options, in case you need.
- Banana. In this healthy peanut butter cake recipe, a ripe banana provides natural sweetness and adds moisture without the need for oil or butter.
- Eggs. Two large fresh eggs make the dessert moister and richer in taste. As a vegan replacement you can swap them out for two flaxseed eggs.
- Oat flour. To make this peanut butter cake healthy, I used oat flour You can replace it with any other unrefined flour such as wholewheat flour and almond flour, or with regular all purpose flour.
- Maple syrup. Pure maple syrup sweetens the dessert in a healthier way, without refined sugar. Great replacements are honey, agave syrup, date syrup, or sugar-free syrup.
- Peanut butter. I recommend creamy peanut butter, with no added sugar and oil. It adds all the flavors that a great peanut butter cake should have, in a healthier way.
- Salt and vanilla extract. A teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt ensure the most delicious peanut butter flavor. Skip the salt if you are using salted peanut butter.
- Baking powder. Add baking powder to help your peanut cake rise and get soft as desired.
Healthy peanut cream cheese frosting
Let’s come to the best part, the frosting. This super moist peanut cake is frosted with a rich and creamy icing. Surprisingly healthy, because it’s made with a combination of Greek yogurt, cream cheese and powdered sweetener. For fewer calories, I used non fat yogurt and cream cheese. But also full fat or dairy-free options work. What is important is that the yogurt has a thick texture. Regarding the sweetener, I used powdered erythritol. But feel free to use regular powdered sugar or any other sweetener.
How to make peanut butter cake
Prepare the batter. In a large bowl, mash the banana and combine with eggs, maple syrup, peanut butter and vanilla extract. Once combined, stir in oat flour, baking powder and salt. Mix wet and dry ingredients together until you get a smooth batter.
Bake and frost. Pour the batter into a prepared cake pan. Bake in hot oven at 350°F (180°C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of your dessert comes out clean. Let cool over a baking rack or dish before frosting and serving.
Recipe variations
- Substitute about a third of a cup of the flour with cocoa powder, add some chocolate chips, and you’ll get peanut butter chocolate cake. Honestly, the best of both worlds.
- Mix in the cake batter some other ingredients such as chocolate chips, raisins, crushed peanuts or walnuts. Perfect for extra crunchiness and taste.
- Instead of peanut butter frosting, top your dessert with a delicious chocolate ganache. Plus some crushed peanuts and chocolate chips, if you want to live the complete experience.
- Slice the cake into two halves and spread some peanut butter cream in the middle. Frost with chocolate or peanut butter ganache and indulge in a layered cake.
- Make low carb peanut butter cake by substituting whole grain flour with almond flour and sweetening with sugar-free syrup.
- Replace 50 grams (1/2 cup) of the flour with a protein powder of your choice, vanilla flavor protein is my favorite. This simple swap will get you a dessert that is both tasty and high protein.
- Prepare the frosting with nondairy yogurt and cream cheese, in case you do not eat dairy products.
Recipe Tips
- Use a banana that is nicely ripe. Ripe bananas, those with a brown and spotty skin, make the dessert moister and sweeter. If still green or yellow, let it ripe before baking.
- Choose creamy peanut butter. I recommend creamy over crunchy peanut butter for cake because it has a smooth texture and mixes very well. If it is possible, use sugar-free and oil-free nut butter.
- Skip salt if using salted peanut butter. You won’t need any extra salt, if the nut butter also contains it. Your pb cake would turn out excessively salty and quite unpleasant to eat.
- Customize your dessert. Mix in the batter additional ingredients such as chocolate chips, chunks of peanuts, pecans or walnuts for the crunch, or raisins. I like the combo dark chocolate chips and peanuts.
- Let the cake cool down before frosting. Avoid frosting the dessert when it is still hot, or the icing will warm up and lose its freshness.
- Store leftovers without icing. Top your healthy cake with peanut butter frosting only before eating so that it stays fresh and maintains the best flavor. This holds true also if it is stored in the fridge or in the freezer.
Storage directions
Before storing, let the peanut butter sheet cake cool completely at room temperature, over a wire rack if possible. Once it has cooled, don’t frost it. Transfer to an airtight container, instead. At room temperature the dessert will stay fresh for up to 3 days. In the fridge, it will last for as long as 5 days.
To freeze, seal it in airtight zipping bags or in a food container. Frozen, this oil-free cake with peanut butter will last for up to 3 months. Whether you keep it outside, in the fridge, or in the freezer, be sure to add the frosting only before serving. This will preserve freshness, taste and quality.
You can substitute the ripe banana with half a cup unsweetened applesauce, or with one additional egg plus 2 tablespoons peanut butter more.
I recommend creamy peanut butter, natural and unsalted, without added sugar or oil. If you can only find regular peanut butter (such as Skippy or Jif), they are also okay. But not optimal.
This recipe works best with a smooth and creamy nut butter. In case yours is too thick, it won’t incorporate well in the batter. The good news is that you can get a smooth consistency by heating it in a saucepan or in the microwave for some seconds.
This recipe requires a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup or honey. If you only have granulated sugar, you will need to adjust the batter with a bit of milk or buttermilk until smooth.
More peanut butter dessert recipes
- Banana brownies
- Healthy banana bread
- Chocolate chip oatmeal bars
- Protein muffins
- Flourless muffins
- Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
Peanut Butter Cake
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 250 grams (2 ½ cups) oat flour, sub with wholewheat flour or preferred flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ⅙ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 banana, ripe, about 100 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 120 ml (⅓ cup 2 tbsp) maple syrup, or honey
- 120 ml (½ cup) peanut butter, creamy, unsalted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Healthy Greek Yogurt Frosting
- 4 tbsp cream cheese, I used low fat
- 4 tbsp Greek yogurt, I used low fat
- 3 tbsp peanut butter
- 2 to 3 tbsp powdered sweetener, or powdered sugar, to taste
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180°C (350°F) and fold a 15 cm x 15 cm (7 inch x 7 inch) baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mash the banana and combine with eggs, maple syrup, peanut butter and vanilla extract. Once combined, whisk in oat flour, baking powder and salt. Mix wet and dry ingredients together until you get a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan. Bake in hot oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of your dessert comes out clean.
- Let cool over a baking rack before frosting and serving.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- In a small bowl, mix cream cheese together with Greek yogurt, peanut butter, powdered sweetener (or powdered sugar) and vanilla extract. After mixing, use it right away or refrigerate until frosting.
- Only before serving, spread the icing on top of your (cooled) peanut cake.
Wow! One of my favorite ingredient, the peanut butter ?
Hey dear Liza,
thanks a lot for your comment. Peanut butter is amazing, I agree. It goes well with literally anything!
All the best,
Matteo