Vegan “Peanut Buster Bar” Ice Cream Cake

I’ve been getting tons of traffic on this post lately. Maybe it’s because it’s summer and people are looking for healthy treats that seem indulgent… or it could be that Udi’s Gluten Free recently shared it on twitter! (Thanks Udi’s!!)

Either way, people are loving it, and that makes me very happy! So, I thought, why not redo another DQ favourite – healthify it and throw in a NITK spin?! Have you ever had a Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Bar?… think creamy vanilla ice cream, salty peanuts, covered in a crispy chocolate shell.

 Yep, deliciousness. Unfortunately, as we all know… DQ isn’t known for healthy options, so yes the Peanut Buster Bar comes in at over 450 calories, with more than 35g of sugar. Eish. And that ingredients list, oooohhh that ingredients list…..let’s take a look shall we…

Milkfat and Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Whey, Corn Syrup, Mono & Diglycerides, Carob Bean Gum,

Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Artificial Flavor, Vitamin A Palmitate,

High Fructose Corn Syrup, Condensed Nonfat Milk, Partially Hydrogenated Coconut Oil,

Fructose, Water, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Cocoa, Algin, Salt, Mono & Diglycerides,

Potassium Sorbate as Preservative, Dextrin, Sodium Phosphate, Disodium Phosphate,

Soy Lecithin, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Peanuts Roasted with Vegetable Oil

(Cottonseed Oil and/or Sunflower Seed Oil and/or Peanut Oil), Salt,

Vegetable Oil (Coconut and/or Soybean Oil), Sugar, Cocoa, Whey, Cocoa Processed with Alkali,

Soy Lecithin, Artificial Flavor.

… that was taken from the IDQ website. So to recreate the flavours and delicious taste and texture of this chemical-poop-storm-of-a-dessert, I had some work ahead of me. Luckily I managed to make my version with only 8 whole-food ingredients. Coconut milk, dates, vanilla bean, agave (or honey), coconut oil, dark chocolate, natural peanut butter, and raw pecans!

Nutrition in the Kitch for the WIN!

There are quite a few steps to this recipe, so it’s a tad labor intensive, but nothing any amateur in the kitchen can’t do! Oh, and you don’t need an ice cream maker! Just a blender and a food processor! I think it’s safe to say most of us have those in our kitchens!

The final product? SERIOUSLY delicious.

Creamy, dreamy, vanilla ice cream cake base, with layers of chocolate and peanut butter drizzle that magically turn into a crunchy shell, and raw pecans for a little nutty texture!

And the nutritional comparison for my version? 250 calories, only 10g of natural sugars, and no artificial or hydrogenated anything per delectable slice!

Vegan "Peanut Buster Bar" Ice Cream Cake

 

Print

Prep time

3 hours

Total time

3 hours

 

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 can unsweetened full fat coconut milk
• ¼ tsp scraped vanilla bean (from the pod) or ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• 5 pitted dates
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar (or raw honey for non-strict vegan)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, divided
• 35g 70% dark chocolate
• 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• ¼ cup chopped raw pecans

Instructions

1. Open the can of coconut milk and scrape out the coconut cream (there is a usual separation of the cream from the liquid in the can - the liquid looks like water).
2. Add the cream to a blender and pour in ¼ cup of the remaining coconut liquid from the can.
3. Add the vanilla, dates, and agave (or honey) to the blender and blend until the dates are almost dissolved into the mixture.
4. Pour the mixture into a cake pan and place in the freezer for 2 or more hours.
5. Once frozen, remove the coconut mixture from the pan and break into chunks.
6. Add the frozen chunks to a food processor and process until creamy - just like ice cream consistency.
7. Transfer the coconut ice cream to the same pan and spread evenly throughout.
8. Place in the freezer again.
9. In a small pan, heat ½ tablespoon of the coconut oil over low heat and add in the dark chocolate, stirring constantly until melted.
10. Take the cake pan out of the freezer and drizzle the melted chocolate over top. It will harden immediately.
11. Place the cake pan back in the freezer.
12. Wash the small pan that had the chocolate and reheat at low heat on the stove and add in the remaining coconut oil.
13. Add in the peanut butter and stir constantly until melted into a smooth pourable mixture.
14. Take the cake pan out of the freezer and drizzle the peanut butter over top. It will also harden immediately.
15. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the drizzle and place the pan back in the freezer.
16. Let the cake set for at least 1 more hour.
17. Cut into 6 slices.
18. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Serving size: ⅙ cake Calories: 260 calories Fat: 20g Carbohydrates: 13g Sugar: 10g Fiber: 3g Protein: 4g

3.5.3251

I plan to make a huge pan of this and serve it at our housewarming gathering this summer! I know it will be a big, big hit!

Have a fantastic weekend!!

Christal

Nutrition in the Kitch