Description
This no bake peanut butter icebox cake is pure summer comfort—cool, creamy, and stacked with layers of peanut butter goodness. Softened sandwich cookies, fluffy peanut butter pudding, and a candy-studded topping come together with zero oven time. It’s rich, nostalgic, and ridiculously easy to throw together.
Ingredients
Scale
- 27–36 peanut butter sandwich cookies (Nutter Butter–style or similar)
- 1¾ cups milk, divided
- 1 box (3.4 oz) instant vanilla or cheesecake pudding mix
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 8 oz whipped topping, thawed
- 1 cup Reese’s Pieces or other peanut butter candy, for garnish
Instructions
- Pour about ½ cup of the milk into a shallow bowl. Quickly dip roughly one-third of the cookies into the milk—just a fast dunk, not a soak. Arrange them in a single layer in the bottom of an 8×8-inch dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the remaining 1¼ cups milk with the pudding mix until thickened. Once set, stir in the peanut butter until smooth, then gently fold in half of the whipped topping.
- Spread half of the peanut butter pudding mixture evenly over the cookie layer.
- Dip another third of the cookies into milk and layer them over the pudding. Spread the remaining pudding mixture on top.
- Finish with the last of the milk-dipped cookies, then spread the remaining whipped topping evenly over the top.
- Sprinkle with Reese’s Pieces (or your favorite topping), cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Cookie swaps: Graham crackers, Oreos, or vanilla wafers all work great. Graham crackers don’t need a milk dip.
- Milk matters: Use dairy milk so the pudding sets properly—any fat percentage works.
- Make-ahead friendly: This dessert actually improves with time, so prepping it a day early is a win.
- Storage: Keep loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Whipped cream option: Homemade whipped cream works too—just add it right before serving.
- Toppings: Crushed cookies, chopped peanut butter cups, nuts, or even a drizzle of peanut butter are all fair game.
- Freezing: If made with whipped topping, this cake can be frozen and served semi-frozen for an ice-cream-cake vibe.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 336 kcal
- Sugar: 26 g
- Sodium: 203 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 4 mg