Easy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cookie Cups: Vegan & Gluten-Free Delight
Prepare to fall in love with one of the most irresistible and effortless desserts you’ll ever make: these incredible **Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cookie Cups**. Imagine a luscious, creamy chocolate peanut butter banana “nice cream” perfectly nestled atop a rich, no-bake hazelnut crust. What makes this dessert truly exceptional? It takes just 10 minutes to prepare, uses only 7 simple ingredients, and requires absolutely no oven time! Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a complete beginner, these mini cookie cups are designed for pure enjoyment with minimal fuss.
Why These Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cookie Cups Are Your New Favorite
The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is a classic for a reason – it’s a match made in dessert heaven! When you introduce frozen banana into this dynamic duo, you unlock a new level of richness and creaminess, creating a delightful dairy-free ice cream experience. Add in crunchy nuts, a hint of unsweetened coconut (if desired), and some dairy-free chocolate chips, and you’ve got yourself a “nice” sundae that feels incredibly indulgent, yet is surprisingly wholesome. These cookie cups aren’t just a treat; they’re a convenient, delicious solution for satisfying your sweet cravings without any guilt.
The Quest for the Perfect No-Bake Crust
For months, the idea of a chocolate peanut butter nice cream pie captivated my culinary imagination. The main hurdle? Crafting a flourless pie crust that held up perfectly without baking. My kitchen became a laboratory of crust experiments, ranging from baked pecan crusts with coconut oil to no-bake almond crusts with almond butter, and even no-bake pecan crusts bound with peanut butter. The journey was filled with trials and errors, each attempt bringing its own set of challenges. Some crusts turned out far too chewy, sticking to the roof of the mouth; others were excessively oily, leaving an unpleasant residue. The most frustrating part was their inability to freeze properly, often becoming rock-hard or completely disintegrating. While they were certainly edible, they never quite achieved that “spectacular” status I was aiming for.
The “Aha!” Moment: Mini Cups and Hazelnuts
Inspiration often strikes when you least expect it. A few weeks ago, I found myself with a counter full of overly ripe bananas – seriously, they were so far gone they practically begged to be peeled! This was the perfect opportunity to revisit the chocolate peanut butter ice cream recipe. Instead of wrestling with another pie crust, a brilliant idea sparked: why not try mini baking cups? Anything mini is almost universally adorable, and individual serving sizes offer a significant advantage: they’re much easier to discreetly “sneak” out of the freezer for a quick, personal treat! This simple shift in presentation also opened up new possibilities for the crust.
While gathering ingredients, my eyes landed on a forgotten bag of hazelnuts in the cupboard. A lightbulb moment! Hazelnuts, with their distinct, rich flavor, seemed like they could form the perfect base for a cookie-like crust. Keeping the process incredibly simple, I combined the hazelnuts with pitted dates (for natural sweetness and binding), a touch of coconut palm syrup, and natural peanut butter in my food processor. The result was pure magic: a perfectly consistent, crumbly crust. The hazelnuts imparted a wonderfully unique, almost Ferrero Rocher-like taste, elevating the entire dessert. This no-bake hazelnut crust was exactly what I had been searching for – easy to make, holds its shape, and tastes absolutely divine.
Spotlight Ingredient: Coconut Palm Syrup
A special note on coconut palm syrup: have you ever had the pleasure of trying it? I recently discovered it at my local supermarket and have been incorporating it into almost everything lately. Its consistency is thick, much like honey, yet its color is dark, resembling maple syrup. What truly sets it apart is its exquisite sweet caramel taste. It’s become my go-to substitute for honey and maple syrup in various recipes, and it’s absolutely fantastic drizzled over flourless waffles or protein pancakes. Its natural sweetness and unique flavor add a wonderful depth to these cookie cups, making it an essential component of this recipe.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cookie Cups
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- Author: Leanne
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6
Category: Dessert
Description
If you love chocolate and peanut butter, you need these Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cookie Cups in your life! It’s creamy nice cream made with bananas, peanut butter and cocoa, and nestled on top of a no-bake hazelnut cookie crust. They take just 10 minutes to make, use only 7 ingredients and there is no oven time required. Yay!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of pitted dates (dried or medjool)
- 1/2 cup raw hazelnuts
- 2 tbsp + 1/4 cup natural crunchy peanut butter (divided) (See note below)
- 1 tbsp coconut palm syrup
- 2 medium-sized ripe bananas
- 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the dates, hazelnuts, 2 tbsp of peanut butter and coconut palm syrup and process on high for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is fine and crumbly.
- Divide most of the mixture into 6 small paper baking cups (not cup cake liners) and press into the bottom of the cup. Place in a 6-cup muffin tin. Reserve a little bit of the mixture to sprinkle on top of the nice cream cups.
- In a blender, add the bananas, 1/4 cup peanut butter, almond milk and cocoa. Blend until creamy. Pour on top of the hazelnut base in the 6 baking cups. Sprinkle with reserved cookie crust crumbs.
- Freeze for 2-3 hours, or until nice cream has firmed up but is not completely frozen. If the cups fully freeze, just let them sit at room temperature for 10 -15 minutes before serving. Peel away paper cups before serving.
Notes
- I’ve tried this recipe with smooth and crunchy natural peanut butter and found that the crunchy adds a creamier texture to the nice cream and keeps the cookie base nice and crumbly (not chewy or oily).
Tips for Perfect Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cookie Cups
- Ripe Bananas are Key: For the creamiest “nice cream,” ensure your bananas are very ripe, with plenty of brown spots. Freeze them in chunks for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
- Don’t Over-Process the Crust: Blend the crust ingredients just until they form a coarse, sticky meal. Over-processing can release too much oil and make the crust dense.
- Adjust Freezing Time: The recommended 2-3 hours for freezing the cups is a guideline. Depending on your freezer’s temperature, they might firm up faster or take a bit longer. The goal is firm but scoopable nice cream.
- Serving Temperature: If your cups become completely solid in the freezer, simply let them sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving. This will allow the nice cream to soften to a perfect consistency.
- Peel with Care: Gently peel away the paper cups before serving to reveal the beautiful cookie cup underneath.
Variations & Customizations for Your No-Bake Treat
While these Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cookie Cups are phenomenal as is, feel free to get creative with your toppings and variations:
- Extra Chocolate: Fold in some dairy-free mini chocolate chips into the nice cream mixture before freezing, or sprinkle them generously on top.
- Coconut Delight: Add shredded unsweetened coconut to the crust mixture for an extra layer of texture and flavor.
- Nutty Swaps: If hazelnuts aren’t your preference, you can experiment with other nuts for the crust, such as pecans or almonds, though the hazelnut flavor is truly special here.
- Sauce It Up: Drizzle with extra melted peanut butter, chocolate syrup, or a touch more coconut palm syrup before serving.
- Crunch Factor: Add some chopped roasted peanuts or hazelnuts on top for an extra crunch.
Storage Suggestions
These delightful cookie cups are best enjoyed frozen. Store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. For optimal texture, allow them to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving, as mentioned in the instructions.
Indulge Guilt-Free with This Easy Dessert
These **Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cookie Cups** are more than just a dessert; they are a testament to how simple, wholesome ingredients can create something truly extraordinary. They cater to a variety of dietary needs, being naturally vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, making them a fantastic option for almost everyone. The convenience of a 10-minute prep time and no baking means you can whip up a batch whenever a craving strikes, or prepare them in advance for a hassle-free party treat. So, gather your ingredients, follow the simple steps, and prepare to delight your taste buds with these perfectly balanced, creamy, and crunchy frozen wonders. Don’t forget to share your creations using #crumbtopbaking!