As we approach August I find myself creating recipes that do not require cooking because of the heat. This recipe came about from a few sources of inspiration. I have an excessive amount of plain pea protein from an accidental order mixup that I have been trying to use. Inspired by a few recipes on TikTok that have incorporated salted caramel protein powder into baked goods, I wanted to give it a try.
Flavored protein powders have artificial-tasting flavor and they can be too sweet for me. Upon looking at ingredient lists for various salted caramel protein powders I decided to create my own blend using unflavored pea protein, Nutiva’s vanilla coconut spread, vanilla extract, pure maple syrup, and sea salt.
Next, I wanted to make cookie dough from the salted caramel protein powder that I could use as a base for my dessert. By combining peanut butter and almond flour into the salted caramel protein I formed a dough base that held together and did not contain raw wheat flour.* I pressed the dough into the bottom of a springform cake pan and put it in the freezer while I decided on my next step.
At this point, I was thinking of an ice cream cake because a frozen dessert sounded delightful. The ice cream layer was created by blending coconut milk, soaked cashews, dates, Nutiva chocolate coconut spread, instant espresso powder, cacao powder, and cinnamon. The chocolate espresso flavor with a hint of cinnamon was a great addition to the salted caramel bottom.
Finally, my third layer was a thin coat of dark chocolate topped with peanut butter, chopped peanuts, and flaky sea salt to pull together the flavors incorporated in the first two layers. After letting the cake set in the freezer I had the perfect summer treat.
Looking for other no-cook sweet treats? Check out these recipes:
Vegan Protein Cookie Crumble Ice Cream Cake
Equipment
- 1 9" round springform cake pan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 8-10 dates divided
- ¼ cup smooth peanut butter plus more for topping
- ½ cup Nutiva vanilla coconut spread
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch sea salt
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ¾ cup vegan plain pea protein powder + 2 Tbsp divided
- 15 oz can full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup cashews soaked overnight
- ¼ cup Nutiva chocolate coconut spread
- 2 Tbsp instant espresso powder
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup peanuts chopped
- Flakey salt for topping
Instructions
- In a food processor combine 2 dates, peanut butter, Nutiva vanilla coconut spread, vanilla extract, sea salt, and maple syrup until completely mixed together.
- Add almond flour and pea protein powder to the food processor and mix until fully combined.
- Press into a 9” x 3” round cake pan and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- In a high-speed blender add the coconut milk, cashews, remaining dates, Nutiva chocolate coconut spread, remaining pea protein, espresso powder, and cinnamon, and blend until smooth.
- Remove the cake pan from the freezer and pour the ice cream mixture into the pan and return to the freezer for 2 hours.
- Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and glossy.
- Remove the cake pan from the freezer and pour melted chocolate in a thin layer over the top, add dollops of peanut butter, and use a toothpick to make swirl patterns.
- Sprinkle chopped peanuts and flaky salt on top of the cake and freeze for 2 hours or until all layers are set.
- Remove from freezer and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @anothervegan.foodblog on Instagram and hashtag it #anothervegan.foodblog.