Healthy Peanut Butter Snack Cake

The ultimate healthy peanut butter cake made wholesome ingredients like oat flour, honey, zucchini and packed with peanut flavour! A delicious snack cake recipe the whole family will love!

Are these not the cutest thing you have ever seen?!

If you love peanut butter and chocolate, you will absolutely swoon over this healthy PEANUT BUTTER CAKE guys!!

For starters it is the ultimate 4pm snack recipe that's made with wholesome ingredients and has hidden zucchini! Plus, it is moist, tastes absolutely delicious and almost reminds me of a chocolate chip muffin type vibe when you eat it warm!

You can easily use a regular square cake pan but I personally prefer to bake it mini loaves (just the serving size and bake time will vary). They are the perfect to grab and go too!

This healthy chocolate peanut butter cake is gluten-free and lower in sugar compared to your regular cake too. I sweeten it with honey and some applesauce for the perfect blend of sweetness. And the chocolate chips are totally optional too! This cake is also very freezer friendly. So, feel free to make them and stash them in your freezer for later! I usually microwave for a few seconds and enjoy or just let them thaw out a few hours prior to eating.

Ingredients you’ll need:

This healthy peanut butter cake is made with simple pantry ingredients, plus some eggs and a zucchini. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Peanut butter: I used 100% pure peanut butter. Sub tahini or sunflower seed butter if your allergic go peanuts! 
• Eggs: you’ll need two eggs for this recipe. I haven’t tried flax eggs.
• Honey: I love the flavour of honey here but pure maple syrup will also work. 
• Applesauce: to make the cake moist and adds sweetness which always us to add minimal sugar.
• Vanilla extract
• Oat flour: You can use store bought or blend some rolled oats to make your own. Use certified gluten-free oats if needed or sub buckwheat flour to ensure gluten free.
• Zucchini: Adds a sneaky touch of veggie loving goodness. You can’t even taste it
• Chocolate chips: I used sugar-free mini dark chocolate chips
• Baking powder

How to make this healthy peanut butter cake

This healthy gluten free peanut butter cake is super easy and straightforward to make! Everything gets mixed together in one bowl and baked in your favourite baking pan.

To start: preheat oven to 350F/ 180C and line an 8×8-inch pan with baking paper or a 8 whole mini loaves pan with baking paper.

Grate zucchini: firstly, grate the zucchini on a box grater, then squeeze with your hands and drain out the excess water. Do not skip this!

Wet ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, maple syrup, applesauce, eggs, vanilla and zucchini until smooth and well combined.

Dry ingredients: fold in the pat flour and baking powder. Mixing well so there are no clumps.

Chocolate: lastly, fold in the chocolate chips then pour into prepared pan.

Bake: Place in the oven and bake in oven for 30-35 minutes (stick a toothpick in and when it comes ALMOST clean with a few crumbs you know it is ready!).

Cool: Rest the cake on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Storing leftovers 

These healthy peanut butter cake is great to have on hand for when the munchies hit! Here’s a few storage options:

• Refrigerate: this healthy peanut butter snack cake is best kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. Heat a piece of the cake up in the microwave for 10-15 seconds until just warm—the chocolate chips get all melty and delicious!
• On the counter: Due to moisture from the zucchini, I don’t recommend storing these cakes on the counter for more than 3 days. Keep them refrigerated for maximum freshness.
• Freeze: Use a freezer safe container or snap lock bag and store for up to 2 months in the freezer.

Customise your gluten-free peanut butter cake

I love how easy this healthy peanut butter cake is to make. It’s super customizable and If you want to change things up, try these ideas:

• Use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth.
• Sub crushed nuts for the chocolate chips
• Add a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries
• Use mashed banana instead of applesauce
• Swap the zucchini for grated carrot

More healthy snack recipes to bake:

Vegan Zucchini Brownies

Healthy Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Bread

Gluten-Free Zucchini Banana Bread

Healthy Carrot Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you try this healthy peanut butter cake recipe or have a question, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

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