Peanut Butter Icebox Cake

This peanut butter icebox cake is a no-bake dessert made with layers of peanut butter sandwich cookies, creamy vanilla pudding, whipped topping, and chopped Reese’s Pieces. As it chills, the cookies soften into a cake-like texture, creating a rich, sliceable dessert that is perfect for make-ahead parties, potlucks, and summer gatherings.

What to Expect from This Icebox Cake

Icebox cakes rely on time rather than heat. The milk-soaked cookies gradually absorb moisture from the pudding layers, transforming from crisp to soft and cake-like. That texture is intentional and is what makes this dessert work.

While the recipe sets enough to slice after a couple of hours, letting it chill overnight produces the best results. The layers fully meld, the cookies soften evenly, and the cake slices cleanly without sliding.

This is also a very rich dessert. When I served it, cutting standard slices in half worked better than large squares, especially for parties.

If you enjoy classic icebox cakes that rely on chilling rather than baking, this Oreo icebox cake is another no-bake option that uses the same layered, make-ahead approach.

Ingredients

• 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding
• 1¾ cups milk, divided
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 8 oz whipped topping, thawed and divided
• 32 oz. peanut butter sandwich cookies
• 1 package 4 oz Reese’s Pieces candy, chopped

Ingredient notes: I was unable to find name-brand Nutter Butters when I made this, and used store-brand peanut butter sandwich cookies instead. The flavor was the same, but the shape was slightly different. Trimming a few cookies to fit the pan solved the issue without affecting the final texture.

How to Make Peanut Butter Icebox Cake

Prepare the pudding mixture.

Add the pudding mix and 1¼ cups of milk to a large bowl. Whisk until smooth, then refrigerate for about 5 minutes until thickened. Once set, add the peanut butter and half of the whipped topping. Whisk until fully smooth and creamy.

Assemble the layers

Pour the remaining ½ cup of milk into a shallow bowl. Quickly dip each cookie into the milk, coating both sides without soaking.

Arrange a single layer of cookies in the bottom of a 9×9 baking dish, cutting cookies as needed to fill gaps.

Spread half of the peanut butter pudding mixture evenly over the cookie layer.

Add a second layer of milk-dipped cookies, then spread the remaining pudding mixture on top.

Finish with a third layer of dipped cookies.

Finish and chill

Spread the remaining whipped topping evenly over the top and sprinkle with chopped Reese’s Pieces. Cover the dish tightly.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set. For best texture and clean slices, refrigerate overnight so the cookies fully soften into a cake-like consistency.

Serving Notes

Serve chilled directly from the refrigerator. Because this dessert is very sweet and rich, smaller portions work best. I recommend cutting standard squares in half for serving.

For another easy, make-ahead dessert that works well for parties, this ice cream sandwich cake is a freezer-based option that can be prepped in advance and sliced when ready to serve.

Storage

Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The texture continues to improve after the first day as the layers soften further.