Top 20: Peanut Butter Desserts in LondonBy Alicia Grimshaw
If you haven’t noticed, we really love peanut butter.
Last week, we were having it in our smoothies, and this week, it’s going into a delicious cheesecake. Forget the Bikini Body, please – let’s celebrate summer by getting stuck into a jar of PB. Here’s 20 of our favourite peanut butter desserts for you to try in London:
1. Peanut Butter Sarnie: Spuntino
What: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich dessert (£6)
Why: This is as delicious and naughty as it sounds. The ‘sandwich’ isn’t actually bread, but basically red fruit jam in between two layers of delicious peanut butter ice cream. What’s not to like? Spuntino is a great date spot, and this dessert is sure to make sparks fly.
Where: 61 Rupert Street, Soho, London, W1D 7PW.
2. Peanut Butter Cookies: Ben’s Cookies
What: Peanut butter cookie (£1.45)
Why: If a large queue of Italian school children doesn’t sway your decision to visit Ben’s Cookies, quite frankly I don’t know what will. The peanut butter cookie is a far cry from the cookies you find in the supermarket, with their peanut butter cookie full of nutty loving. Best eaten when warm. Nom.
Where: Different locations across London. Check them out here
What: Peanut butter crunch bar with black forest sorbet (£8.75)
Why: This restaurant is the perfect balance of contemporary and classic, with chic oak tables, amazing artwork and an open kitchen to watch the action first hand. It’s famous for grill food, including beef, fish and shellfish, but you can’t miss the weird and wonderful desserts. Try the Lobster Mac n’ Cheese for ultimate decadence.
Where: 34 Grosvenor Square, W1K 2HD (entrance on South Audley Street)
4. Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt: Samba Swirl
What: Peanut butter frozen yogurt with optional toppings (price varies)
Why: If you like choice and variety, you’ll love Samba Swirl. They’ve got over 10 flavours of frozen yogurt to try out and lots of delicious toppings – everything from Pecan Praline to Chestnut frozen yogurt. They also serve a delicious sweet crepe with Skippy peanut butter and blackcurrant jam, if frozen yogurt’s not your thing. Which it should be. Because it’s delicious.
Where: Samba Swirl – see here for locations
5. Peanut Butter Doughnuts: Crosstown Doughnuts
What: Peanut butter & berry compote (£3.50 at Kopapa)
Why: All Crosstown’s delicious doughnuts are individually handmade and made fresh every day. The dough is made from scratch in house – as are all the incredible glazes, jams, compotes and fillings. You can get them at sites throughout London, but we love picking one up with a Flat White at Kopapa Cafe in Covent Garden. This doughnut is a take on the classic all-American peanut butter and jelly sandwich with Crosstown sourdough, a layer of thick peanut butter on top, homemade blackcurrant jam and crushed peanuts. Ultimate treat.
Where: Locations here
6. Peanut Butter Cheesecake: Barbecoa
What: Peanut butter cheesecake with black cherries (£8.50)
Why: This is the place to come for meat – everything from dry-aged steaks to melt-in-the mouth meat dishes and other crispy, fried delicious things – it’s a great spot for indulgent food. Their peanut butter dessert is no exception; incredible melty cheesecake with tart berries, it’s everything you could want in a pudding. Get it with a dessert wine and consider yourself a very happy bunny.
Where: One New Change, 20 New Change, London EC4M 9AG
7. Peanut Butter Parfait: The Red Lion and Sun
What: Peanut butter parfait with raspberry coulis (£5.50)
Why: The Red Lion and Sun is a great pub in Highgate Village, near Hampstead Heath, which prides itself on rustic atmosphere and quality food. They’ve got two lovely gardens so you can eat your peanut butter treat in the sun, if you so wish. This parfait is, well, parfait.
Where: 25 North Road, London N6 4BE
Photo Credit – Twitter – @fatthomasblog
8. Peanut Butter Cupcakes: Primrose Bakery
What: Chocolate peanut butter cupcake (£2.75)
Why: You can’t not fall in love with this cute bakery that makes handmade cupcakes, layer cakes and slices just like you would make at home (or much better in my case) – it’s a total girly paradise. All their cupcakes are totally delicious – and the Red Velvet cake is worth crossing London for – and the peanut butter cupcake is one of the finest. The chocolate peanut butter cupcake is top; a peanut sponge with a sweet milk chocolate icing, it comes with peanut flavoured chocolate drops and is total perfection.
Where: Primrose Hill and Covent Garden. See here
9. Peanut Butter Frozen Dessert: Shake Shack
What: Concrete jungle – vanilla custard, marshmallow sauce, fresh banana and peanut butter sauce
Why: There’s more to Shake Shack than burgers and cheese fries, their concretes are insanely good. The base is frozen custard, blended at high speed with mix ins. The marshmallow sauce and peanut butter sauce is a taste sensation and a flavour we didn’t think would work, we were wrong. You can also add in extra mix ins including caramel sauce, chocolate hazelnut brownie or brown sugar biscuit. We pick the peanut butter sauce every time.
Where: 24, Market Building, The Piazza, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8RD
10. Peanut Butter Shortbread: Hawksmoor Steakhouse
What: Peanut butter shortbread with salted caramel ice cream
Why: A meat haven, Hawksmoor serve up some of the best steaks in the city using prime British beef and was recently award a 3 star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association, ranking them as one of the most ethical and sustainable restaurants in the country. Their portion sizes are generous and if you’ve got room order the peanut butter shortbread, along with the steak you won’t be disappointed.
Where: Different locations across London. See here
11. Peanut Butter Crepe: Creme de la Crepe
What: The Nutty Professor – Nutella and Skippy peanut butter crepe (£4.75)
Why: If you fancy a crepe, this little place is dreamy. Located in the heart of Covent Garden, it’s the perfect spot for a takeaway crepe and watching the street activity and performers. They’ve got great savoury crepes (think Goat’s Cheese and caramelised onion or Martmite and cheddar cheese) but this is a winning combo. Is Nutella and Skippy too much or not enough? We say it’s bang on.
Where: Unit 29, The Piazza, Covent Garden Market, London WC2E 8RE
12. Peanut Butter Parfait: Bam-Bou
What: Peanut butter parfait with lychee syrup (£4.50)
Why: Bam-Bou is seriously, seriously cool. We wrote about the amazing Whisky collection at the top floor Red Bar a while ago – but the food’s also amazing. Come here for fantastic Asian sharing plates and this quirky but wonderful peanut butter creation. Exotic, and totally dreamy.
Where: 1 Percy Street, London W1T 1DB
13. Peanut Butter Everything: The Diner
What: Warm chocolate and peanut cookie, peanut butter ice cream and butterscotch sauce (£6)
Why: This certainly isn’t a dessert for the faint hearted and whoever manages to finish this dish after a burger, I applaud you. This dessert is heavy on the peanut butter and rightly so. The warm cookie matched with the peanut butter ice cream is something very special. Top tip: order two spoons, this dish was made for sharing.
Where: Across London. Details here
Photo credit: Su Lin
14. Peanut Butter Pie: Joe’s Southern Kitchen
What: Peanut butter fudge pie with Chantilly cream (£4)
Why: This is one of the best things on the South American-inspired menu at Joe’s. Peanut butter in a pie is so naughty, and yet it’s utterly delicious. If you want a calorie-busting, totally indulgent meal, then head to Joe’s for comfort food like Southern fried chicken and banging Espresso Martinis.
Where: 34 King Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8JD and a newly opened branch in Kentish Town
15. Peanut Butter Tart: Christopher’s
What: Chocolate, peanut butter and caramel tart with espresso ice cream (£8)
Why: We know it: that’s a lot of flavours in one. But it just works. The tart is a combination of the best things in life – chocolate-y, peanut-y, caramel goodness – with a bitter, tart ice cream. Christopher’s is London’s first proper American restaurant and it still remains a classic; come on the weekend for their new Superfood Brunch with lots of healthy delights like Buckwheat pancakes and Chia pudding. For the less healthy, their Nutella Martini with vanilla vodka, Crème de Cacao, cream, Nutella & shaved chocolate is traffic-haltingly good. Swanky as hell, this place will make you feel like a right Southern Belle.
Where: 18 Wellington Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7DD
16. Peanut Butter Brownie: Little Chelsea Fish Market
What: Warm brownie with layers of chocolate, peanut butter, marshmallow, salted caramel, vanilla ice cream, pretzel, and magic shell (£7.50)
Why: Did you read that description? Seriously. Marshmallow. Chocolate. Salted Caramel. Hello. The Little Chelsea Fish Market is a seafood restaurant in Kensington specializing in fresh fish and seafood, from the English coast, with a daily-changing seasonal menu. The puddings are also to die for; the signature ‘sinful’ brownie is just that with lashings of vanilla ice cream and peanut butter. Anyone who puts magic shell on a dessert gets our vote.
Where: 14 Hollywood Road, London SW10 9HY
17. Peanut Butter Blondies: Bittersweet Bakers
What: Peanut butter and banana blondies (£26 per tray)
Why: The Bittersweet Bakers make delicious freshly baked cakes and treats, using the finest natural ingredients, and lots of love. They deliver to your door from their central London kitchen – and each tray serves up to 15 people, so there’s lots to go around. We love these Blondies with peanut butter and banana; a take on the nostalgic sandwich treat you have as a kid in your lunch box, these little cakes are like a taste of your childhood in the best way possible. PB and banana, it’s a classic.
Where: Order here
19. Peanut Butter Brownie + Ice Cream: Ben’s Canteen
What: Chocolate and peanut butter brownie with peanut butter ice cream (£5)
Why: Ben’s Canteen is a South London hangout serving indulgent brunch dishes and come dinner they cook up sensational burgers along with steaks and salads. The chocolate and peanut butter brownie is one of the best brownies we’ve ever had and we’ve had a fair few brownies in our time. It may be South of the river, but it’s worth the journey, we promise. If you order between 5pm- 7.30pm, you can have two courses for £15 with a free drink. Winner.
Where: 140 St John’s Hill, SW11 1SL and 422 Garratt Lane, SW18 4HW
19. Peanut Butter Cookies + More: Spice Market
What: Cookie bag with peanut butter, ginger oatmeal, coconut chocolate chip cookies (£6)
Why: Southeast Asian food is the order of the day at Spice Market,with an impressive array of sharing plates, sushi and sashimi and an impressive spice rack to match (if you like condiments, you’ll love it here). Their cookie bags reminds us of a party bag you received when attending your friends birthday. Their cookies are melt in the mouth sweet tasting treats. If you can’t finish them, don’t panic, you can take them away too.
Where: Leicester Square, 10 Wardour Street, London W1D 6QF
20. Peanut Butter Tart: Manuka Kitchen
What: Chocolate, peanut butter and pretzel tart (£6.50)
Why: Pretzel seems to be a recurring theme on this feature, but the combination is just heavenly. At this lovely spot in Fulham, the weird and wonderful flavour combinations of the food is matched with a cute decor and great vibe. Come in the evening for Manuka honey and lemongrass cured salmon, pan-fried scallops, artichoke purée and truffle honey and sensational weekend brunch.
Where: Manuka Kitchen, 510 Fulham Road, SW6 5NJ