There’s something about the imagery of lucious, glossy peanut butter that really gets people talking, and Leichhardt's Peanut Butter Bar would know. The ‘protein powered’ dessert bar on Norton Street has amassed a global following, with coverage on the café reaching as far as Lebanon and New York.
But Instagram isn’t reality, so come armed with that knowledge. While you may have a seen a free flowing peanut butter fountain coating desserts here, IRL it’s not quite the case. While there certainly is an impressive half-metre nut butter tap, its purpose is to fill little jugs, which you then pour over your dessert.
Said desserts are pretty tasty – a giant chocolate chip cookie comes served in a three centimeter deep personal skillet. It’s crumbly on the top, doughy in the middle with a pleasing ratio of choc chips. The slosh of peanut on top adds adds dense savoury nuttiness to balance the sugar. The lava cake – an ultra sweet chocolate cake with an molten centre – is also served with a liberal pour of peanut butter to triangulate sweet, savoury and salty.
And yet, this dessert bar also fashions itself as a health-focused endeavour – you can buy boxing gloves, a weight loss book and gym singlets – this is in part due to peanut butter’s nutritional standing in the health food world. This is why you’ll also find protein shakes and vegan treats among the ‘cheat day’ options. A dairy-free cheesecake with a jammy raspberry gel layer on a light, whipped filling tinged with blueberry, is carried by a nut cream and protein powder-based vanilla layer. You’ll also find vegan ice cream, plus a host of low-sugar options. The Peanut Butter Bar is certainly wearing a lot of hats.
Seeking out sensational, ‘gram worthy treats is a hobby for some – and if they’ve also got a sweet tooth or a peanut butter obsession, this is the niche they've been looking for.