Healthy Refined Sugar-Free Wafer Cake Recipe (Date Caramel Lica Cake)

I grew up with Lica cake; my mom used to make it quite often during my childhood, and she still does. And it turns out delicious every single time 🤤. However, because the classic European wafer cake is quite heavy due to the large amount of sugar and butter, I wanted to create a lighter alternative. I was aiming for a healthy wafer cake recipe that still captures that authentic taste as much as possible.

That is how this refined sugar-free wafer cake with date caramel came to life 💡. I rebuilt the classic filling using soaked dates, which, when blended smooth, perfectly mimic the density and texture of traditional caramel. This no-bake dessert keeps the same compact consistency, plenty of walnuts, and that crunchy-creamy contrast, but comes with a much simpler and more nutritious ingredient list:

Ingredients for the Refined Sugar-Free Wafer Cake Filling

• Dates – a great natural sweetener with a lower glycemic index than white sugar. They are rich in fiber and antioxidants, offering a deep sweetness with intense caramel notes.
• Peanut butter – an excellent source of protein and healthy fats. It brings a better nutritional structure to the dessert and helps bind the cream without the need for traditional butter.
• Walnuts – essential for that crunchy texture and considered true brain fuel thanks to their good fats and powerful antioxidant effects.

These healthy sugar-free wafers are the perfect dessert when you want something quick and made with simple ingredients. The combination of dates, peanut butter, and walnuts turns this recipe into a much more nutritious alternative to the classic Lica cake, without refined sugar.

Healthy Refined Sugar-Free Wafer Cake Recipe (Date Caramel Lica Cake)

Recipe by Loredana Arion

Servings

18

servings

Prep time

45

minutes

Calories per serving

96

kcal

Resting Time

3

hours 

Ingredients

• 5 small wafer sheets (Poof Foi Lica)

• 200g pitted dates (I used the dried ones from Sanovita)

• 50g sugar-free peanut butter (I used the one from Pronat)

• 100g walnuts

• 50ml milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/3 teaspoon salt

Directions

• Toast the walnuts in the oven for a more pronounced flavor (170°C for 8 minutes), then chop them with a knife as finely as you like, but not into a powder.
• Soak the dates in hot water for 30 minutes. Once they are soft, drain the water and place them into a blender.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the walnuts, and blend until it becomes a smooth paste.
• Fold in the walnuts using a spatula.
• Spread the filling in a thin layer between the wafer sheets.
• Place a weight on top to prevent the edges from lifting, then chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours before slicing.