Homemade Peanut Butter Frosting, takes just minutes to throw together and only uses 4 ingredients! Do you know that the canister of peanut butter in the pantry has a hard-to-beat, perfectly smooth texture that makes it the best spread for toast, crackers and other types of flatbread?
PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
This Peanut Butter Frosting is light, fluffy and has a deliciously rich peanut butter flavor. It’s perfect for piping on cupcakes, cookies or cakes!
This peanut butter buttercream is the perfect complement to your favorite chocolate desserts! You can pipe it onto Chocolate Cupcakes, spread it onto Chocolate Donuts
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy frosting recipe. Not only is this peanut butter frosting recipe super yummy, but it’s also really easy to make! It comes together in no time and only takes a few ingredients — most (if not all) you probably have on hand!
- So creamy and smooth. Whipping the peanut butter and the butter really really well until it is light in color and smooth makes a huge difference in terms of texture. The frosting is also especially smooth thanks to sifting the powdered sugar. This removes any clumps and ensures a smooth frosting.
- The perfect complementary frosting. Having a delicious peanut butter buttercream recipe on hand is a good idea since it goes so well with so many delicious foods! Whether it’s cookies, cake, cupcakes, or even swirled into ice cream, it’s so yummy!
Ingredient Notes
- Peanut Butter: I use the normal kind of peanut butter not natural. Natural peanut butter is typically separated at room temperature. This will increase the likelihood that your frosting separates, too. If you are using natural peanut butter, then I recommend you beat it for longer to try and ensure it doesn’t separate. Use creamy peanut butter, not crunchy.
- Powdered Sugar: Sift the powdered sugar prior to using. This will help your frosting be smooth and light. Without sifting, you risk getting clumps of powdered sugar in the frosting.
- Milk: Add more or less milk to get your desired consistency. Always err on the side of less first. You can always add a splash more milk if needed.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cream the butters. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the butter and peanut butter until creamy, well combined and light in color.
- Add the powdered sugar. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time until all of the powdered sugar has been added. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add remaining ingredients. Mix in the vanilla, salt, and milk. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for 2-3 minutes or until the color is light and the texture is fluffy.
- Use to decorate. Pipe or spread onto cooled cake or cupcakes. Use this frosting in my Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting recipe!
Recipe Tips
Butter: You can use salted butter and eliminate the 1/4 tsp salt! Be sure to use butter that is still cold. We just don’t want the butter to be just barely taken out of the fridge before making the frosting. Take the butter out of the fridge for about an hour before making the frosting. We want the butter to still be a little cold so that when we beat it together with the peanut butter it doesn’t get too warm and lax that it doesn’t hold well.
Peanut Butter: I haven’t made this recipe using natural peanut butter. However, you should be able to use natural peanut butter, just keep in mind that there’s usually more oil separation in natural pb so make sure to stir it well before measuring it out and adding it to the recipe. Also, you may need to add a touch more powdered sugar or forgo the milk. If you’re finding the frosting is separating, it could be due to the oils.
Be sure to beat the peanut butter and butter together until it gets light in color. The finished result shouldn’t be the color of peanut butter, it should be a very light tan color.
If using this frosting to fill for sandwich cookies (for example, two chocolate sandwich cookies with frosting in the middle), you may want to add a little bit more powdered sugar so the frosting is a tad (just a tad!) firmer.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
Store at room temperature for 5-6 hours. Any longer than that, I would recommend storing in the fridge.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 weeks. When removing from the fridge or freezer to use, let thaw (if frozen) and place in a stand mixer and beat on medium low speed until fluffy. Spread or pipe unto cookies, cupcakes or cake.
Recipe FAQs
Why did my peanut butter frosting separate?
Did you use natural peanut butter? This is the kind of peanut butter that is already separated in the jars. You’ll know what I mean because the top layer is oil. Natural peanut butter will separate on its own, so if you use that, it is more likely to separate than if you used normal peanut butter.
What is the difference between frosting and icing?
Frosting is made with a butter base and icing is made without butter. Icing is typically made with just powdered sugar and liquid (usually milk) whereas frosting is made with butter and powdered sugar (and a little liquid, such as milk).
Is powdered sugar the same thing as confectioners sugar?
Yes they are the same thing! You can use powdered sugar and confectioners sugar interchangeably.
How much frosting does this recipe make?
This recipe will frost a 9×13 cake, 24 cupcakes, or 12 generously frosted cupcakes. If doing round cakes it will frost a 2 layer 8” round cake.
PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
This peanut butter frosting is incredibly easy to make and tastes delicious too. This simple frosting is perfect for cakes, cupcakes, and so much more!
I’ve been getting quite a few requests for frosting recipes lately, so I’m making it my goal to start creating and sharing different frosting recipes with you. Today I wanted to kick it off with an easy one – this peanut butter frosting.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Made with just 5 ingredients
- Super creamy
- Incredibly delicious
- Pipes perfectly!
I’m also sharing some of my favorite ways to use this simple frosting and tips to ensure that it turns out perfect for you. If you love peanut butter, then make sure to save this simple recipe for later!
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
To make this easy peanut butter frosting you will need five simple ingredients – butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, and pure vanilla extract. Here are a few notes on some of the ingredients:
- Butter: Since peanut butter has some salt in it, stick with unsalted butter. Make sure to use actual butter too and not margarine.
- Peanut Butter: Make sure to use a creamy, no-stir peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Avoid using a natural peanut butter, since the oil may separate and cause the frosting to be runny.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Also known as heavy cream, this helps to thin out the frosting a bit so that you can pipe it. If you don’t have any on hand, then milk would work too. Just keep in mind that milk is much thinner than heavy cream so you may need to use a bit less.
HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
Now that you’ve got your ingredients, let’s discuss how to make this creamy frosting. To start, add one stick of unsalted butter to a mixing bowl and beat it on medium-speed until it’s smooth. Next, add one cup of creamy peanut butter and mix it with the butter until it’s well combined. If you find that some of the butter is sticking to the bottom or sides of the bowl, stop and scrape your bowl, then mix it again.
Next, mix in two cups of powdered sugar one cup at a time. The mixture will be pretty thick at this point, but don’t worry, that’s where the cream comes in! Add your heavy whipping cream and pure vanilla extract and beat the mixture for about one more minute, scraping down your bowl as needed, until it’s thick and creamy like the picture above on the right.
At this point, you can go ahead and use your frosting however you like. If you want to store it and use it later, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it for two to three days.
DIFFERENT WAYS TO USE IT
While this frosting is delicious just by the spoonful, it’s also incredibly versatile and can be used quite a few different ways! Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it:
- On top of chocolate cupcakes or vanilla cupcakes
- As a frosting for my chocolate cake recipe
- Piped between two double chocolate chip cookies to make cookie sandwiches
- As a border of frosting for a cookie cake
- On top of my homemade brownies
BAKING TIPS
- Be sure to use creamy peanut butter! Avoid using a natural or crunchy peanut butter here.
- Always use pure vanilla extract for best flavor – imitation doesn’t taste nearly as good.
- Stop and scrape around the sides of your bowl as you are mixing. This will ensure that the frosting is thoroughly combined, smooth, and creamy.
- Need to freeze the frosting? You can store it in a freezer bag or freezer-friendly storage container for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then let it come to room temperature before using it.
PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
An ultra rich, creamy and fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe that will knock your socks off! Our easy to make frosting is perfect for cakes, cupcakes, whoopie pies, and so much more!
We’re very picky about our frostings and our easy Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe might be one of our favorites ever! It’s rich, super creamy and fluffy and goes so well on a number of sweets like chocolate cake (especially chocolate sheet cake!), sandwiched between cookies, piped onto chocolate cupcakes, on fudge brownies, and so much more
This is our go to recipe, that will keep for up to a week when properly stored, so it’s perfect to make ahead of time if you’re having a busy week. We promise you will never want to make and eat another peanut butter frosting ever again!
How to Make Our Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe
Process
- Combine butter and peanut butter in a mixing bowl.
- Beat together with a hand mixer, until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down sides of bowl and add 1/2 cup sugar at a time, until all sugar has been added.
- Add vanilla, salt and heavy cream and continue to beat frosting until light and fluffy.
Why This is the Best Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe Ever!
- The addition of heavy cream really makes our frosting a little lighter than other peanut butter frosting recipes out there. It also makes our recipe extra creamy and fluffy.
- Our recipe comes together in just 10 minutes!
- It’s perfectly balanced in flavor and texture.
- Our frosting uses less powdered sugar than most other recipes out there, but can still be spreadable AND piped on without having to make any adjustments!
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Sift the powdered sugar!!…and do it before measuring our the 2 cups! This will ensure you have a rich and cream frosting without lumps and that isn’t overly sweet.
- Don’t over-whip the butter and peanut butter together, which will cause the frosting to separate.
- Use a no-stir peanut butter to achieve the best texture.
- Don’t skip out on the salt. It will really help to balance the flavors out.
- Use a hand mixer or stand mixer (with a paddle attachment) to save on arm strength and for the best consistency!
Storage Instructions
If using peanut butter frosting within the same day, store it in an airtight container and place in a cool, dry place (at room temperature) out of direct sunlight.
If using after 24 hours, store frosting in an airtight container, with plastic wrap directly over the frosting and refrigerate. When ready to use, allow frosting to sit out for 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer frosting to a mixing bowl and rewhip with a hag mixer until light and fluffy (making sure not to over-whip frosting).