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Peanut Butter Frosting

Peanut Butter Frosting

If you can't resist a spoonful of peanut butter straight from the jar, then this peanut butter frosting recipe is for you. Light, fluffy, and packed with rich, creamy peanut butter flavor, it's the reliable way to take your cakes, cupcakes, and brownies to the next level. With just a few simple ingredients and five minutes, you'll have a frosting so good, you might skip the cake altogether.

A pink spatula stirring peanut butter frosting in a glass bowl.

Nearly 15 years ago, we were flipping through cookbooks and found a recipe for dark chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing from Ina Garten’s cookbook, Barefoot Contessa at Home. We immediately fell in love with the frosting – not too stiff or sweet and so full of peanut butter flavor.

It became our go-to choice anytime we wanted to incorporate a peanut butter buttercream frosting component to a recipe; you’ll find it (in varying quantities) in the aforementioned cupcakes, as well as our peanut butter cup cake.

A Speedy Look At The Recipe

  • ✅ Recipe Name: Peanut Butter Frosting
  • 🕒 Ready In: 10 minutes
  • 👪 Serves: 12 servings
  • 🍽 Calories: 200 calories per serving
  • 🥣 Main Ingredients: Butter, powdered sugar, peanut butter, vanilla
  • 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian-friendly
  • ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: our go-to choice anytime we wanted to incorporate a peanut butter buttercream frosting component to a recipe.

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What stands out

We have been enamored with this creamy peanut butter frosting for well over a decade, but this is why we think YOU are going to love it, too:

  • Simple Pantry Ingredients – With only five ingredients (plus salt), you’re likely to already have everything you need on hand; no last-minute rushes to the grocery store.
  • Speedy! – This comes together in just five minutes (once the butter is at room temperature), making it an incredibly straightforward add-on to any cake, dessert, or brownie!
  • Reliable Consistency – This frosting is stuff due to too much sugar; it’s a fantastic consistency that makes it a dream to pipe and it spreads beautifully, as well.
  • Not Too Sweet - Let’s face it, so many frostings can be cloyingly sweet, but this one strikes a wonderful balance of just a little sweet with a big punch of peanut butter flavor, which is naturally a little salty. It’s the reliable combination!

What goes in the bowl

As we mentioned above, there is a short list of ingredients needed for the is frosting, but here are a few speedy notes on them:

Ingredients for peanut butter frosting prepped in bowls and labeled.
  • Peanut Butter – For this recipe, use creamy peanut butter and opt for a standard processed type like Jif or Skippy. We recommend avoiding natural peanut butter, as they are too oily and will affect the consistency of the frosting.
  • Butter – Use unsalted butter so that we can control the exact amount of salt in the recipe. If all you have is salted butter, then simply omit the salt in the recipe. Also, ensure that the butter is at room temperature before beginning to prepare the recipe; it’s necessary for the frosting to have a creamy texture and the smoothest consistency.
  • Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar, this will sweeten the frosting.
  • Vanilla Extract – You can substitute the same amount of vanilla bean paste if you’d like.
  • Heavy Cream – This helps to create a luxurious, silky smooth texture.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How it comes together

This straightforward peanut butter frosting recipe comes together quickly in only a few short steps (the first step taking the longest!); here is how to make it:

Step #1: Soften the Butter – This is SUPER important! If the butter is not at room temperature, it will not easily incorporate into the sugar and instead of a smooth frosting, you’ll have a lumpy and/or grainy frosting. Leave the butter out of the refrigerator until you see a clear indentation when you press on it with a finger, but it should not totally sink or become mushy (that’s a sign it’s become TOO soft).

Step #2: Mix the Frosting – Place the butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and beat on medium-low speed until everything is well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the cream, then beat on medium-high or high speed until light and fluffy. You can use it immediately on whatever you’d like!

Chocolate cupcakes topped with a swirl of peanut butter frosting.

Baker notes

A few notes to help ensure you make a house standby peanut butter frosting!

  • A standby Peanut Butter to Use – we mentioned this in the ingredients list above, but it bears repeating that a standby peanut butter to use for this frosting is the traditionally processed kind, such as Jif or Skippy.
  • Adjusting Consistency – we find the thickness of this frosting to be reliable – it’s smooth and pipeable, not too soft, but not stiff and sweet, either. However, if once you are done mixing, you’d like your frosting to be a bit thicker, add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desicred consistency. Conversely, if you find the frosting too thick when you’re done, add more cream a tablespoon at a time until you get the consistency you like.
  • Scaling the Recipe – This recipe, as written, yields enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes. If you plan to fill and frost a cake, we would double the recipe.
  • Storing and Freezing – You can keep this frosting in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftover frosting in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then re-beat it (with a mixer on medium speed or with a rubber spatula) before using.

Ways to serve it

The sky is the limit! Below are some ideas, including some of our favorite ways to use this:

Common questions

If you make this peanut butter frosting recipe and love it, we would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you so much! ❤️️

Photography by Dee Frances

  • Yield: 12 servings
  • Prep: 10 minutes
  • Total: 7 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ( 114 g ) powdered sugar
  • 1 cup ( 270 g ) peanut butter, creamy
  • 5 tablespoons ( 71 g ) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅓ cup ( 80 ml ) heavy cream

Method

  1. Place the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.
  2. Use as desired. The frosting can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature and mix vigorously before using.

Notes

Peanut Butter - For this recipe, use creamy peanut butter and opt for a standard processed type like Jif or Skippy. We recommend avoiding natural peanut butter, as they are too oily and will affect the consistency of the frosting.

Scaling the Recipe - This recipe, as written, yields enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes. If you plan to fill and frost a cake, we would double the recipe.

Storing and Freezing - You can keep this frosting in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftover frosting in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then re-beat it (with a mixer on medium speed or with a rubber spatula) before using.

Photography by Dee Frances

Other frostings

More from the same part of the kitchen, each with its own method.