Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting
This is the Best Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe you’re going to find. It’s sweet, creamy, peanut buttery PERFECTION made with peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream!
This Peanut Butter Frosting is perfect for Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes, Billionaire Bars, and so much more!
This Really Is The Best Homemade Peanut Butter Frosting!
I love my cookies, and I have so much fun with my cupcakes, but it’s my frosting that’s ON POINT! Sure, a good cake is important, but it’s the frosting that MAKES it.
I’ve learned that a killer frosting can save the day and that it can turn a boring box mix into something AWESOME!
This is the best peanut butter frosting around; it’s so creamy and smooth with the perfect balance of sugar and peanut butter.
What You’ll Need For Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe
Unsalted Butter – You want to use unsalted when it comes to most dessert recipes, but especially in this one since the peanut butter itself has a lot of saltiness, and we don’t want this frosting to be overly salty.
It’s also very important that the butter is at room temperature; you should be able to press the back of a spoon easily into the butter.
Peanut Butter – You obviously can’t make peanut butter frosting without peanut butter. You will want to use creamy peanut butter. I personally prefer Jif.
Powdered Sugar – You’ve got to lighten up the salty peanut butter with something sweet and powdered sugar is just the way to do it. Make sure your powdered sugar isn’t old and hard. You need it to be fine and fluffy, so sift it first if you need to.
Vanilla Extract – Vanilla is such an essential ingredient in the kitchen and especially in frostings. It helps to add a great depth of richness to almost any recipe! Make sure to use a quality vanilla or make your own at home.
Heavy Cream – While this is the best cream form to use, it’s my understanding that it can be hard to find in some parts of the country. In this case, whipping cream will do just fine.
What we’re really after is that thick, rich, creamy component that milk and water just don’t provide.
Using heavy or whipping cream during the mixing process yields a light and fluffy frosting everyone is sure to go crazy for!
This frosting recipe is simple, but it’s important that you follow my tips so that you get delicious and fluffy results!
For mixing, I find it best to make this frosting in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (but a whisk attachment is fine too).
The high power can whip this recipe into the fluffy gloriousness that makes it so great. In a pinch, a hand mixer will do just fine!
How To Make Peanut Butter Frosting
- Cream together the butter and peanut butter until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time, alternating with the heavy cream.
- Add in the vanilla and whip at high speed for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
I Make This Frosting A Lot! Sometimes, I just eat it straight because it’s peanut butter awesomeness! So I’ve had a lot of practice and have a lot of troubleshooting tips!
How To Store Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting
This frosting is considered safe in an airtight container at room temperature for two to three days.
Does It Need To Be Refrigerated?
Because the small amount of heavy cream is stabilized by the amount of confectioner’s sugar in the recipe, it does not need to be refrigerated. However, it will last for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze frosting?
Yes, I recommend storing it in an airtight container for up to 3 months, letting it thaw at room temperature, and then beating it to remix. I don’t recommend storing it in a freezer bag because it will be much harder to remove and result in a lot of waste.
Peanut Butter Frosting Buttercream FAQs
Did you use Natural Peanut Butter? This is usually the most common reason. Peanut butter that has been sitting for a long time and has separated will cause an oily frosting. I prefer to use JIF creamy peanut butter, and I find it gives the best flavor and texture.
I wouldn’t recommend it, especially if you plan on piping the frosting onto a dessert. Stick with creamy for the best results!
This Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe makes about 8 cups. This should be enough to frost 24 cupcakes, a 9×13-inch sheet cake, a 2-layer 8 or 9-in round layer cake, or fill 12 whoopie pies.
Grainy frosting is usually the result of using really clumpy powdered sugar. If you find that your powdered sugar is clumped, I recommend sifting it before using it. It’s also less likely to be grainy when mixed with a paddle attachment in a stand mixer bowl.
Usually, separation is a result of the butter’s temperature. You want to make sure that your butter is really soft but not melting.
Another possibility is the oil in the peanut butter; I find separation is more likely with all-natural peanut butter.
No, the butter should be at room temperature and pretty soft. Preferably having sat at room temperature for at least a few hours before using.
For thicker frosting, you can add more powdered sugar. For fluffier frosting, add a bit more heavy cream and whip at high speed for an additional minute or two.
Favorite Ways To Use This Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
This frosting is so versatile and delicious that you could add it to almost any dessert! We love it most when we frost a moist chocolate cake with it, and it makes a great filling for Whoopie Pies too!
This frosting is also the perfect way to jazz up a basic brownie or even use it as a sweet dip on a dessert charcuterie board.
I hope you try this recipe, and I hope you love it as much as everyone else does! It’s absolutely amazing!
More Delicious Frosting Recipes You’ll Love!
- Salted Caramel Frosting – The perfect mix of salty and sweet!
- Cookie Butter Frosting – Your favorite spread turned into a frosting!
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting – The best version of a staple!
- Cinnamon Sugar Frosting – Sweet and cozy!
- Classic Vanilla Buttercream – The standard go-to!
Let’s Connect!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!
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Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter 226g, softened
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 3¼ cups powdered sugar 325g
- 5 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butters together and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, alternating with tablespoons of heavy cream.
- Add in the vanilla and whip on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.
Video
Notes
- Add additional cream or confectioners sugar as needed to reach desired consistency.
- Frosting can be made with a hand mixer but will not be as whipped.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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THE BEST frosting for a chocolate cake! I whip the butter for 7 minutes before I add in the peanut butter and remaining ingredients. It triples the volume of butter with air and makes a light, fluffy frosting! YUMMM!!!
Best EVER peanut butter frosting. Hands down!
by far the best PB frosting I’ve tried!!
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it!
I want to make this for some cupcakes I’m baking but I only have fat free half and half. Will that be okay to use without losing the fluffiness?
Yes, that won’t be fine to use.
So light and fluffy! Full of pure deliciousness!
Delicious, creamy & fluffy! You should make it & sell it since there is NO peanut Butter Frosting on the market! Jif had 1 years ago but stopped producing it. I did write them about it! Lol Thanks for the great Frosting!
Ive never made frosting with butter before.
My mom always used Crisco so I’ve done the same.
This frosting is very yummy..
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this to go with banana cupcakes and it was a match made in heaven! So fluffy and delicious and perfectly sweet. I can’t wait to try it with chocolate! My other favorite combo! Yum!
Best PB frosting, tastes just like fudge. Tasty on graham crackers and apples.
Yum! I cut the recipe in half for a wacky chocolate cake and may or may not have eaten frosting by the spoonful!
The BEST peanut butter frosting recipe!
Happy to hear you enjoyed it!
I can’t stop making this. Pairs perfectly with a devils food box cake mix, or you could make homemade any flavor of cake, it really doesn’t matter. It makes a delicious snack on its own too, especially after being frozen for a small period of time. 10/10, 5 stars, definitely would recommend.
Thanks so much for coming back to leave such a nice review! This recipe truly is delicious and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I just made this frosting. It is very good. Not thick and overly sweet. It is light and fluffy and will be so good on my home-made peanut butter cake. I am amazed at how good it is. I definitely recommend this recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and I hope everyone loves the cake you made with it!
Hello! My daughter and I made this tonight as a practice run for one of her wedding cake flavors and LOVED it! Will this frosting set up like a buttercream? I did think it was a softer frosting…I didn’t want to keep adding powdered sugar because it was soooo delicious the way it is! Also..if you wanted a little more pb flavor could you do 60% or 70% pb and 30-40% butter?? just curious if anyone has tried this??
This frosting will crust some. But it may not crust up as much a classic vanilla buttercream without diluting the peanut butter flavor too much. I think you could substitute some of the butter for peanut butter no problem.
Hands down the ABSOLUTE perfect peanut butter frosting! This is literally the only recipe I will use now! It has turned out flawlessly every single time! And each time I have made it everyone asks for my recipe! I bake ALOT and I really rely on the ratings of the recipes before I even consider making them….however this review is my first time actually contributing a review myself! I know, how terrible of a human that makes me seem! But alas, this one is so good that I had to leave a comment! Thanks for this amazing recipe!!!
Oh, thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment, that is so very sweet of you and I’m so glad you love this recipe as much as I do! It truly is the best!
How long will this frosting hold up in the freezer? Can I ice a cake and freeze for like a week or so prior to a party?
That should be fine, although I do prefer fresh frosting so as to avoid any condensation.
hello
what if you do not have heavy cream to go into it. what could i use instead.thank you
Milk or coffee creamer.
My whole family loves this frosting and requests it often. I don’t mind because it’s so easy to make.
I do have a question that I didn’t see, sorry if someone else already asked. Can I use gel coloring to tint it? Thank you.
Gel food coloring should work fine in this recipe. So glad you all enjoy it!