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!
Best Peanut Butter Frosting
This is the Best Peanut Butter Frosting and the ultimate frosting for cakes, cookies, and more!
Happy Friday, friends! What’s everyone got going on this weekend? I’ll be in the kitchen, not like that’s anything new, though, that’s pretty much every weekend around these parts.
As a baker, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Sometimes I’m crying over my fifth failure that day or rejoicing in the amazingness that just came out of the oven. Every weekend is a baking battle, sometimes I win and sometimes I lose.
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.
JUST TAKE ME TO THE PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING RECIPE ALREADY!
If you’d rather skip my (very helpful, I think) tips and tricks, essential cooking info, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this deliciously easy Best Ever PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING Recipe – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.
What Ingredients are in the Best 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 the peanut butter. You want to use a creamy peanut butter, I personally prefer Jif.
Please note that all natural peanut butter that separate may not be the best fit for this recipe as they don’t hold up quite as well in confections over time.
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, sift it first if you need to.
Vanilla Extract – Vanilla is such an essential ingredient in the kitchen and especially in frostings where it helps to add a great depth of richness to almost any recipe! Make sure to use a good 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 that 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 allows for a night whip during the mixing process which yields a light and fluffy frosting everyone is sure to go crazy for!
You guys first saw this recipe on my Chocolate & Peanut Butter Surprise Cupcakes and then again on my Chocolate & Peanut Butter Mini Layer Cakes!
Sometimes I just eat it straight, because it’s peanut butter awesomeness! So if you need to frost a cake or fill some whoopie pies, this is the peanut butter frosting you want!
How Do You Make Peanut Butter Frosting?
1. Mixing – I find it best to make this frosting in a stand mixer with a whisk or paddle attachment, 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!
2. Vanilla – I generally prefer to add my vanilla or extract to frostings in the beginning when I’m creaming the butter, this means it’s there throughout the entire mixing process and melds with all of the other ingredients.
3. Creaming – The butter and the peanut butter gets creamed together first to make sure that they are completely combined before adding any other ingredients.
4. Sugar – When it comes to any buttercream, you want to add the sugar in batches, this allows the sugar to mix more thoroughly and usually prevents it from flying all over the kitchen.
5. Liquid – It’s important to add liquid in small doses for a couple of reasons. One, it can splash everywhere if you add too much at once. Two, the liquid can impact the texture of a frosting really fast. I like to add my heavy cream to this recipe about a tablespoon at a time until I reach the desired consistency.
Does Peanut Butter Frosting Need To Be Refrigerated?
The small amount of heavy cream is stabilized by the large amount of sugar in the recipe and considered safe at room temperature for two to three days.
What Readers Are Saying About This Recipe:
“What else to make for someone who can’t decide between chocolate and peanut butter?? Chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and peanut butter truffles!!! Frosting recipe from your blog. Awesome recipe 👍” – @minnu.neeriankal
“My search is over. I’ve been looking for a good peanut butter frosting recipe but I’ve always found that peanut butter seems to make any frosting gritty and not so smooth and creamy. This one is superb! It was light and creamy! Must be the cream because that’s the only difference from all the others I’ve tried in the past. Thanks for a fabulous recipe!” Rose P.
“I’m usually skeptical when a recipe claims to be ‘the best’ but this frosting from @sugarandsoulco really lives up to its name.” – @britsbakes
“Yummy frosting! Made dark chocolate cupcakes with the PB frosting, and an oreo topping. My mom was very excited about her birthday cupcakes. Lol ☺☺ All her faves in one.” – Yesenia
“I made this for my Mums 70th Birthday and she LOVED IT! Said it was as creamy as peanut butter fudge! Bravo!” – Jill H.
“This is seriously one of the best frostings I’ve ever tasted. LOVE!!!!” – FFF
“First time making brownies and I wanted to add peanut butter. OMG, the frosting is absolute heaven! I had to hold back from eating the bowl while the brownies cooled down! LOL!” – Karen
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!
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Pin This Frosting Recipe For Later:
Watch how to make this frosting in the video below!
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This post was originally published on March 25, 2015. The post was republished September 23, 2017. Updated September 5, 2018, with new photos.
Best Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 5 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Cream Butter using a paddle attachment. Add vanilla and peanut butter and beat until well mixed. Add confectioners' sugar a cup at a time, alternating with heavy cream. 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
Rachel says
Oh my word- this was fantastic. I had another recipe I used for years but wanted to try yours. Light fluffy yummy perfection!!!
Rebecca Hubbell says
So glad you loved it, Rachel!
Sara says
Will this recipe work with natural peanut butter?
Rebecca Hubbell says
Hi Sara, I have personally never tried it, but it tends to be oilier and I believe it can cause separation over time or make the frosting slip. Just something to consider if you decide to try it.
Jennifer says
Simply amazing! I tried this recipe yeserday for my sons birthday and I made some Triple chocolate fudge cupcakes with peanut butter icing and crushed Oreo cookies on top, it was a hit!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe. 😋
Rebecca Hubbell says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer!
Kathy says
Not having any cream, I omitted the vanilla and used liquid French vanilla coffee creamer, and it was FANTASTIC! Thanks for the recipe!
Rebecca Hubbell says
So glad you enjoyed it, Kathy! What a great substitute!
Chelsea says
I’ve tried this recipe lots of times. Always tastes great. Its my go to frosting for a deep moist chocolate cake. I try to avoid dairy as much as I can. So to try & limit the dairy intake but still getting the good flavour I usually do 1/2 cup butter & 1/2 cup shortening & also substitute the heavy cream for almond milk. Still works out & tastes great (but a little less on the dairy products)
Rebecca Hubbell says
Hi Chelsea, I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe and I’m glad you were able to alter it to meet your dietary needs!
Cathy Podgorny says
I’m planning to use this on my chocolate banana cupcakes. I’m thinking they should be refrigerated after decorating because of the cream? How does the frosting hold up after it is at room temp for a while?
Rebecca Hubbell says
Hi Cathy, the frosting will hold up just fine at room temperature 🙂 Make sure to cover them overnight in a container if you have leftovers. You can also store them in the fridge if you would like, but it’s not necessary. Also, just be sure that it’s room temperature and not too hot or humid as this could cause the frosting to break now that summer is upon us!
Jessica M says
Is this frosting more peanut buttery or more sweet? Looking for a frosting where the peanut butter flavor really stands out!
Bernie says
This is the sweetest frosting I’ve ever tasted….so you might want to go with a different recipe.
Malinda says
Just add more peanut butter for a stronger flavor
Alisha King says
Looks terrific, going to try it now! From the post and the reviews, doesn’t look like I could go wrong choising this recipe. Could you please tell me what kind/brand of peanut butter you use? I don’t see it mentioned anywhere. I’m concerned that the extra ingredients (sugar, salt, molasses, etc.) in the “store bought, childhood” peanut butter, will interfere somehow, or is that what you use? Thanks, and thanks again for this post!
Rebecca Hubbell says
Hi Alisha, I prefer JIF creamy peanut butter, but I would think any store bought creamy peanut butter would work fine. I know some readers have had issues with the all-natural peanut butters because they tend to have more oil in them and it can cause the frosting to separate. Also, don’t use crunchy.
Shannon Smith says
I just made this for my daughter’s homecoming party. It was awesome! I frosted chocolate cupcakes with this and 15 teenagers couldn’t get enough, not to mention my husband. So good and perfect to pipe with!!
Rebecca Hubbell says
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it, Shannon!
Jennifer says
Incredible recipe! My husband proclaimed it as his favorite buttercream ever! Very easy to work with and a great consistency. Cannot recommend this recipe highly enough!
It does make a smaller amount, so I needed to double it last minute. I used Jif Creamy Peanut Butter with zero issues.
Rebecca Hubbell says
Hi Jennifer, so glad you all loved it and you got some wife brownie points out of the deal!