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!
It Really Is The BEST Peanut Butter Frosting Ever!
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.
Ingredient Notes
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 want to use creamy peanut butter, I personally prefer Jif.
All natural peanut butter that separates 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, 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 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 which 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!
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!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is My Frosting Oily?
Did you use Natural Peanut Butter? This is usually the most common reason. Peanut butter that has been sitting a long time that has separated will cause an oily frosting. I prefer to use JIF creamy peanut butter, I find it gives the best flavor and texture.
Can I Use Crunchy Peanut Butter?
I wouldn’t recommend it, especially if you plan on piping the frosting onto a dessert. Stick with creamy for the best results!
How Much Does This Recipe Make?
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.
Does It Need To Be Refrigerated?
The small amount of heavy cream is stabilized by the amount of confectioners sugar in the recipe. And is considered safe at room temperature for two to three days.
So if you need to frost a chocolate cake, fill some Whoopie Pies, or top a Chocolate Cupcake Recipe this is the peanut butter frosting you want! 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!
Peanut Butter Frosting
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👋 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! And don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos!
Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 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.
Steve says
OMG!!!!! Great frosting not too sweet, but easy to work with. It’s a keeper
Rebecca Hubbell says
This sounds perfect with brownies – so glad you loved it!
LoveMyPintos says
Great Recipe!! I didn’t want to drag the mixer from the basement so I used a hand mixer. What a light and fluffly frosting! I used all natural peanut butter and it came out with a nice, light flavor. It appeared to make quite a bit. I put it over brownies.
Rebecca Hubbell says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Mubs says
Really delicious. I halved the recipe because I didn’t need so much. The sugar does not overpower the peanut butter, and it comes out nice and whipped. I used salted butter because I have found it doesn’t make a big difference in other recipes and it tastes really good.
Rebecca Hubbell says
I have made it with Salted butter before and it’s not overly salty, still yummy, just a salter flavor.
Kimberly says
Has anyone tried this with salted butter? Is it really that big of a deal? I don’t have unsalted butter.
Rebecca Hubbell says
It’s safe to leave out 🙂
Jo says
Does this have to be refrigerated or can it sit out on a wedding cake for part of the day until served?
Rebecca Hubbell says
Hi Angie, I’m not very familiar with fondant. But this frosting, while a soft and creamy buttercream, does crust up slightly over time. Hope that helps.
Angie says
Hello! This looks amazing! I plan to cover a three layer cake with this buttercream then cover with fondant. Will it hold up/stay put with the fondant on it? Or is it too soft to hold fondant?
Thank you
Susan says
I had pinned this about a year ago, but hadn’t made it until now. It is soooo good! Didn’t change a thing. Paired it with a chocolate cake (the Deep, Dark, Chocolate Cake” that used to be on a baking cocoa tin – think by Hershey. That cake is so moist & delicious that it is the only chocolate cake I make & this will probably be the only peanut butter frosting I use after I had tried several others.) Thank you for sharing the recipe.