Peanut Butter Frosting
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A silky smooth but perfectly pipeable peanut butter frosting that’s the perfect complement to any cake or cupcake. Also great for just eating by the spoonful!
Maybe you guys haven’t noticed, but I’ve been working on bulking up my “Frostings” section on the blog.
In the past, I would share cake or cupcake recipes and tag on my preferred complementary frosting, but I’m a big believer in choices. Maybe you’d rather frost your funfetti cake with chocolate frosting (or even peanut butter frosting) instead of buttercream, right? Well I wanted to have a good variety of options for you to choose from.
So far I’ve shared my favorites of the following:
- Cream cheese frosting (<—- possibly my favorite frosting of all-time)
- Chocolate frosting
- Vanilla buttercream frosting
And today I’m adding peanut butter frosting to the list.
This recipe is super easy to make, and on Monday I’ll be sharing a very complementary and very dark chocolate cupcake recipe with you, but of course you can put it on whatever you want. You can even just eat it by the spoonful, I know I did.
And yet it remains a mystery to me why my cardio sessions aren’t paying off 😭
Anyway, Peanut Butter Frosting requires just 6 ingredients to make. It’s smooth, creamy, and is great for piping on top of cupcakes or decorating a cake.
Tips for Making Peanut Butter Frosting
- While chunky or creamy peanut butter can work in this peanut butter frosting recipe, I don’t recommend using chunky unless you don’t intend to pipe the frosting. The little peanut pieces will clog up your frosting tips in a second.
- I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter (the kind that separates, you know the one that you usually need to stir before using). I haven’t tried it myself but I’m pretty certain that it wouldn’t work too nicely work with this recipe (it would be too oily).
- This peanut butter frosting pipes very nicely as written. However, for a stiffer frosting, you can add an additional 1/2-1 cup (65-125g) of powdered sugar.
How Many Cupcakes/How Much Cake Will this Peanut Butter Frosting Cover?
- If you’re generously frosting your cupcakes (as seen in my cupcake photo below), then this frosting will handily cover 12-15 cupcakes. If you’re being a bit more modest, it will cover 24 (I covered 24 cupcakes with peanut butter frosting rosettes using the 1M tip).
- This frosting will also cover a 9×13 sheet cake or a round 2-layer 8″ or 9″ cake. Now I’m just thinking about how I want to make a cake with this frosting and then cover it with ganache… Yum!
Enjoy!
Oh, and do you have any requests for other frosting recipes you’d like to see? I’m currently working on caramel but would love any suggestions that you have!
How to Make Peanut Butter Frosting
Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (245 g) creamy peanut butter
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Combine butter and peanut butter in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until creamy and well-combined.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (245 g) creamy peanut butter
- Gradually (about ⅓ cup at a time), with mixer on low speed add powdered sugar until completely combined. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so all ingredients are well-combined.3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar
- Stir in vanilla extract and salt.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- With mixer on low-speed, add milk and stir until well-combined. Gradually increase speed to high and beat for 30 seconds.2 Tablespoons milk
- Spread or pipe frosting onto completely cooled cupcakes or cake.
Notes
Natural Peanut Butter
Since first sharing the recipe I have now tested this recipe with natural peanut butter and it worked just fine, though was a bit gritty.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Truthfully, I got as far as mixing the peanut butter, butter and confectioners sugar when my husband declared the frosting perfect as is. Thanks for a recipe that’s so good you can stop at Step 2! xo
Wonderful! So happy to hear it was such a success! Thank you for commenting, Madeleine! 🙂
This is the best buttercream frosting I’ve tried! It’s soooo good.
I actually did use natural peanut butter, and it was delicious. In fact, it probably tasted better than if were regular PB because there was an added nutty texture from the natural PB. I think it’s also a plus that natural PB doesn’t have sugar, so the icing wasn’t cloying.
Additionally, I used homemade butter by churning Lakeland’s heavy whipping cream. I think that made it tastier too.
I am so glad that it turned out perfectly and that you enjoyed the frosting, Daniel! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Hi Sam, Just finished the crumb coat on a chocolate cake for my girl friends Birthday Cake for tomorrow. Of course when some of the frosting gets on your fingers you just gotta lick it off , yummmm , Last weekend made your Apple Fritters they were gone so fast and just Delicious. Thanks Sam
Hi, Brian! I am so glad that you enjoyed the frosting and that it paired perfectly on top of your girlfriend’s birthday cake. I hope that she has a nice birthday celebration tomorrow! Thanks so much for trying my recipes. 🙂
Smooth and creamy absolutely delicious!!!
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Wendy! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
This recipe is great! I made a chocolate cake and wanted a peanut butter frosting. It’s absolutely delicious, nice and creamy. This makes a lot of frosting though! I have enough for another cake! So I’ll be storing the rest for later use. Great recipe.
I am so glad that you enjoyed the frosting, Haley! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Any other substitute for unsalted or regular butter ?
Hi, Vin! I am sorry there are no good substitutions that I can recommend, butter is needed for this recipe.
Loved this!! Made this for my banana bread. Didn’t have vanilla so I used maple syrup. Thank you for making such a simple frosting available.
I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting so much, Rosie! 🙂
Should I store the frosting in the fridge until my cake is ready to be frosted. The recipe is amazing
Hi Cortney! You can just keep it covered and it will be fine at room temperature. 🙂
I made this for my mom’s 93rd birthday. Her favorite frosting is peanut butter. This is the best peanut butter frosting I have ever eaten! So yummy! 💕💕💕💕
I am so glad she enjoyed the frosting, Debe! Happy 93rd birthday to your mom! 🙂
Fantastic
Smooth and creamy. I put it on a banana sheet cake. A delicious combination.
I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting so much, Aaron! That sounds like an excellent combination. 🙂
Should I refrigerate leftover frosting or the frosted cupcakes?
Hi, Jill! Yes, you can store the leftover frosting in an airtight container and in the fridge. As for the cupcakes (frosted or not frosted), I recommend storing them at room temperature. Storing cupcakes in the fridge will dry them out faster. Enjoy! 🙂
I don’t have a mixer so it was a lot of work to hand mix but well worth it. Made it for my father in law’s birthday and everyone loved it.
I am so glad that it came out perfectly and everyone enjoyed it, Miracle! I am glad it was worth the mixing. 🙂
Can I make this recipe by using salted butter and skipping the 1/2 tsp of salt?
That will be fine, Emmie! 🙂
Delicious!!!! Reminds me of my peanut butter fudge but so much easier. Yum!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Stacy! 🙂
To die for! I use this frosting with the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe and it’s divine! Currently getting ready to make another batch for tomorrow. Thanks for sharing, I dislike all icings but my homemade cream cheese icing and now this…YUM!
I’m so happy to hear it was such a hit! Thanks for commenting, Jenn!