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 ½-1 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
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Shelby
For anyone who prefers natural peanut butter, I’ve found a solution.
I decided to look at some labels and compare the natural peanut butter to the not so natural kind. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS ADDED SUGAR IN THE FORM OF CORN SYRUP, and a few other unnecessary things.
So I decided to experiment with natural peanut butter and added cane sugar. IT WORKED beautifully!!
I’d say I had to add a tablespoon and a half at the most for how much PB this recipe calls for. Enough to eat the oil.
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for testing this method and for sharing, Shelby! I am so glad that it worked so well. 🙂
Scott Jacobs
Can I use salted butter or do I have to use unsalted, I’m new at this baking thing 🤪
Sam
Yes, just omit the salt called for in the recipe. Enjoy!
Rayana Yattar
Hi! How long can we keeep this frosting ?
Sam
Hi Rayana! It should keep for up to it 7 days. 🙂
Lucy
Great recipe. Love it.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved it, Lucy! 🙂
Nicole
What kind of peanut butter do you use?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Nicole! I typically will use Jiff. 🙂
Maritza
I followed everything but the frosting still came out a bit on the liquid side instead of fluffy.. how can I fix this?
Sam
Hi Maritza! The easiest way to fix a runny frosting is with more powdered sugar. 🙂
Stacy
Tastes wonderful!! Do I need to refrigerate the icing since it has butter in it or can the cake sit out?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Stacy! I usually recommend refrigerating if you are not going to consume within a day.
Erin
I dont think it needs salt. I added what was recommended and it was way too salty. We used unsalted butter and did everything correctly but it was just too much salt.
Shelly
Made this icing for a group of seniors where I work. Between the seniors and staff the cake and icing was gone within an hour.
Thank you love your recipes.
Sam
Thank you so much for letting me know how everyone enjoyed, Shelly!! I really appreciate it.
Lila
I used this recipe for filling inside chocolate cupcakes, everyone loved them and all 30 cupcakes were gone by the next morning!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that everyone enjoyed them and that this frosting worked perfectly as a hidden surprise within your cupcakes, Lila! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Zee
I love this frosting its so easy to make
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you found the recipe easy to follow and delicious. Thanks for commenting, Zee! 🙂
Julie M Day
I would love a recipe for a cappuccino frosting
Sam
I’ll add it to my list, Julie! 🙂
Anne
Excellent! Easy and makes a lot of frosting.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved it, Anne! Thanks for trying my recipe! 🙂
Connie
This is awesome frosting. I added more peanut butter only like a heaping table spoon. Not a measuring spoon a table spoon
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved the frosting, Connie! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Lu
Will the frosting be oily if it sits out because of the oil in the peanut butter? Also, is it okay to use salted butter? I can’t wait to use this recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Lu! The oil from the peanut butter will combine with the sugar to create a nice thick frosting. As far as butter, salted will work fine, you will just omit the additional salt listed. Enjoy! 🙂
Cynthia
Hello! I plan to make a 3 layer chocolate cake utilizing 9in pans. Should I double the recipe so I can use it as a filling as well? Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Cynthia! This recipe makes enough for a 2-layer round 8″ or 9″ cake. To cover 3, I would do one batch + 1/2. 🙂