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.
Tammy
Can you use salted butter and leave out the salt.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Tammy! Yes, that will be fine. I hope that you enjoy the peanut butter frosting. 🙂
Samantha Hill
OMG the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my whole life!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed the frosting, Samantha! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Anna
Is the salt in the recipe table salt or kosher salt? I never know which in recipes that don’t specify, and they register completely different levels of saltiness for same amounts. Thanks! Looking forward to making it.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Anna! Table salt will be fine for this recipe. I hope that you enjoy the peanut butter fudge. 🙂
Grafton
Love this recipe. I actually used 1/2 cup less sugar and 1/3 less peanut butter to top off fudgy brownies. It worked perfect!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the peanut butter frosting, Grafton and that it worked perfectly on top of brownies. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Liane
OMG… Amazing!!
How long can the frosting be stored in an air tight container in the fridge?
How does it freeze?
Thank you!!
Sam
Hi Liane! I’m so glad you like the peanut butter frosting! This frosting should last at least a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I have honestly never frozen it so I can’t say for sure how it freezes.
Latanya
This is a really delicious peanut butter frosting. It was so smooth and velvety.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Latanya! 🙂
Justin Ong
Hi. Can this filling inside swiss roll. Thanks. Look so delicious
Sam
Hi Justin! This frosting should work for your swiss roll. 🙂
Susan
These were great! I’m trying the cake version with ganache over the peanut butter frosting next!
Sam
Yum! Sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed the frosting, Susan! 🙂
Ariana Langley
One quick question! It says it’s enough for two 8 inch rounds. So if I’m stacking, does that mean it does count for the layer between the cakes? As well as the top and sides?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Ariana! Yes, you should have plenty of icing for the top, sides and middle layer. I hope that you enjoy the peanut butter frosting. 🙂
Ariana
I want to make my boyfriend a homemade chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting as Reese’s are his all time favorite I thought that would be a good idea! So I’ll be trying this recipe out tonight and also searching for your chocolate cake recipe. Wish me luck! 😋
Sugar Spun Run
Good Luck, Ariana! I hope that he enjoys it. 🙂
Annabella
WOW! this is amazing! I’m using your recipes from now on!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the peanut butter frosting, Annabella! This is a favorite of mine too. Thank you so much! I can’t wait to hear what you try next! 🙂
Mandy
It is amazing my hole family loves it .
Sugar Spun Run
That is wonderful, Mandy! I am so glad that the peanut butter frosting was a hit. 🙂
Candace Gray
It tasted really salty. Is 1/2 a teaspoon salt correct? I use unsalted butter.
Sam
Hi Candace! Yes, 1/2 teaspoon is correct.
Theresa
Love it so yummy making this weekend
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much, Theresa! I am glad you liked the peanut butter frosting! 🙂
Diane Gulliver
Friggen yummy!!!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the peanut butter frosting, Diane! Thanks for commenting. 🙂