Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Perfect balance of sweetness with plenty of peanut butter flavor.
Texture: Ultra rich, smooth, and creamy but thick enough to frost on a cake.
Ease: Super simple and easy. Why would you ever purchase premade frosting?!
Pros: Fun flavor twist that goes with so many cakes or cupcakes.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? I’ve made this many times.
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This Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting might be the most delicious frosting of all time.
I originally published this Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting with my Banana Chocolate Chip Cake recipe. That recipe has become super popular, and many readers told me that their favorite part was the peanut butter frosting! So I knew it deserved its own recipe post.
This recipe basically takes peanut butter – which is already amazing and perfect – and makes it even richer yet lighter with the perfect amount of sweetness.
Peanut Butter Frosting pairs perfectly with chocolate cake or cupcakes. Or banana cake or banana bread. You could even slather it over brownies or cookies! Or, let’s be honest, eat it with a spoon 😉
Really, this frosting knows no bounds. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
What Type of Buttercream Frosting is This Recipe?
This Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting is an American-style buttercream frosting, which means that it’s made of butter and powdered sugar, whipped together with our star ingredient, peanut butter. It’s a super quick and easy frosting recipe!
Butter vs. Shortening in Buttercream Frosting
Some American buttercream recipes will contain shortening or a combination of butter and shortening, but I use an all-butter mixture. Shortening leaves a slightly greasy film behind on the palate and has a slight aftertaste that I don’t prefer.
What Type of Peanut Butter for Buttercream?
I typically like to use Skippy in baking and frostings but feel free to use your favorite brand here. I haven’t tested this recipe using natural peanut butter, so I can’t say for sure how that will work. If you wish to try that, be sure to give it a really thorough stir before using it to ensure there are no dry bits or oily pockets.
The Best Powdered Sugar for Buttercream
Always sift powdered sugar before adding it to your buttercream. For the absolute smoothest Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting, I recommend investing in organic powdered sugar that contains tapioca starch instead of cornstarch because it dissolves much more readily to remove grittiness. This is the brand of organic powdered sugar I usually use, though Trader Joe’s also has a great option available.
Does Buttercream Need to be Refrigerated?
While the sugar in buttercream acts as a preservative and keeps the frosting intact for a few hours at a time, I recommend storing the buttercream in the refrigerator.
How to Make Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting Ahead of Time
Transfer the Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week. Allow the buttercream to come to room temperature and re-whip with the paddle attachment on the stand mixer until light and fluffy again. Add a tablespoon or two of powdered sugar to thicken, if needed. If you need to store for longer, check out the freezing instructions just below.
Can You Freeze Peanut Butter Buttercream?
Yes! Store this buttercream in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and then bring to room temperature before re-whipping until light and fluffy again.
How Much Buttercream Does This Recipe Make?
This Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting will frost a two-layer cake, 24 cupcakes, OR 12 cupcakes with a generous amount of frosting (think a tall piped swirl). Not sure how much frosting you’ll need? Check out this handy frosting guide from Wilton.
More Buttercream Frosting Recipes:
- How to Make the Best Buttercream
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Best Cream Cheese Frosting
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Ingredients
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (270 grams) creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 1/2 cups (313 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar and continue beating until the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about another 3 minutes.
STORAGE:
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature and re-whip in the stand mixer until light and fluffy before using. Add a tablespoon or 2 of powdered sugar to thicken if needed.
Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2019 and has been updated with additional baking tips and information. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
One of the easiest and best p nut butter icings I have made.
Amazing!! Will never use a different recipe ever again, so creamy and I just used 1 3/4 cups of powdered sugar, love this!
I made this with crunchy peanut butter and used 1 stick of butter and 2 cups of powdered sugar. It was delicious! And super easy to make.
I tried to give 5 stars but it would only let me give4.
Hi Kathi! So happy you enjoyed this frosting! I was able to adjust your rating, so it reflects the 5 stars as you wished 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Delicious! Used it as the filling for a peanut butter cake, with chocolate frosting. My imitation of a peanut butter cup!
Sounds delicious, Emilee!! So happy you enjoyed this frosting recipe!
OMG! This was so delicious! (About 1/2 cup of it didn’t make it onto the cake. LOL ) I will never need another peanut butter frosting recipe. This is the best!!!
So happy you loved this frosting, Chrissy!! 🙂
Could you add chocolate and make it a chocolate peanut butter frosting. It sounds amazing as is but am looking for a chocolate peanut butter frosting and after reading all the great things about this recipe would love to use this but tweak it a bit.
Hi Jacqui! We haven’t tried that, but you’re more than welcome to experiment! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try 🙂
I made a pan of brownies for a neighborhood get together. But they needed something more than just the brownie. And no cocoa powder in the house. Searched Pinterest and found this. It was just the right topping. Everyone loved the peanut butter flavor. Many had more than one! Definitely will add this to my frosting choices from now on!!!
Ooo that sounds amazing! So glad you found our recipe and that everyone loved it! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Would this work with some colouring added to it? Thinking of making it orange to cover my Reece’s pieces cake… thanks :)!
Hi Sally! We haven’t tried that, but it should work well, especially orange! Let us know what you think of this recipe when you give it a try 🙂
This frosting is so good that my mom, who doesn’t like frosting or peanut butter, loved it and said it was the best part of the cupcakes!!
Wow, that’s incredible! I agree though, I can eat this straight from the bowl 🙂 So happy she loved it!
Used a few PB buttercream recipes and this one is by far the best – I half the recipe so I have plenty of icing for the middle of the cake (I don’t tend to Ice the top). It is very hard to not eat this buttercream out the bowl!! Thank you
So happy you love this recipe, Anna! I tend to make an entire batch, half for whatever I’m baking, and half for eating haha! It’s delicious with graham crackers 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
This is seriously so good! One of the best peanut butter frostings I’ve ever made. Usually I have to add more peanut butter, but this was perfect as is! Will now be my go-to recipe! Thanks Tessa!
So glad to hear that, Holly! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Y’all. SO GOOD! I added a bit of extra vanilla for a richer flavor and sprinkled crumbled Reese’s cups on top of my cake. It was to die for! Boxed cake mix topped with this?!? Amazing!
Yummy!! Sounds absolutely delicious!