This fluffy peanut butter frosting gets big flavor from creamy, natural peanut butter. Made in just 5 minutes with 5 ingredients. It's less sweet than most peanut butter frosting recipes, using half the amount of powdered sugar compared with other top-rated recipes, but it tastes just as rich and creamy. A good hit of salt makes this frosting extra addicting!
Swirl, spread, or pipe it over cakes and cupcakes, or just lick it off of spoons – I don't tell you what to do!
I love peanut butter, especially paired with chocolate. And this peanut butter frosting makes me super nostalgic for the peanut butter cups I used to get trick-or-treating as a kid. My best friend and I would dump our candy haul on her bedroom floor and spend hours strategically trading goodies. And peanut butter cups were prized currency.
Now that I'm older and wiser (or at least older...), I have no desire to eat overly-sweet candy made with questionable ingredients. Enter this frosting, which reminds me of that salty-sweet-nutty filling. I make it with natural peanut butter, half the sugar compared with most recipes, and a good hit of salt and vanilla. Lots of good butter makes it rich and creamy. It's lusciously floofy, addictively salty, and not-too-sweet.
Here's why I love this peanut butter icing:
- natural peanut butter gives it big flavor with no scary ingredients
- half the sugar compared with most recipes makes it not-too-sweet
- salt and vanilla make it super addicting
- tastes like an old-fashioned peanut butter cup – yum!
This is just the thing to spread over my rich & fudgy chocolate teff flour cake. It also pairs beautifully with ultra-moist coconut flour chocolate cake.
Although if you're anything like me, you'll want to simply lick it off of spoons until it's gone. Readers agree!:
Dangerously Divine
“This is divine. I used your link to the natural peanut butter. I could have eaten the whole bowl! Dangerous to have around. I may make it again and put it on the brownies.”
—Alene
Ingredients and Substitution Suggestions
This frosting comes together with just 5 ingredients and less powdered sugar than most recipes (about half the amount of top recipes).
- Peanut butter adds rich, nutty flavor. Choose a natural creamy peanut butter made with just 1 ingredient: peanuts. Once Again (affiliate link) is my favorite brand for its silky smooth texture and fresh flavor.
- Butter forms the base of the frosting. If using salted butter, there's no need to add salt to the frosting.
- Powdered sugar sweetens the frosting and helps it whip up light and fluffy. I prefer organic powdered sugar, but conventional will work too.
- Vanilla extract and fine sea salt sharpen the flavors. You can sprinkle a pinch of flaky salt over the finished frosting for a little crunch if you like!
Got extra natural peanut butter to use up? Make a batch of these rich, chewy almond flour peanut butter cookies - so good.
Method
This homemade peanut butter frosting recipe comes together in about 5 minutes.
I usually make this in a small stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (this is the stand mixer I use - affiliate link), but you can also make it by hand in a bowl using an electric egg beater or wooden spoon to bring it together. Just be sure to soften the butter for ease!
This small-batch recipe makes 1 generous cup of frosting, enough for a single layer 8- or 9-inch cake or 8-ish cupcakes. Double or triple the recipe for a 9x12-inch sheet cake, or quadruple the recipe for an 8-inch cake with 2 layers and frosted sides and top.
TBG Tip: When you buy natural peanut butter, store it upside down at room temperature before opening it. This makes it easier to combine once you're ready to use it! This works well with all natural nut and seed butters.
Peanut Butter Icing or Frosting – which is it?
In the United States, we call this fluffy deliciousness "frosting." But in other regions such as Canada, this is called "icing." Rest assured that this will be equally delicious regardless of whether you call it "peanut butter frosting" or "peanut butter icing."
Bojon appétit, my sweets! If you make this, I’d love to know. Please leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.
5-Minute Peanut Butter Frosting with Natural Peanut Butter
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 g) creamy, natural peanut butter*
- ¾ cup (75 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- If your peanut butter has oil sitting on top that has separated, give it a good stir before you begin, scraping the sides and bottom of the jar to combine it well.
- Combine the butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of a small stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (If using a full-size stand mixer, you may need to double the recipe so that there's enough to mix). Alternatively, use a bowl and an electric egg beater or wooden spoon.
- Beat together the butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt.
- Beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, 2-3 more minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle once or twice more as needed.
- Use the frosting right away, swirled or piped over cake, cupcakes, or brownies. Or cover and keep at cool room temperature until needed, up to 1 day.
Video
Notes
- This small-batch recipe makes 1 generous cup of frosting, enough for a single layer 8- or 9-inch cake or 8-ish cupcakes. Double or triple the recipe for a 9x12-inch sheet cake, or quadruple the recipe for an 8-inch cake with 2 layers and frosted sides and top.
- This frosting can be made in advance. Refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to several months.
- Bring the frosting back to room temperature before using; you may need to whip it again before using to make it more spreadable.
- Make sure the butter is softened to cool room temperature before you begin.
- If the frosting separates and looks grainy, it's most likely because the butter is too cold. Place the bowl in a warm spot for a few minutes, and then beat it again for a minute or two. It should come back together.
- If it still looks grainy, try adding another tablespoon or two of powdered sugar as you beat it, which should help bring it together.
Alene says
This is divine. I used your link to the natural peanut butter. I could have eaten the whole bowl! Dangerous to have around. I may make it again and put it on the brownies.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Alene,
Aw I'm so glad you love the frosting and that peanut butter – it's definitely my favorite one that I've tried (and I've tried many hehe). Let me know how you like it on the brownies – I wish I could come steal one from you!
-A
Diane Thompson says
This is so delicious and fluffy. I love it on banana bread . So do my grandkids😊
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Banana bread sounds like a perfect accompaniment. So glad it's a hit with you all!
-A
Lena Alexan says
I'm so glad I stumbled upon this amazing fluffy peanut butter frosting recipe. I used it to top a healthy cake for a baking contest at my workplace. My co-workers loved it, and I won the first place! Thanks a ton, Alanna, for sharing this recipe, that really stole the show.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw that's so cool – I'm so glad it was a hit!
Ttish says
Does cake need to be refrigerated after using this frosting if serving the next day?
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Great question! It should be fine at cool room temperature overnight. If you do refrigerate the cake, just be sure to let it come to room temperature for a couple of hours before serving so the frosting will be nice and soft. Let me know how you like it :)
Wanda D Payne says
Hi, i just wanted to let you know i made the frosting (you,re recipe) and it was out of this universe. thank you so very much for sharing this fabulous recipe i look foward to seeing more great recipes from you and i thank you again.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw I'm so glad you loved the frosting! Please let me know if you try any other recipes. Happy baking!
J Turner says
I made this to put on a double 9 inch round chocolate cake for my wife. I followed the instructions, but the icing seemed a bit thin. I added a little more powdered sugar. After the iced cake sat for a while the icing finally set. The flavor is perfect and light. Thank you for posting the recipe.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Oh good, I'm glad the icing firmed up after sitting. It may have been that the butter was on the softer side and just needed to firm back up. In any case, I'm so glad it was a hit! And what a lucky wife you have - I'd be thrilled if my spouse baked me a cake :D
Jessica says
This is one of my all time favorite frosting recipes! I could honestly eat it by the spoonful! When added to a chocolate cake it tastes like a peanut butter cup. I recently made it to top some yellow cake. Since my husband and I are big peanut butter fans, I kicked the PB up a notch by adding maybe 20-30 grams more to the recipe. It was so rich and delicious! Highly recommend and kid approved too!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw I'm so glad you and your family love this frosting and that it worked well to add extra peanut butter - yay! Thanks for the sweet note, friend :D
PRISCILLA says
I have a peanut butter Blondie recipe that I like to make but it always seems to be missing something. This frosting is what it was missing. I was a little nervous at first because the Blondie was still warm and so the frosting started to melt when I put it on there. However it ended up being perfect. 2 out of 3 kids loved it (he's not a big fan of peanut butter) and even my husband who always finds something to complain about loved it. 😅 Thanks for sharing this recipe that seems almost too simple to be good. I was very pleasantly surprised.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Mmm love the thought of this PB frosting on PB blondies - brilliant. So glad you (and most of the family lol) liked the frosting. I really appreciate the feedback!