This peanut butter buttercream is a delightful concoction – light, airy, and intensely flavored with real peanut butter. It’s incredibly quick to make, requiring only about 15 minutes of your time. The taste? Imagine the smooth, creamy center of a peanut butter cup, but even more refined and luscious.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Intense Peanut Flavor, Reduced Sugar: Powdered peanut butter allows for a bolder peanut taste without the excessive sweetness often found in traditional frostings. By substituting it for a portion of the powdered sugar, we achieve a better flavor balance.
• Optimal Fat Content: Regular peanut butter can introduce extra oil, making the frosting heavy. This recipe avoids that issue, ensuring a light and fluffy texture.
• Whipped for Enhanced Stability: Switching to a whisk attachment and adding cold cream creates exceptional lift and structure, ensuring your frosting holds its shape beautifully.
• Smooth and Perfect for Piping: This peanut butter frosting excels among others; it’s incredibly smooth and easy to spread. It maintains intricate designs like rosettes, petals, and swirls without losing its form.

I initially developed this frosting recipe for my peanut butter cake. I was constantly disappointed by the overly sweet peanut butter frostings available. The typical solution is to add more powdered sugar, but that only masks the delicate peanut flavor. By using powdered peanut butter, often known as PB2, we intensify the peanut flavor while controlling the sugar content simultaneously.

This is my go-to frosting when I’m craving that classic peanut butter cup taste but want something lighter and more refined. It pairs wonderfully with chocolate fudge cake, moist vanilla cake, or even as a filling for chocolate cupcakes with a hint of chocolate ganache. Frankly, I could easily eat it straight from the bowl!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Unsalted Butter: It’s crucial to use butter that is softened but not oily. The butter should be cool to the touch and pliable, ensuring proper aeration.
• PB2 (Powdered Peanut Butter): This is a game-changer. Powdered peanut butter amplifies the peanut flavor without adding extra fat, effectively replacing some of the powdered sugar for improved texture.
• Confectioners’ Sugar: This provides the necessary sweetness and stability. Make sure to sift the sugar if it’s lumpy to prevent a gritty frosting.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor and softens the intense roasted peanut flavor, adding depth to the buttercream.
• Heavy Cream (cold): Cold heavy cream is essential for whipping air into the frosting when using the whisk attachment, creating a light and airy texture.
• What kind of peanut butter is best for icing? The type of peanut butter matters; creamy peanut butter like Jif is recommended instead of natural peanut butter, which tends to separate and make the frosting oily. A small amount adds richness and that classic peanut butter cup finish, which is what makes my peanut butter chocolate chip cookies so irresistible!
• Roasted Salted Peanuts: Optional but highly recommended for adding texture and a beautiful garnish.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations on Peanut Butter Buttercream

• Add Chocolate: Fold in 4 ounces of melted and cooled dark chocolate, or drizzle the finished cake or brownies with chocolate ganache. Surprisingly, this frosting is also delicious on my German chocolate cake recipe, offering a structured alternative to the traditional frosting!
• Enhance the Saltiness: Add a pinch of salt or use salted butter for a delightful sweet-salty flavor profile.
• Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Version: Add ½ cup of smooth peanut butter to Swiss meringue buttercream for a silkier, less sweet option, though it won’t have the same intense peanut flavor as the original.

Professional Tips

• Adequately Beat the Butter: Beat the butter long enough at the beginning. Proper aeration at this stage determines the final texture of your buttercream. This is the foundation for light and airy frosting.
• Gradually Add Dry Ingredients: Always add dry ingredients slowly, using low speed. This prevents the frosting from becoming dense and heavy.
• Finish with the Whisk Attachment: For a truly fluffy peanut butter buttercream, always finish the process using the whisk attachment. It incorporates more air, resulting in a light and airy texture.

How to Make Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

Follow these instructions to achieve peanut butter buttercream perfection every time! Full measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Cream the Butter. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1 ½ cups of softened unsalted butter on medium-high speed until it is smooth and has lightened in color, approximately 2–3 minutes (photo 1). This step is essential for achieving a light and airy base.

Step 2: Add Powdered Peanut Butter. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add 1 cup of PB2, about ½ cup at a time. Allow each addition to fully incorporate before adding more. Mix until smooth (photo 2). This ensures the peanut butter is evenly distributed.

Step 3: Incorporate Powdered Sugar. Add 4 cups of powdered sugar, again ½ cup at a time, mixing completely between each addition. Scrape down the bowl as needed. This process should take about 3–4 minutes (photo 3). Gradual addition prevents a powdery mess and ensures even mixing.

Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition of ingredients. This helps ensure that everything incorporates evenly, preventing lumps and uneven texture.

Step 4: Add Flavoring. Mix in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 6 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and cohesive, about 1–2 minutes (photo 4). This step enhances the flavor profile, creating a rich, balanced taste.

If the frosting appears slightly curdled after adding the peanut butter, don’t worry; continue mixing, and it will smooth out.

Step 5: Whip with Cream. Switch to the whisk attachment on your mixer. With the mixer on medium-low speed, slowly pour in ½ cup of cold heavy cream. Increase the speed to high and whip until the buttercream is light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes (photo 5). Cold cream helps to create a stable, airy buttercream.

Step 6: Finish and Garnish. Use the buttercream immediately to frost your cakes or cupcakes. If desired, garnish with ½ cup of chopped roasted salted peanuts (photos 6-8). The garnish adds both visual appeal and a delightful textural contrast.

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