It's rich, it's nutty, and it's so addictive! If you love peanut butter, you have to give this Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting a go!
If you're wondering what to spread this frosting over, try making this Vanilla Tray Bake or this Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting and use this frosting recipe instead!
Why This Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Works
- Recipe name: Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Ready in: 40 minutes
- Serves: 3 cups
- Main ingredients: Peanut butter, cream cheese, butter, icing sugar.
- Perfect for: Decorating cakes and cupcakes, this recipe makes enough frosting for 24 cupcakes or one two-layer 22cm (9-inch) cake.
- Why I love it: This recipe isn't too sweet, and when it's topped with salted, roasted peanuts, few things beat it!
- Calories: 1571kcal
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
If peanut butter is the number one craving you get, try out my other peanut butter recipes! Like these Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes, this recipe for Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies, or this delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Cake.
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Key Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - I prefer unsalted butter for my frostings and add salt as needed. For this recipe, be very careful with using salted butter and choosing a peanut butter that already has salt, as you could end up with a very salty frosting.
- Cream cheese - I use Philadelphia cream cheese when making frostings. It has great taste and consistency.
- Peanut butter - I like my frostings to have a smooth consistency for piping and decorating. That's why I choose smooth peanut butter over crunchy. Choose a salted natural peanut butter without added sugar for the best results.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
I think this recipe is perfect the way it is, but you may not be a fan of cream cheese frosting! If that is the case, you can use this Vanilla Bean Buttercream recipe, omitting the vanilla bean and adding the peanut butter at the end. Start with about 40g of peanut butter and take it from there.
How to Make Cream Cheese Peanut Butter Frosting
- Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the room-temperature butter. Beat the butter at high speed for 5 to 10 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often and beat again. The butter is ready when it is fluffy and light in color. Change the attachment of the stand mixer to a paddle attachment and add the powdered sugar. Beat at low speed until incorporated.
- Step 2: Add the cubed softened cream cheese to the butter and powdered sugar mixture and beat again at medium speed. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl often to ensure the frosting is beating evenly.
- Step 3: Add the vanilla extract and peanut butter and beat again at medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl often with a rubber spatula.
- Step 4: When the frosting is fluffy, add it to a piping bag to decorate cupcakes, or use an offset spatula to decorate cakes. Top with roasted and salted peanuts.
How To Avoid Lumpy Cream Cheese Frostings
Adding cream cheese to frosting is a surefire way to make it creamier and even more delicious. But you have to know how to add it; otherwise, expect lumpy, runny frostings that can't be fixed.
On social media, one of the most often asked questions is how my cream cheese frostings are so pipeable and smooth. So, let me share my tips for the perfect cream cheese frosting.
- Have the butter and the cream cheese at room temperature
- Beat the butter first before adding the cream cheese
- Whip the cream cheese properly before adding the frosting to a piping bag
Storage
If you need to make this easy peanut butter frosting ahead of time or have leftover frosting, just be sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge. The frosting will keep for up to a week when stored this way. Be sure to remove the frosting from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before beating it again in a stand mixer for a couple of minutes.
Expert Tip
By whisking the butter until light and fluffy, you'll avoid lumpy cream cheese frosting!
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting FAQs
If your frosting is lumpy, it's because the butter and cream cheese were not at room temperature.
If you feel the frosting is too stiff, before adding any heavy cream or milk, I suggest beating it for longer at medium-high speed. If you have measured properly, you should have the perfect consistency; the only thing missing is that you didn't whip the frosting long enough.
Be sure not to undermix the frosting; otherwise, it will be difficult to pipe onto cupcakes or smooth over the top and sides of a cake. The frosting must be fluffy and spreadable, not stiff.
More Baking Recipes with Nuts
If you are wondering what to spread this frosting over, I have so many recipes for you to choose from! Try this frosting on these Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes or on this recipe for a Chocolate Bar One Cake; both pair so well with it.
Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
Please leave a star rating and comment below if you tried this recipe! And if you're wondering what to try next, have a look at this Guava Cheesecake!
📖 Recipe
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 100 grams unsalted butter
- 600 grams icing sugar
- 250 grams cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 130 grams smooth peanut butter
Instructions
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment add the room temperature butter. Beat the butter at high speed for 5 to 10 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often and beat again. As you do this you will notice the color of the butter changing and becoming whiter. The butter is ready when all of it is fluffy and light in color.
- Change the attachment of the stand mixer to a paddle attachment and add the powdered sugar. Beat at low speed until incorporated.
- Add the cubed and softened cream cheese to the butter and powdered sugar mixture and beat again at medium speed. Make sure you are scraping down the sides of the bowl often to ensure that the frosting is beating evenly.
- Add the vanilla extract and peanut butter and beat again at medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl often with a rubber spatula.
- The frosting is now ready to use on cakes and cupcakes, enjoy!
Notes
- Whip the room temperature butter until light in colour and fluffy.
- For the best piping and spreading consistency choose smooth over chunky peanut butter.
Patricia says
Love the look of this recipe! What kind of peanut butter do you recommend?
withlovekitty2020 says
Hi Patricia, for this recipe I like using no added sugar/ salt smooth peanut butter
withlovekitty2020 says
I love the texture of this frosting! It is so perfcet for piping onto cupcakes.