This Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting is rich, delicious and silky smooth. You only need 4 ingredients, it stores well in the fridge and a vegan/dairy-free version is included in the recipe!
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Oh my goodness, this may be my favorite frosting to date! It's so simple to make and incredibly rich and smooth. It's definitely the silkiest frosting I've ever made, and the flavor is perfect. It's not too sweet and has just the right balance of peanut butter nuttiness and cream cheese tanginess.
I originally made this cream cheese frosting recipe to top my banana cake with milk recipe, but it's also perfect for this air fryer chocolate cake or these vanilla almond flour cupcakes.
If you love peanut butter frostings, you'll also love this rich and creamy chocolate peanut butter frosting!
Ingredients and substitutions
Below is a brief overview of the ingredients and recommended substitutions. The recipe card at the end of this post includes the exact quantities used.
- Cream cheese - For any cream cheese frosting, your best option is brick-style full fat cream cheese. The spreadable kind is just too soft. The frosting will also work with plant-based cream cheese but keep in mind that plant-based is a little softer which may result in a slightly runny frosting.
- Peanut butter - You'll want to avoid natural peanut butter for this recipe. It will result in a runny, oily and possibly gritty frosting. Shelf stable peanut butter is the best option, and any brand should work just fine.
- Butter - Unsalted butter works best for frosting, but if you only have salted, an equal amount works here too. The frosting may just have a slight salty flavor. Plant-based butter can also be used. Just make sure it's the block or stick form and not the spreadable kind.
- Powdered sugar - Also called confectioners' sugar or icing sugar. This thickens and sweetens the frosting.
How to make peanut butter cream cheese frosting
Add the cream cheese, peanut butter and butter to a mixing bowl.
Using an electric mixer (hand beaters or the paddle on a stand mixer), beat together on medium-high speed until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar and beat together on low until the sugar is mixed in. (If you set the mixer to high, powdered sugar will go everywhere).
Increase the speed to medium-high and beat together until the frosting is silky smooth.
Tips for making this peanut butter frosting vegan/dairy-free
- While you need to bring butter and cream cheese to room temperature to make cream cheese frosting, when it comes to plant-based alternatives, they don't need a lot of time to soften.
- Some plant-based cream cheeses may not even need to be left at room temperature. If the brand you're using seems soft already, just skip the step of bringing it to room temperature.
- Varieties of plant-based butter and cream cheese can give differing results, so just keep that in mind when making the frosting vegan.
- I normally use plant-based butters that come in block or stick form and say on the label that it works like regular butter in baking.
- Textures of plant-based cream cheese can vary. I'm currently using Daiya brand (not sponsored) and like the texture and how it performs in frostings.
- This recipe only uses one cup of powdered sugar, so if you want your frosting a little sweeter and thicker, just add more (a tablespoon at a time) until you reach your desired consistency.
- If your vegan frosting seems a little runny, no worries! Just add a little more powdered sugar or pop it in the fridge for 30-60 minutes so it can firm up a bit.
- This recipe doesn't call for any liquids like vanilla extract or milk, and I don't recommend it for the plant-based option. Since dairy-free butter and cream cheese are softer, liquids may cause the frosting to turn out thin and runny.
Measuring ingredients
For convenience, US cup measurements are included in the recipe card for this recipe. To ensure greater accuracy, however, weight and volume measurements are also provided. So, if you see grams (g), you'll want to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, and if you see milliliters (ml), you'll want to use a liquid measuring cup. Smaller quantities of ingredients are provided in teaspoons and tablespoons.
Storage and freezing tips
You can use the frosting immediately or store it covered in the fridge for 3-4 days. You'll just need to let it sit at room temperature for a short period of time so it softens to a spreadable consistency.
You can also freeze this frosting. Just store it in an airtight container and place in the freezer. It should last for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the fridge before using.
Key recipe tips
- Room temperature ingredients. For the best results, bring the butter and cream cheese to room temperature. This will take up to an hour (depending on how warm your environment is), but you can quicken this by cutting the butter and cream cheese into smaller pieces.
- Shelf stable peanut butter. Do not use the natural, drippy kind of peanut butter. (It's my fave for toast, but definitely doesn't work in this frosting)!
- Powdered sugar. For the smoothest frosting, always sift your powdered sugar to remove any lumps.
- Sweeter frosting. I wanted the flavor of the peanut butter and cream cheese to shine through, so this frosting doesn't use a lot of powered sugar. If you prefer it sweeter, just add more powdered sugar, a little at a time, until it reaches your desired sweetness.
- Thicker frosting. This frosting is not overly thick. You can thicken it up by adding more powdered sugar, but do so a little at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
Recipe FAQs
This is a small batch recipe so it makes enough to top an 8-inch square cake. It also works well for an 8-inch or 9-inch round cake. If you'd like to make a 9x13 inch cake, just double the recipe. For a layer cake, you can even triple the recipe.
The best peanut butter for this frosting is shelf stable peanut butter. The natural kind (which comes with the oil on top and needs to be stirred together) will be too runny and oily for the frosting. It may even cause the frosting to separate and have a curdled appearance. To ensure the frosting turns out silky smooth, you'll also want to use smooth peanut butter and not crunchy!
This is not meant to be an overly thick frosting, but if you find your frosting is too thin or runny, it could be because the butter and cream cheese were too warm or they may have been whipped together for too long. To fix a runny frosting, you can add a little more powdered sugar and/or refrigerate the frosting for 30-60 minutes.
It's more of a spreadable frosting and a little too soft for piping. To make it thick enough for piping, you can add more powdered sugar. I would also refrigerate it before piping onto cakes or cupcakes.
More frosting recipes
If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- ½ cup (125 g) full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons shelf stable smooth peanut butter
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
Instructions
- Add the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter to a mixing bowl.
- Using an electric mixer (hand beaters or the paddle on a stand mixer), beat together on medium-high speed until smooth. You may need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat together on low until the sugar is mixed in. (If you set the mixer to high, powdered sugar will go everywhere).
- Increase the speed to medium-high and beat together until the frosting is silky smooth.
Notes
- Bring the butter and cream cheese to room temperature. This will take up to an hour (depending on how warm your environment is), but you can quicken this by cutting the butter and cream cheese into smaller pieces.
- Use shelf stable peanut butter and not the natural, drippy kind of peanut butter with oil on top.
- For the smoothest frosting, sift your powdered sugar to remove any lumps.
- If you prefer the frosting sweeter, just add more powdered sugar, a little at a time, until it reaches your desired sweetness.
- This frosting is not overly thick. You can thicken it up by adding more powdered sugar, but do so a little at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- If the frosting seems a little soft or runny, you can refrigerate it for 30-60 minutes to firm it up.
- If making this frosting dairy-free/vegan, keep in mind that plant-based butters and cream cheeses do not need as long to come to room temperature and may result in thinner frostings.
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Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
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