Creamy and nutty 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Frosting brings spreadable, flavorful goodness to your cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and brownies. Create a delectable, tasty topping for just about any of your oven-baked treats!
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Super simple and oh-so-delicious, this scrumptious 3 ingredient peanut butter frosting is an irresistible topping for your familyโs next homemade dessert.
Rich peanut flavor combined with a classic buttercream is a perfect pair for a fantastic frosting. You can whip this up in just ten minutes with easy ingredients that you probably already have around the kitchen.
The simplicity of this recipe keeps it quick and affordable. Butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar are all you need! Weโll also explore optional ingredients of vanilla and heavy cream to help you tailor the fluffiness factor to your preferences.
Youโll love the versatility of this recipe since it’s a great topping for so many desserts. It also has a nice, creamy consistency that spreads easily.
What actually gives this some thickness? Ever wonder if frosting and icing are the same thing?
You can make this recipe with just ingredients you have on hand and absolutely no heavy cream and no whipping cream involved. It’s completely optional and tastes phenomenal without it!
This easy frosting recipe makes enough to top about 18 to 24 cupcakes, one 13×9 sheet cake, or a full 8-inch round cake.
Hereโs what Iโm going to teach you in this post:
- How to make an amazing 3 ingredient peanut butter frosting
- What you can do to make your frosting extra fluffy
- The difference between frosting and icing
- Answers to other common questions
Letโs dive in and learn about fluffiness, texture, and the ideal ingredients that make this yummy topping a staple recipe youโll want to make time and again.
Love easy desserts? Try out these 35 Easy Cookie Recipes Made With Few Ingredients!
How to Make 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Frosting
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and peanut butter for 60-90 seconds, until fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
STEP TWO: Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, mixing for 1-2 minutes and adding more to suit your desired sweetness level.
STEP THREE: Spread evenly or use piping to decorate your baked goods.
I used a Wilton 1M cake tip to frost the cupcakes.
Optional Ingredients
You can choose to include vanilla and heavy cream for an extra layer of flavor and a fluffy texture. If you decide to mix these in, hereโs how:
After step two above, add vanilla and mix well. For fluffier frosting, add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Whatโs the difference between frosting and icing?
Both icing and frosting are delicious essentials to our beloved baked goods, but there are notable differences between them. A peanut butter icing recipe would give you more of an overall coating than a fluffy spread.
Frosting is generally thicker and fluffier than icing, while icing is thinner and glossy. The butter in this recipe makes it a frosting, as opposed to peanut butter icing.
This means frosting holds its shape better and is great for crowning your cupcakes with lovely piping. Icing tends to be a bit sweeter and acts more like a glaze, adding smoothness and shine.
Why do I have air bubbles in my frosting?
Vigorous whipping can fold in unwanted pockets of air into the frosting, creating bubbles.
To prevent this, use a slower speed on your mixer or whip the ingredients by hand. You can even try these methods to remove some air bubbles if theyโve already started to form.
Softening the butter to room temperature helps your frosting to whip up more smoothly, so donโt neglect this step!
How long will frosting last in the fridge?
You can store this in a sealed container on the countertop for two days, or in the fridge for about a week.
Let it warm up to room temp before using it again, so it softens up a bit. This will make it a lot easier to spread.
A quick whip from your electric mixer will fluff it up again.
What kind of peanut butter should I use?
The traditional store-bought kind is the best choice for this recipe. Avoid any type of crunchy varieties at the grocery store, and keep it smooth with the regular creamy option.
Natural and organic alternatives can be difficult to incorporate because of oil separation or can result in your frosting being grainy.
Itโs recommended that you use peanut butter instead of other nut butters for this reason as well since many substitutes can have a rougher texture.
Piping Tips
- I used a Wilton 1M tip for the cupcakes shown!
- If you don’t have a piping bag on hand, you can use a gallon-sized Ziploc bag (not a freezer bag) by cutting a small piece off the bottom corner and placing the tip inside
- Twist the end of the pip bag to close it off, but still use one hand to hold it closed
Other Recipes Youโll Love:
Itโs amazing how many delicious desserts you can make! If you can dream it up, just about anything is possible. Here are some more super tasty sweets for you to try out:
- Cream Cheese Frosting Without Butter
- Cool Whip Cream Cheese Frosting
- Peanut Butter Icing
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Cheesecake
- 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Blossoms
- 2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge
- Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa Balls with Marshmallows
- 3 Ingredient Banana Pudding
- Chocolate Toffee Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Balls
- Iced Thumbprint Cookies
- 4-Ingredient Oreo Balls
- Snickerdoodle Cookies With No Cream of Tartar
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Frosting
An easy to put together homemade frosting with just 3 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter*
- 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
Optional
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and peanut butter for 60-90 seconds, until fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, mixing for 1-2 minutes, and adding more to suit your desired sweetness level.
- If using, add vanilla and mix well. For a fluffier frosting, add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Pipe or use as intended on cupcakes, cake, and more.
Notes
* use storebought peanut butter -- not organic -- to avoid any oil and peanut separation and graininess in the frosting
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 247Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 9mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 0gSugar: 36gProtein: 0g
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
Just made your 3 ingredient Peanut butter frostingโฆ I did put the optional milk and vanilla in itโฆ It was so easy and deliciousโฆ My husband loves it on our chocolate cakeโฆ Thank you so much for this delicious recipe
I’ve a question on the peanut butter. Does it call for 3/4 CUPS or is it 3-4 cups? Not sure from looking at recipe
Hi Debra,
It is 3/4 cups of peanut butter. Thank you for asking. I see how that can be confusing and we will look at changing it.
Thanks ๐
I’m not sure why every peanut butter frosting recipe online says not to use natural peanut butter. Has anyone even tried it? Peanut butter is often stabilized with solid fats like palm oil, so you’re basically making a stabilized peanut butter when you mix it with the butter. And yes, it works just fine. And tastes amazing!!
Hi Kass,
I’m glad it worked out for you, but some brands can get a little separated when it comes to making frosting with it when it sits. This is why most recipes recommend not using natural peanut butter.
Thanks ๐
I couldnโt find the amount of powdered sugar needed can you let me know how much is needed?
Hi Madelyn,
2 to 3 cups of powder sugar!
Thanks ๐
Can this be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to use?
Hi Jenny,
You can store this in a sealed container on the countertop for two days, or in the fridge for about a week.
Thanks ๐
Can I use the spread butter instead of stick?
Hi Edie,
As long as you use a cup of unsalted butter it can be in spread form or stick form.
Thanks ๐
I made the frosting, but it is very thinโฆ Kind of wondering why? Are used at the 3/4 cup of Jiff, one cup of Miyokos , vegan butter, and 3 cups of powdered sugar.
Hi KayCee, it could either be the vegan butter that was used or the powdered sugar wasn’t sifted before measuring — this could cause far less powdered sugar to be used than what shows in the measuring cup.
In this case, I would add more powdered sugar until it thickens up.
How much does this make? Enough for a two layer cake? Unsure if I should double the recipe.
Hi Suzie, this makes enough for 18 cupcakes, so it will be very close on a two layer cake. It will work if you like your frosting thinner, but if you like with a thicker coat, I would recommend doubling the recipe.