3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Frosting

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!

Super simple and oh-so-delicious, this scrumptious 3 ingredient peanut butter frosting is an irresistible topping for your family’s 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! We’ll also explore optional ingredients of vanilla and heavy cream to help you tailor the fluffiness factor to your preferences.

You’ll 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.

Here’s what I’m 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

Let’s dive in and learn about fluffiness, texture, and the ideal ingredients that make this yummy topping a staple recipe you’ll 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, here’s 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.

What’s 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 they’ve already started to form.

Softening the butter to room temperature helps your frosting to whip up more smoothly, so don’t 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.

It’s 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 You’ll Love:

It’s 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