This peanut butter frosting is creamy, fluffy, and just the right balance of sweet and salty. It comes together with six pantry staples and pipes beautifully onto cupcakes, cakes, brownies — or sandwiched between cookies. No need to chill, and it holds its shape at room temp.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Ingredients
TIP
Want your frosting stiffer for piping? Use less milk. Want it fluffier for spreading? Whip in a little extra.
Ingredient Notes
- Peanut Butter – Use a creamy, no-stir peanut butter like Jif or Skippy for best consistency. Natural PB can work but may require adjustments.
- Powdered Sugar – Sift for smoothest texture, especially if piping.
- Butter – Unsalted and softened to room temp. You can use dairy-free alternatives if needed.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds depth and balances the saltiness.
- Milk or Cream – Adjust for desired consistency.
- Salt – Optional, but brings out the peanut flavor (especially if your PB is unsalted).
Recipe FAQs
Yes — use vegan butter (like Earth Balance sticks) and a non-dairy milk like oat or almond.
Absolutely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Bring to room temp and re-whip before using.
You can, but the texture will be looser. Stir very well before using, and expect a softer consistency. You can also add more powdered sugar to make it stiffer, but you may lose some of the peanut butter flavor.
Expert Tips
Storage instructions
To make ahead:
This peanut butter frosting can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Before using:
Let the frosting sit at room temperature for about 30–60 minutes, then give it a quick whip with a hand mixer or spatula to bring back its creamy texture.
Freezing:
You can freeze this frosting for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and rewhip before using. The texture might change slightly, but it still works beautifully for spreading.
Serving suggestions
This frosting is soft, creamy, and super versatile. Here’s how much one batch will cover:
- Pipe tall swirls on 12 cupcakes using a 1M piping tip,
- Spread across 24 cupcakes with a knife or spoon, or
- Cover a 9×13-inch sheet cake or a 2-layer 9-inch cake (for piped decorations, make a double batch).
Amazing on brownies, chocolate cakes, or sandwiched between cookies.
Need ideas beyond cupcakes? Try it with:
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake – A soft, rich layer cake that pairs beautifully with peanut butter frosting. Classic and crowd-pleasing.
- Gluten-Free Cookie Cake – Skip the pink and frost it with this instead — a salty-sweet combo made for birthdays and barbecues.
- Gluten-Free Fluffernutter Cookies – Love peanut butter? Double down with this frosting sandwiched between two cookies.
More gluten-free frostings to try
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to know! Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also share your pictures and tag @adashofmegnut on Instagram.
Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter - softened to room temperature, 226g
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter - 256g
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar - 420g
- 3 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream - 45g
**Use the toggle button above to turn the instruction photos on and off!
Instructions
- Add 1 cup softened butter and 1 cup peanut butter to a medium size bowl. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and peanut butter until smooth.
- Then, stir in 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until combined.
- Gradually add in 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, mixing in between each addition, until combined.
- Add in milk, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Use the frosting immediately to decorate cakes, cookies and cupcakes or store in the refrigerator to use later.
Notes
- Dairy-Free note: To make this recipe dairy-free, use 1/2 cup of vegan butter and 1/2 cup of palm shortening instead of the butter. Use a non-dairy milk instead of the milk or heavy cream.
- Gluten-free note: This frosting is naturally gluten-free, but always double-check your ingredients if you have celiac like I do.
- Decorating: This recipe makes enough to pipe tall swirls on 12 cupcakes or spread a thinner layer on 24 cupcakes, a 9×13 sheet cake, or cover a double layer 9-inch cake. Double the batch for decorating layer cakes or generous piping.
- Make ahead: You can make this frosting up to 3 days in advance. Store in the fridge, bring to room temperature, and rewhip before using. Freeze for longer storage up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Hi Megan, love your recipes! Can you tell me if I can substitute anything else for the palm oil in the vegan option of your peanut butter frosting? I don’t buy palm oil due to its environmental impact. Would extra vegan butter work or coconut oil? Thanks!
Hi Ernalee! You can use more vegan butter if you’d like! I find that it doesn’t hold its shape as well as shortening does, so you may need to add just a little bit more powdered sugar to get it to the right consistency. Hope this helps!