This peanut butter cream cheese frosting is my go-to when I want something richer than classic buttercream but not overly sweet. The cream cheese balances the peanut butter flavorย perfectly, making it smooth, flavorful, and not too heavy. It's the kind of frosting that makes layer cakes, cupcakes, and cinnamon rolls feel extra special.
I developed this peanut butter cream cheese frosting recipe while testing my peanut butter banana cake. Instead ofย making a simple peanut butter buttercream, I thought that the tang from the cream cheese would nicely complement the sweet bananas. It turned out amazing!
If the flavors alone haven't won you over already, you'll love that it comes together in just 5 minutes with a few simple ingredients!
If you loveย cream cheese frosting recipes, try cinnamon cream cheese frosting, brown butter cream cheese frosting, coffee cream cheese frosting, or honey cream cheese frosting next!
Choosing the Right Peanut Butter
I recommend making this frosting with smooth peanut butter that's ideally no-stir like Jif. Natural peanut butter works too, but make sure to really mix in the oils!
You can use crunchy peanut butter if you plan on spreading the frosting on top of your baked goods. I don't recommend it for piping since the peanut pieces can block your piping tip.
How to Make It
Step 1: Mix unsalted butter with cream cheese. Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer to blend the two together. Salted butter works too, but remember to omit the extra salt the recipe calls for.
Step 2: Add the peanut butter.ย Mix it in on medium speed, and stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to get everything mixed in.
Step 3: Add the powdered sugar.ย Mix it in ยฝ cup at a time on low speed- you don't need to sift it! Mixing it in slowly prevents it from flying out of the bowl and making a mess.
Once it's fully incorporated, add the vanilla extract and salt, mixing on medium speed until the frosting has a fluffy, creamy texture.
If you're frosting a cake, reduce the speed to low to pop air bubbles before transferring the peanut butterย frosting to a piping bag.
For cupcakes, you can switch to the whip attachment to make the frosting light and airy!
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients.ย Room temperature butter and cream cheese mix together smoothly, while cold ingredients make frosting lumpy. Pull them out of the fridge 1-2 hours in advance. Softened butter is easy to indent with your finger, but it shouldn't feel greasy or melty.
- Use full-fat cream cheese.ย The cream cheese should come in a brick, not in a tub. Reduced-fat or cream cheese spread makes the frosting runny! Philadelphia has the best flavor and texture.
- To fix stiff, thick frosting,ย add heavy cream or milk 1 teaspoon at a time on low speed until the desired consistency is reached.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe yields about 3 cups of frosting, which is enough to frost a 2-layer cake, a 9x13-inch sheet cake, or 18-24 cupcakes. I recommend making a double batch if you're making a 3-layer cake or want to pipe mountains of frosting on cupcakes!
You can add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, but I recommend placing the frosting in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before adding any extra sugar. It might be runny because your butter was too warm, and chilling should firm it up.
You do need to refrigerate it because of the dairy. You can leave it out at room temperature for up to 2 hours, but it needs to be refrigerated after that.
More Frosting Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Best Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment
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Ingredients
- 112 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 226 grams full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 90 grams creamy peanut butter
- 300 grams powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยผ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and well combined, about 2 minutes.226 grams full-fat cream cheese, 112 grams unsalted butter
- Add the peanut butter and mix on medium speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.90 grams creamy peanut butter
- Mix in the powdered sugar ยฝ cup at a time on low speed to avoid a mess. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to get everything mixed in.300 grams powdered sugar
- Once the sugar is mixed in, add the vanilla and salt. Mix on medium speed until fluffy and creamy. For a smooth finish for cakes, mix on low for 30 seconds to remove air bubbles before piping or spreading.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ยผ teaspoon salt
Megan Weimer
This frosting is everything! I created this recipe, and I think it has the perfect sweet, salty, tangy flavor profile. I could eat it with a spoon!