Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
This easy Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe is a new favorite of ours- if you love peanut butter and you love cream cheese frostings, you need this recipe in your life!
We recently filled and frosted our Peanut Butter Cake with it, and it was perfect!
One of the things that I love about Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting, and really any cream cheese frosting recipe is that it is SO easy to make.
This recipe consists of cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and peanut butter. With that list of ingredients, how could it not be amazing?;0)
It is super creamy, pipes great, and smooths really nicely too- especially with the help of a heated spatula!
We also have a Peanut Butter Buttercream recipe that we love, but this new peanut butter frosting recipe with cream cheese is a great alternative, and the peanut butter flavor is slightly more subtle- plus it has just a hint of tanginess.
Thanks to the cream cheese in the recipe along with the saltiness of the peanut butter, this isn't an overly sweet peanut butter frosting. It has just the right balance of flavors.
Table of Contents
How to Make Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
**Find the full, printable recipe below- but here is a quick rundown for making the peanut butter frosting!
- You will be so glad to know that this frosting comes together in no time at all. Like most of our cream cheese fillings and frostings, this recipe consists of cream cheese, powdered or confectioners sugar, and in this case, peanut butter! You will LOVE the smooth consistency and amazing flavor.
- To make this recipe, cut the butter into slices and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low to medium speed with the paddle attachment until the butter is softened and smooth. Add in the peanut butter and mix until blended. (This can also be prepared with a handheld mixer!)
- Cut the slightly softened cheese into pieces and add to the butter and peanut butter mixture, beating at low to medium speed until incorporated. If you are using a hand mixer you may need to soften the cream cheese a bit more.
- Add the vanilla extract. Gradually add the powdered sugar beating on low speed until blended.
- Increase mixing speed to medium and mix until fluffy. Don’t over beat or it will become too soft. If it becomes too soft, just refrigerate a short while to firm it up a bit.
That's it! Use this delicious, creamy peanut butter frosting to spread onto cake layers, frost a layer cake with a smooth finish, or pipe swirls onto cupcakes!
(Tip: To make the frosting extra smooth around the sides, smooth with a bench scraper heated with hot water- dry it and glide over the frosting!)
When using this peanut butter icing as a filling, you may even want to throw in a few chocolate chips or crushed peanut butter cups- there are so many fun options!
You're going to want to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to get every last bit of this deliciousness.
Does the Brand of Peanut Butter Matter when making this Frosting?
Yes, the brand matters! Or at least, the kind of peanut butter matters.
Your peanut butter cream cheese frosting is going to be effected by the consistency of the peanut butter that you are working with.
That means that you should step away from the Crunchy peanut butter- but also the all natural peanut butter brands which tend to be more difficult to work with.
For the best consistency, stick with a creamy peanut butter like JIF, Peter Pan, or something similar. Regular peanut butter with the full amount of fat will give the best, creamiest results.
Does Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Need Refrigeration?
Yes, as with most cream cheese frostings, cakes filled or frosted with this Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting should be refrigerated until within a couple of hours of serving.
The cream cheese frosting does firm up when chilled, but softens as it returns to room temperature.
More Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes
We have so many more easy Cream Cheese Frosting recipe to share!
We've created a roundup to showcase our favorites- you'll find everything from easy Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting to Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, Orange Spice Cream Cheese Frosting, and so many more.
Hop over to see!: A Roundup of the Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes
What Pairs well with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting?
This frosting is so good that you're going to want to dive right into the bowl with a spoon!
However, it's hard to top the combination of this smooth peanut butter cream cheese frosting swirled onto chocolate cake, banana cake, peanut butter cake, as a filling for chocolate cupcakes, and more!
Here are just a few cakes from our Recipes Section that you must try with this frosting!
Enjoy the Recipe!
We hope that you enjoy this delicious frosting! If you give it a try, we would love to hear what you think.
There are so many cake flavors that taste amazing with peanut butter frosting!
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
This peanut butter cream cheese frosting is so delicious and easy to make! We love it both as a filling and frosting for cakes and cupcakes!
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup or 226g)
- 2 packages Cream Cheese (8 oz packages- total weight for both- 452g), slightly softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar (690g)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla (2g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
- 1 ¼ cup Creamy Peanut Butter(319g)
Instructions
- Cut the butter into slices and add to the bowl of your mixer. Mix on low to medium speed until the butter is softened and smooth. Add in the peanut butter and mix until blended.
- Cut the softened cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter and peanut butter mixture, beating at low to medium speed until incorporated. If you are using a hand mixer you may need to soften the cream cheese a bit more.
- Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar beating on low speed until blended.
- Increase mixing speed to medium and mix until fluffy. Don't over beat or it will become too soft. If it becomes too soft, just refrigerate a short while to firm it up a bit.
- This frosting will pipe best if used while still slightly chilled. You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly (do not microwave) and remix.
Peanut butter & cream cheese sounds like a great combination! YUM!
Oh my gosh! Delish! :-)
So good I put it on a chocolate cake. Will make again.
Hi Nancy! Thanks for your feedback. So glad you enjoyed it.
I made a spice cake and topped it with this awesome peanut butter cream cheese icing, paydays, caramel, and some purple icing for the letters. my boyfriend loved it!
This peanut butter cream cheese frosting is FANTASTIC, I've used it to put it on the maple carrot cake that I've made for my little sisters 18th birthday anniversary. I'll make this frosting again along with the maple carrot cake for my stepfathers 61st birthday anniversary which is coming up on Tuesday October 8, 2024.