Why It Works
- Commercial peanut butter emulsifies with butter particularly well, so the frosting whips up creamy and light.
- Invert sugars, like honey and corn syrup, cut down on the need for powdered sugar, for a smoother, silkier frosting.
- Made from raw cane, organic powdered sugar tastes more complex than its conventional counterpart, making the frosting seem less sweet.
Ready in under 10 minutes, this salty-sweet frosting is perfect for spur-of-the-moment desserts. With it, you can turn a batch of fresh banana muffins into cupcakes, make snack-time sandwiches with graham crackers, or whip up a simple topping for brownies. While honey’s a natural match for peanut butter, don’t hesitate to try maple syrup or molasses instead; any sticky syrup will do—even Homemade Caramel, if you happen to have a batch on hand.
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4 ounces unsalted butter (1 stick; 110g), soft but cool (about 65°F; 18°C)
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4 1/2 ounces commercial creamy peanut butter (1/2 cup; 125g) (see note)
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1 ounce honey, corn syrup, or maple syrup (2 tablespoons; 30g)
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1/4 teaspoon (1g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight
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1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract, plus more if needed
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6 ounces powdered sugar (1 1/2 cups; 170g), preferably organic (see note)
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Combine butter, peanut butter, honey, salt, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until creamy and pale, about 3 minutes, then reduce speed to low and sprinkle in powdered sugar, a little at a time. After the last addition, increase speed to medium and continue beating until creamy and light, about 3 minutes. Scrape bowl and beater with a flexible spatula, then continue beating a minute more. If you like, adjust to taste with more vanilla or salt. Use immediately. Frosted desserts will keep up to 1 week at room temperature.
Special Equipment
Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Notes
Organic powdered sugars are typically made with tapioca starch instead of cornstarch, which gives them a smoother texture. Any powdered sugar made with tapioca starch will work in this recipe. Regular powdered sugar will work, too, but will produce a slightly grittier frosting.
This frosting tastes great when made with natural or fresh-ground peanut butter, but it may have a somewhat curdled appearance compared to frosting made from commercially homogenized peanut butter.
This Recipe Appears In
- Make This Dangerously Easy Peanut Butter Frosting in Just 8 Minutes
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 146 | Calories |
| 10g | Fat |
| 14g | Carbs |
| 2g | Protein |
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 16 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 146 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 10g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat 4g | 22% |
| 15mg | 5% |
| 63mg | 3% |
| 14g | 5% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 2% |
| Total Sugars 13g | |
| 2g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 6mg | 0% |
| Iron 0mg | 1% |
| Potassium 51mg | 1% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)