Rich and creamy chocolate peanut butter buttercream frosting that’s perfect for chocolate cupcakes, cakes or even brownies.
This buttercream is the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter.
If you’ve ever found yourself dipping a chocolate bar straight into the peanut butter jar, you will LOVE this frosting.
Not only is it delicious on cake, or cupcakes, I also think it would be perfect to top brownies.
What’s special about this frosting?
- Creamy & rich
- Perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter
- Versatile
- Simple ingredients
- Easy to make
- Crowd pleaser
Important Note!
The texture of this buttercream is on the creamy side and not great for piping intricate designs. It is possible to pipe buttercream rosettes and swirls though.
Note About Recipe Measurements: I write recipes using volume (cups) measurements because here in the U.S., this is what people are more familiar with and I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated when baking. For metric/weight measurements, click the ‘metric’ button under the ingredients in the recipe card below. The weights are converted by a program, not me, and it’s just a best guess. I can’t guarantee that weighing the ingredients will produce the exact same results, since I test recipes using volume measurements.
Recipe:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use natural peanut butter – see notes)
- ⅔ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 5 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 7-8 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Add the room temperature butter, the peanut butter and the cocoa powder to a large mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high until well mixed and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for another 20 seconds or so.
- Add 3 cups of the confectioner's sugar plus several tablespoons of milk and mix with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, then on medium until fully incorporated.
- Add the vanilla and the last 2 cups of confectioner's sugar plus a couple more tablespoons of milk. Mix on low speed until combined, then on medium until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix again for about 20 seconds or so.
- Check the consistency. If it's too thick, add another tablespoon or two of milk and mix again. If too thin, add another half cup of confectioner’s sugar and mix again. Repeat until the desired consistency has been reached.
- Spoon or pipe onto cooled cupcakes. I used a 1M piping tip for the cupcakes shown in this post.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Share
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How to make this frosting:
(The full printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Step 1:
Add the room temperature butter, the peanut butter and the cocoa powder to a large mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high until well mixed and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for another 20 seconds or so.
Step 2:
Add 3 cups of the confectioner’s sugar plus several tablespoons of milk and mix with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, then on medium until fully incorporated.
Step 3:
Add the vanilla and the last 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar plus a couple more tablespoons of milk. Mix on low speed until combined, then on medium until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix again for about 20 seconds or so.
Step 4:
Check the consistency. If it’s too thick, add another tablespoon or two of milk and mix again. If too thin, add another half cup of confectioner’s sugar and mix again. Repeat until the desired consistency has been reached.
Spoon or pipe onto cooled cupcakes. I used a 1M piping tip for the cupcakes shown in this post.
FAQs:
This recipe will make enough frosting to cover an 8-inch, two-layer cake, or about 24 cupcakes.
It’s best to use unsalted for this recipe, since the peanut butter will contain quite a bit of salt in it already.
Maybe, but I have not tried that. The frosting won’t be smooth though and just know that you wouldn’t be able to pipe it through a piping tip if you use crunchy peanut butter.
This frosting can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and can last up to 4-5 days. (It can also be stored in the refrigerator.)
This frosting goes perfectly as a filling on chocolate cakes or a topping to chocolate cupcakes.
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Supplies used:
- Mixing bowls
- Silicone spatula
- Hand mixer or Stand mixer
- 2D or 1M piping tip for piping onto cupcakes
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Nancy
Hi Kara, can this frosting be frozen? My family loves white cake so I’m thinking of trying it on your Moist Vanilla Buttermilk cake which my family loves. Thank you
Kara
Hey Nancy! Honestly, I’m not sure. I haven’t tried freezing it. In theory, I think it would be fine though, but since I haven’t personally tried freezing it yet, I don’t want to say 100% that it will. I am fairly certain that it might separate a bit though because of the oil in the peanut butter, so expect to have to whip it again, but I think once whipped, it should be fine.