Rich, creamy, and totally delicious, this Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting is ready to take your cakes, cupcakes, and cookie cakes to the next level!
This frosting has been a favorite of mine for years. It’s creamy and perfectly pipable, sweet with just the right saltiness from the peanut butter, and fantastic on top of cakes, cupcakes, cookie cups, and (my all time favorite) cookie cakes!
You can use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post if you are ready to get your frosting on, or stick around as I go over the ingredients needed, make-ahead instructions (spoiler alert: it’s freezer friendly too!) and all my buttercream tips and tricks.
It’ll be hard not to lick every surface this delicious frosting touches: the bowl, the beaters, the spatula, your fingers… To quote on of my favorite rom-coms, get ready to “frost yourself!”
Bonus points if you can name the movie!
Chocolate PB Frosting Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious velvety chocolate peanut butter frosting. I love that all the ingredients are super simple and typical fridge and pantry staples that are easy to always have on hand.
It doesn’t hurt that it tastes amazing too!
Unsalted Butter
For this recipe we’ll use 2 sticks of unsalted butter. This is equal to 1 cup, 16 Tablespoons, and 226 grams.
Powdered Sugar
Powdered sugar, also known as confectioner’s sugar, is the key ingredient in frosting recipes. It adds sweetness and helps the ingredients bind to each other perfectly.
Peanut Butter
Hello star ingredient! Fully emulsified CREAMY style peanut butter is the best to use here, so that the oil doesn’t separate from the peanuts and cause your frosting to separate as well. If you have to stir in the oil into your PB before using it, it’s probably best not to use that one in frosting or baking recipes. Brands like Skippy, JIF, and even store brands will work best. I find that skippy natural stays together very well so I will often use that one since we love the taste.
Cocoa Powder
Unsweetened cocoa powder gives the frosting a delicious chocolate flavor! You can use either plain unsweetened cocoa powder or dutch-process cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa powder will yield a more intense chocolate flavor while plain cocoa powder will have more of a milk chocolate flavor.
My favorite brands of plain unsweetened cocoa powder are Ghirardeli 100% Unsweetened Cocoa Powder and Divine Chocolate. For dutch-processed cocoa powder, I like Hershey’s Special Dark Dutch-Processed Cocoa and The Fresh Market’s store brand. Feel free to use your favorite variety!
Heavy Cream or Milk
Heavy cream helps thin the frosting to make it perfectly pipeable and also adds creaminess. Frosting with heavy cream will be thicker and creamier but milk or plain half and half will also work if that’s what you have on hand.
Vanilla Extract
This adds a burst of vanilla flavor to the frosting. Pure vanilla extract works best in frosting recipes.
This delicious frosting is the chocolate version of my beloved Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting and it’s one of my favorite frostings to use for chocolate chip cookie cakes!
Tools Needed
To make a luxe bowl of frosting, you’ll use either a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer.
Make Ahead Frosting
This chocolate peanut butter frosting can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to a week. Bring back to room temp and lightly mix before frosting or piping your dessert.
Homemade buttercream frosting can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1-3 months. This comes in handy for advance dessert prep and also if you ever end up with any leftover frosting after decorating your cakes, cupcakes, and cookie cakes!
Since I bake a lot for parties and gatherings this time of year, I always have lots of leftover frosting in the freezer! Simply defrost overnight in the fridge then bring to room temperature on the counter until it’s soft and pipable.
Looking for a peanut butter frosting without chocolate? Check out my Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting recipe!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
This rockin’ recipe yields 3 cups of frosting.
This will be enough for 24 lightly frosted cupcakes, 12 frosted cupcakes with a bakery style tower of frosting, a thin layer on a 9×13 inch quarter sheet cake, a 2-layer cake, one giant cookie cake, or 24 cookie sandwiches.
If you need help with how much frosting to make, leave me a comment and I’ll be happy to assist!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened to room temperature (226 grams)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (245 grams)
- 3 cups powdered sugar (360 grams)
- ½ cup unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder (41 grams)
- 1-2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 TBSP milk or heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Allow butter to soften to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. (approx. 1-2 minutes)
- Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Mix on low speed at first to incorporate then increase to medium speed and continue mixing for 1-2 minutes or until fully combined.
- Add milk or heavy cream and vanilla extract. Continue mixing on medium speed until everything is well-combined, smooth, and easy to pipe.
- After mixing, give it a quick taste and add any extra chocolate or vanilla desired or even an optional pinch of salt. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Frosting Serving Suggestions
The below recipes pair marvelously with this fudgey, flavorful frosting recipe:
- Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
- M&M Cookie Cake
- Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie Cake
- Mini Cake Mix Cupcakes
Dying to try this Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Fudge from Lauren @ Keep It Sweet Desserts and these Air Fryer Donuts from Jordan @ JZ Eats!
If you get a chance to try this tasty homemade chocolate peanut butter frosting, let me know! Leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your tasty creations.
I can’t wait to see what amazing desserts you add your frosting to!
Questions & Reviews
Easier to make than I thought it would be. Turns out perfect and tasted great.
My family’s new favorite recipe!! Thank you!!
Ahhh yay! So happy to hear it – thanks Debbie!
How much would I need for a two layer cake and to pipe around the bottom of the cake plus’s for top of cake?
Hi Michelle! As written the recipe in the post will yield 3 cups of frosting. If you want to have extra to pipe fun little details (versus just covering the cake with a layer of frosting) you can make a little extra. Any leftover frosting can be frozen for later in an airtight container.
Check my work just in case but here is a quick calculation of a slightly larger batch of the frosting to give you a little extra to decorate with.
3 sticks unsalted butter
1.5 cups peanut butter (367 grams)
4.5 cups powdered sugar (540 grams)
3/4 cup cocoa powder (61 grams)
1.5-3 tsp tsp vanilla
3 TBSP heavy whipping cream
Thank you Micki! So glad you’re a fan of the frosting!
This was so good! Used it on chocolate cupcakes for friends birthday.