Easy Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe for Brownies (2024)

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Want to take your brownies to the next level? Step into peanut butter heaven with this irresistible peanut butter frosting recipe for brownies. Perfectly creamy and nutty, it's the ultimate topping for crafting the best brownie recipe!

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Why You'll Love this Recipe

This peanut butter frosting recipe for brownies tastes just like Reese's peanut butter cups! It's an extremely easy recipe to whip up and is the perfect complement to a batch of chocolatey, chewy brownies.

This frosting is also very versatile and would be delicious on a variety of other desserts such as: chocolate cake, chocolate cupcakes, brownie cupcakes, and more!

Ingredients You'll Need

Below are the simple ingredients you'll need to recreate this decadent frosting at home:

• Unsalted Butter- Butter works as the base of this easy recipe to create the best texture for your frosting.
• Creamy Peanut Butter- Will aide in giving the frosting its creamy texture and rich, nutty taste.
• Vanilla Extract- Balances the overall flavor profile and enhances the sweetness.
• Confectioners' Sugar (powdered sugar)- This adds sweetness to the recipe as well as thickening the frosting.
• Salt- The addition of salt helps balance the sweetness of the frosting and enhances the flavor complexity.
• Heavy Cream- Heavy cream is used to achieve the desired consistency and texture of the frosting. Incorporating heavy cream also adds richness and creaminess.

See recipe card for quantities.

Step By Step Instructions

We're sharing simple step-by-step instructions along with images so that making this creamy peanut butter frosting recipe for brownies is a breeze!

1. Using a hand mixer, cream butter and peanut butter together in a large bowl. Use medium speed setting.

2. This is what your butter and peanut butter mixture should look like after combining.

3. Add in vanilla extract, confectioners' sugar, salt, and a splash of heavy cream which should be about 1 tablespoon. Adjust mixer speed to high speed and mix well until ingredients are combined well and frosting looks fluffy.

4. Set cooled brownies on a flat surface, such as a cutting board. Use a small, offset spatula to spread frosting out from the middle to the edges of brownies. Cut, serve and enjoy them with your family or best friends!

See Also

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Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Room Temperature Ingredients- Using room temperature ingredients ensures a smoother and more consistent texture, allowing for easier incorporation and achieving a silky finish.
• Crunchy Peanut Butter- Avoid using crunchy peanut butter as this will make your frosting lumpy and difficult to spread over the fudgy chocolate brownies.
• Equipment- We recommend using equipment like either an electric mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Using these will make it easier to achieve the desired peanut butter frosting texture. Your hands will thank you!
• Prepared Pan- Be sure to spray your baking dish with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. This will make it much easier to remove them from the pan.
• Bake Brownies- Bake your fudgy brownies ahead of time and place them on a wire rack to cool. You'll want them to set and be cooled to room temperature before spreading the frosting on top.

Recipe Variations

• Chocolate Orange Brownies- Adding a bit of orange zest will add big flavor to the fluffy peanut butter frosting. You can add a sprinkle of zest to the top of the outer brownie layer once frosted, incorporate it into the frosting, or fold it into the brownie mix.
• Peanut Butter Cup Brownies- For ultra peanut butter rich brownies, fold in ½ cup of mini peanut butter cups into your brownie batter.
• Peanut Butter Chips- Fold in a peanut butter chips or Reese's pieces into the brownie mix for added flavor and texture.
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting- Add ¼ cup of cocoa powder to your peanut butter buttercream mixture.
• Chocolate Drizzle- Add a chocolate drizzle over your freshly frosted peanut butter fudge brownies to really take them over the top! You can do this with chocolate syrup or making a homemade ganache by simply melting together chocolate chips with heavy cream in a small bowl. Stir melted chocolate with the cream until combined well then spoon over the frosting.

Recipe Substitutions

• Processed Creamy Peanut Butter- You can use natural peanut butter (without sugar, preservatives, etc.) for this recipe. You may also consider using other nut butters, however doing so may alter the texture and will lack that peanut butter flavor.
• Unsalted Butter- You can use salted butter instead of unsalted. Simply omit adding any other salt to the recipe.

Storage Tips

Store frosting in an airtight container or a bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. Keep stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Common Questions Asked About a Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe for Brownies

Can I Make this Frosting Ahead of Time?

Yes. Feel free to make this recipe the day before you plan on using it. Keep it stored in the refrigerator. Bring it out to room temperature an hour before using it.

How do I Store Brownies Topped with Peanut Butter Frosting?

Place the brownies in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Stored this way, they can remain fresh for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Before serving, allow the brownies to come to room temperature for optimal taste and texture.

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