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    Home » Cakes » Cake Icing and Frosting » Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting without Butter

    Published: Sep 23, 2022 · Modified: Oct 12, 2022 by sushma iyer · This post may contain affiliate links

    Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting without Butter

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    Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting without Butter is a delectable frosting made with peanut butter and cream cheese. This whipped cream cheese frosting has a creamy and silky taste that is perfect for luscious cupcakes, cakes or brownies.

    swirl of peanut butter cream cheese frosting piped on a small white bowl
    swirl of peanut butter cream cheese frosting piped on white bowl

    I don't know about you, but to me, frosting is one of the most important parts of cakes or cupcakes so much so that I have a separate section on Cakes Icings and frosting recipes.

    If a cake doesn't taste great and is dry, sometimes I'll put an amazing frosting on it and call it a day.

    I belong to that minority category where I prefer more frosting to cake ratio. Anyone else with me here?

    And when you guys showered so much love on our frosting recipe without butter I knew I had to make something even better than that!!

    Why Peanut Butter Frosting with Cream Cheese

    Peanut butter frosting is delicious, but some of you might agree that it is too sweet and a bit heavy.

    On the other hand, the tanginess in cream cheese helps to balance the texture and sweetness in a classic cream cheese frosting.

    So boom!! there you have it!!

    Let's take the best out of the two to make a light and fluffy frosting recipe by simply swapping one ingredient.

    And what's that?? Let's find out.

    Whipped Peanut Butter Frosting

    We all know butter helps in stabilizing a frosting but it definitely makes the frosting a bit heavy.

    Now that's why I prefer using stabilized whipped cream (using dairy cream) on all my Indian Cakes and Cupcakes.

    Indian desserts are so heavy in themselves that you obviously need something light and fluffy to go with it.

    Or take ganache for example; would you prefer ganache or whipped ganache? See gotcha!! Whipped Ganache is so much lighter than ganache right??

    So isn't it obvious that we have to swap the butter in cream cheese frosting to make this peanut butter cream cheese frosting lighter?

    And replace with what?

    Of course cream. Whipping cream would obviously add to the stability and also make it much lighter comparatively.

    So that's our whipped peanut butter frosting adapted originally from our frosting recipe without butter.

    Ingredients

    ingredients needed to make the peanut butter cream cheese frosting
    Ingredients needed to make the frosting.
    • 8 oz (250 gms) Cream Cheese cold - Use full fat block cream cheese and not the spreadable ones.
    • 130 gms (1 cup) Icing Sugar - also known as confectioners sugar
    • 1 cup (270 gms) peanut butter
    • 150 ml (3/4 cups) Whipping/Heavy Cream - Use COLD heavy or whipping cream. The container of cool whip won't work.
    • 1 tsp Vanilla extract

    What type of Peanut Butter is best for this frosting?

    I recommend using smooth and creamy peanut butter for this recipe.

    While crunchy peanut butter works just fine, it makes the frosting more difficult to mix in and doesn't give you a truly smooth frosting in terms of consistency to frost the sides of the cake or can even clog the piping bag making it difficult to pipe on cakes and cupcakes.

    Natural Peanut Butter is also not recommended due to its low-fat content comparatively.

    Cream Cheese - Cold or Room Temperature?

    Isn't this debatable?

    All of the recipes recommend starting with room temperature ingredients but after a lot of trials I figured out that using full-fat cream cheese from the fridge works well for this recipe.

    Here is why.

    Cream cheese is a soft spreadable cheese, so it's not going to hold its shape if you whisk it for longer.

    So imagine if you start with already soft cheese then the more you whisk the runnier the frosting would turn out to be, isn't it?

    And the addition of icing sugar makes it even runnier? Because as the icing sugar dissolves in cream cheese it starts releasing moisture.

    So how do avoid runny frosting?

    1. Simply using cold Cream Cheese which gives you time to work with.
    2. Do not beat for long about a minute is just fine.

    Step By Step Instructions

    sieve the icing sugar using a sieve on a white paper
    Sieve the icing sugar.

    Sieve the icing sugar twice and set it aside.

    beating cream cheese, peanut butter, icing sugar and heavy cream
    Beating cream cheese, peanut butter, icing sugar and heavy cream

    In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy for about a minute.

    Add the smooth peanut butter and beat that through too, do remember to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary using a rubber spatula.

    Add sifted icing sugar and beat it until well incorporated with other ingredients in your bowl (it will be thickening at this point). Beat in whipping cream (or heavy cream) and vanilla extract till you get stiff peaks.

    This peanut butter cream cheese frosting recipe is a must-try for all you peanut butter lovers!!

    Storage Instructions

    • Store the leftover frosting in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
    • Keep refrigerated. Frosting will keep up to a week.
    • Store for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
    • If the frosting starts to separate, just stir vigorously until smooth again!

    Baker's Tips

    • Use cold cream cheese and whip till lump free. Personally, this is my favorite tip to make this delicious frosting especially to get the smooth consistency.
    • Also, use full-fat cream cheese to get the best results
    • Sieve the icing sugar at least twice before making this recipe.
    • Scrape the bowl every now and then while you add the next ingredient
    • Use smooth peanut butter for best results
    • If you are making this creamy frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer then beat with a paddle attachment and not a whisk attachment.
    chocolate cake frosted with peanut butter cream cheese frosting
    chocolate cake frosted with peanut butter cream cheese frosting

    Different Ways to use the Frosting

    One of the best parts about this frosting is that it can be used in so many different ways. You can use it as a dip for pretzels and other snacks, or you can spread it on cupcakes and brownies or even peanut butter cookies! This recipe makes enough to cover an entire dozen of either brownies or cupcakes!

    Start with chocolate cake or chocolate cupcakes - who can beat the combination of peanut butter cream cheese frosting and chocolate which is exactly what I used in cake tubs?

    And of course with peanut butter cake. Or other cakes like banana cake, cinnamon cake etc. You can literally use it with all sorts of cake and even layer cake.

    Or use this for piping on cookie butter cheesecake like our Biscoff Cheesecake - love the cookie butter and peanut butter flavor together.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How much does this frosting make?

    The recipe makes enough to fill and frost two layer 8 or 9-inch cake. Or pipe simple swirls on 12 cupcakes.

    Can I use this frosting for frosting cakes as well as piping on cupcakes?

    Yes, you can use it to fill and frost a cake as well as make beautiful piping on cakes and cupcakes.

    Is the frosting stiff enough to hold its shape? How to make it thicker?

    Yes, it does hold its shape but it is not as stiff as a classic cream cheese frosting or a buttercream frosting. To make it thicker first make sure you are starting with cold cream cheese and then add a little more whipping cream and beat till stiff peaks.

    Why is my frosting runny?

    There could be a couple of reasons for it:
    1. You did not use full-fat cream cheese that comes in blocks. USing the tub ones is a big no no.
    2. The cream cheese was too soft when you started with the recipe.
    3. The more you beat the cream cheese the runnier it becomes. So beat the cream cheese only for a minute and not more.
    4. Added too much icing sugar which means you would end up beating the batter long to mix the two.
    5. Whipping Cream was not cold or it was not whipped to stiff peaks.

    How to fix runny frosting?

    Usually, you cannot fix this peanut butter cream cheese frosting. The only thing you can try is refrigerating it for 30 mins or so and then beat for a minute. No adding more powdered sugar would do more damage, it wont make the frosting thicker. 

    Related Recipes:

    1. Easy Frosting Recipe without Butter
    2. Stiff Cream Cheese Frosting
    3. Chocolate cake
    4. Chocolate cupcake

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    cropped image of the frosting piped on white bowl to fit the recipe card image
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    5 from 1 vote

    Easy Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting without butter

    This peanut butter cream cheese frosting is a perfect combination of sweet and tangy frosting that pairs perfectly well with a chocolate cake and takes just 5 mins to make.
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Servings 12 cupcakes
    Calories 271kcal
    Author Sushma Iyer

    Ingredients

    • 130 gms (1 cup) Icing Sugar
    • 8 oz (250 gms) Cream Cheese cold
    • 240 gms (1 cup) Smooth Peanut Butter
    • 150 ml (3/4 cup) Whipping Cream
    • 1 tsp Vanilla Essence

    Instructions

    • Sieve the icing sugar twice and set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, using a hand beater beat the cold cream cheese for about a minute until it is smooth and lump free.
    • Add the peanut butter and beat again. Then in goes icing sugar. Beat that too.
    • Finally add the whipping cream and vanilla essence and beat again until stiff peaks form.
    • Use it to fill and frost as well as pipe any decorations of choice of cakes or cupcakes

    Video

    Notes

    • Use cold cream cheese and whip till lump free. Personally, this is my favorite tip to make this delicious frosting especially to get the smooth consistency.
    • Also, use full-fat cream cheese to get the best results
    • Sieve the icing sugar at least twice before making this recipe.
    • Scrape the bowl every now and then while you add the next ingredient
    • Use smooth peanut butter for best results
    • If you are making this creamy frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer then beat with a paddle attachment and not a whisk attachment.
    • The nutritional chart given below is calculated only for the frosting on top of the cupcakes and does not include the calorie count of the cupcake. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 439IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
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