Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosting

By
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen is a journalist, quick-cooking and slow-cooking expert, and accomplished cookbook author with over 30 years of experience in testing and developing recipes.
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Updated on 12/26/21
Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosting on chocolate cupcakes

Green Apple Studio / Getty Images
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 9 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
266 Calories
18g Fat
28g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 9
Amount per serving
Calories 266
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 24%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 72mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 20mg 2%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 223mg 5%
*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.)

This super simple, two-ingredient peanut butter chocolate frosting is fabulous on bar cookies, cookies, sturdy cupcakes, and bundt cakes. It would be a wonderful filling for layer cakes, but don't try to frost the top or outside of a layer cake with this frosting; it's too thick and it sets up quickly, which means it's difficult to spread after about 10 minutes.

Use this peanut butter chocolate icing on Special Kay Bars, as the ganache filling in Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars, and on top of simple brownies baked from a mix. If you always have chocolate chips and peanut butter on hand, you can have this frosting ready in about 3 minutes if you're using a microwave oven (see below for stovetop variation if you don't have a microwave).

You can make this recipe with milk chocolate chips if you'd like. It will be sweeter, but the peanut butter tempers that sweetness and adds wonderful texture to the frosting. Regardless of whether you use milk or semisweet chocolate, the frosting always stays soft and creamy, cuts beautifully, and keeps bars, brownies, and cakes moist.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and peanut butter.

  3. Microwave on medium power for 2 minutes.

  4. Remove the bowl from the microwave oven and stir until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy.

  5. You may need to microwave for an additional 30 to 50 seconds on medium power to fully melt all the chips.

  6. Use immediately on brownies, bar cookies, cupcakes, and bundt cakes.

Tip

The frosting is great in between the layers of a chocolate layer cake, but it is too thick to use around the sides and on the top. You could, however, thin it out by adding a little milk to the remaining frosting, after you've done the layers.

Variation

  • If you do not have a microwave oven or do not want to use it for this frosting, feel free to bring these ingredients together over medium-low heat in a heavy saucepan. Melt, stirring frequently, until the texture is smooth and creamy.
  • This recipe will also work with semisweet baking chocolate that you break up into pieces if you do not have morsels.
  • Feel free to use almond butter or cashew butter if desired.

How to Store and Freeze Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosting

This frosting is best used as soon as it's made, but you can certainly refrigerate any leftover frosting you might have. Just bring it to room temperature before using. If needed, add a little bit of hot water or milk (a couple of tablespoons to start) to the frosting to make it spread more easily. It will keep in the fridge for several weeks.

Freezing is not recommended. It's best to make what you can use immediately and simply refrigerate anything left over.