Peanut Butter Dessert Sauce

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 08/30/22
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Peanut butter sauce being poured over a slice of cake

The Spruce Eats

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 1 1/4 cups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
243 Calories
18g Fat
19g Carbs
5g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 243
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 7g 33%
Cholesterol 22mg 7%
Sodium 114mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 32mg 2%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 156mg 3%
*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 peanut butter sauce is super easy to make with just four ingredients and a short time on the stove. It is a fantastic warm dessert topping when drizzled over ice cream, pound cake, cheesecake, or bread pudding. You can even serve it with pancakes or biscuits for a decadent twist on an everyday breakfast. By swirling this peanut butter sauce into store-bought or homemade vanilla ice cream, you can turn ordinary into extraordinary. And a little spread on a brownie will make any chocolate and peanut butter fan jump with joy.

The corn syrup in this recipe helps to create a smooth sauce by preventing the sugar from crystallizing, while it helps add moisture and sweetness to the sauce as well. You can substitute dark corn syrup for the light; however, the more robust flavor of the dark corn syrup—versus the delicate sweetness of the light corn syrup—will affect the final taste of the sauce.

0:35

Click Play to See This Smooth Peanut Butter Dessert Sauce Come Together

"Peanut butter lovers will go crazy for this sauce. I used natural creamy peanut butter, and the texture of the sauce was a bit less cohesive looking than if I had used a no-stir variety. Still, the natural peanut butter worked well even if the sauce didn't look as pretty, and it tasted great." —Danielle Centoni

Peanut Butter Sauce Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup smooth no-stir peanut butter

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

  • Ice cream, pound cake, cheesecake, or favorite dessert, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for beanut butter sauce recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats

  2. Combine peanut butter, whipping cream, corn syrup, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring, until smooth and the ingredients are well incorporated—about 4 minutes.

    Ingredients stirred together in a small saucepan

    The Spruce Eats

  3. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is smooth. Do not overcook or the sauce will become too thick. Add a bit of water if it is too thick.

    Smooth peanut butter sauce dripping off a spoon into the saucepan

    The Spruce Eats

  4. Remove from the heat and cool slightly before serving.

    Peanut butter sauce poured into a swivel-top jar

    The Spruce Eats

  5. Serve over ice cream, pound cake, cheesecake, or your favorite dessert, and enjoy.

Tip

  • The peanut butter sauce will last for up to two weeks covered well in the refrigerator. Before serving, warm over low heat, adding a tablespoon or so of heavy whipping cream to thin if necessary.