Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting
Posted Oct 02, 2017, Updated Aug 17, 2023
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Easy & delicious homemade vegan peanut butter frosting. In this recipe, coconut oil and peanut butter are combined to make the most incredible dairy-free frosting ever! Serve it on top of brownies, use it to frost a cake, or eat it with a spoon!
If I had to choose one food to eat for the rest of my life, it would be peanut butter. No big surprise. I currently have an embarrassing number of open jars of peanut butter in my pantry.
When a good friend gave me this recipe for Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting I just about died. I usually like plain peanut butter, but this changed my mind.
What I love about this Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting recipe is that it’s made with just a handful of ingredients that you probably already have on hand, and it comes together in 5 minutes.
Compared to other frosting recipes, this one is much healthier! It’s vegan, gluten-free & dairy free and if make your own powdered sugar (recipe here) it can be refined-sugar free too!
Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting: Ingredient s& Substitutions
- Peanut Butter: I use a firm peanut butter for this recipe, like a natural peanut butter that is no stir. If you use a peanut butter that is liquid at room temperature you may need to add more powdered sugar to get it to firm up, and/or omit the almond milk all together.
- Coconut oil. vegan butter or regular butter can be used in place of coconut oil.
- Almond milk: coconut milk or any other non-dairy milk works in this recipe. I have even used non-dairy creamers with fantastic results.
- Salt: I love the sweet/salty flavor of this frosting. You can always add a little at a time and adjust it according to your taste. If you’re using a salty variety of peanut butter you many need to add less.
How to make Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting
Combine peanut butter & coconut oil
Make sure the coconut oil is softened to room temperature, then either mix by hand or using a hand-held mixer or standing mixer, beat until they are combined.
Room temperature coconut oil. The coconut oil needs to be room temperature or slightly melted (not too warm), if it is hard then it will not mix well into the peanut butter and you will be left with chunks of coconut oil in your frosting.
Once the coconut oil and peanut butter are combined and smooth, add the vanilla, powdered sugar and salt and beat until you reach the desired consistency.
Add almond milk slowly. The amount of almond milk needed depends on the type of peanut butter used. Some people have reported not needing it at all. Please add it carefully so the frosting does not become too runny. If that does happen, add more powdered sugar and mix until you reach the desired consistency.
Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting: Serving Suggestions
I have a plethora of recipes that are the perfect vehicle for this delicious frosting! Check them out! (Note: the brownies in these pictures are my black bean brownies).
- Brownies: Slather it on black bean brownies (or flourless brownies or paleo brownies or Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies or Greek Yogurt Brownies!
- Cookies: spread it on these Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies or these paleo chocolate cookies!
- Blondies: Add it to theseHealthy Peanut Butter Blondies
- Cake: Add a dollop to this flourless chocolate cake!
- Cupcakes. swirl it on top of these gluten-free chocolate cupcakes!
Store/freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw slowly at room temperature before using – do not microwave.
It hardens in the fridge. Please note that this Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting gets hard in the fridge. I take it out and set it on the counter about 1 hour before eating/serving time. Do not microwave.
Recipe FAQs
You can remedy this two ways – 1) add more powdered sugar. 2) if the ingredients are too warm it will become runny, so you can chill it in the refrigerator to firm it up a bit.
I usually make a half recipe to frost brownies and a full to frost a cake. So yes, this recipe halves very well.
I decorate cakes often, here’s a list of the equipment I use to create these roses:
Piping bags – I have both reusable and disposable piping bags and use them all the time.
Piping tips and couplers – I recommend a great starter tip and coupler set. However I always make this rosette style cake with a Wilton 1M tip and large coupler.
If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2-4 TBS almond milk*
Instructions
- Bring coconut oil to room temperature so it is softened or slightly melted.
- Add coconut oil and peanut butter to the bowl of your standing mixer and beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping down the sides a few times to be sure there are no chunks of coconut oil left.
- Add vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add powdered sugar and salt. Beat on medium/high speed until well combined, scraping sides to ensure it’s mixed evenly.
- Add almond milk and beat until light and fluffy. Serve on top of your favorite bars or brownies…or eat with a spoon!
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature (if you will be eating that day) or in the refrigerator. Just take it out and let it come to room temperature before serving.
Video
Notes
- This makes A TON of frosting. I halve this recipe for an 8×8” pan of brownies or if I’m making it just for my family.
- I recommend starting with a small amount of almond milk and increasing it until you reach your desired consistency. Some very liquidy peanut butters may require no almond milk at all!
Ingredient Substitutions/Notes
- Peanut Butter: I use a firm peanut butter for this recipe, like a natural peanut butter that is no stir. If you use a peanut butter that is liquid at room temperature you may need to add more powdered sugar to get it to firm up, and/or omit the almond milk all together.
- Coconut oil. vegan butter or regular butter can be used in place of coconut oil.
- Almond milk: coconut milk or any other non-dairy milk works in this recipe. I have even used non-dairy creamers with fantastic results.
- Salt: I love the sweet/salty flavor of this frosting. You can always add a little at a time and adjust it according to your taste. If you’re using a salty variety of peanut butter you many need to add less.
Store/freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw slowly at room temperature before using – do not microwave. It hardens in the fridge. Please note that this Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting gets hard in the fridge. I take it out and set it on the counter about 1 hour before eating/serving time. Do not microwave.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Even my husband can’t stay away from this when I make it, and he’s not really a peanut butter guy (which at first I thought was his only flaw. However, his indifference towards my favorite food means I don’t have to hide it in the back of the pantry share…so it’s just another one of the many reasons he’s perfect for this lady right here).
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Oh my goodness – could these be any prettier?! As a peanut butter fanatic, this recipe is going to the top of my must-make list! Love that they’re vegan too!
I’m still drooling over this and I’m not a frosting person. My mini me LOVES peanut butter and her birthday is later this month. Unfortunately we’ll be traveling so I was upset I couldn’t make her a big cake but I may have to find time to whip up cupcakes and top with this frosting!
This looks so delicious! Great vegan option!
This looks amazing! I’d be putting this on everything! 😀
This sounds and looks amazingly delicious. My son’s bday is on Saturday — looks like I know what kind of frosting I’ll be using on his cake!
Love it! Peanut butter rules! And so does this frosting! Looks delish!
It’s Thanksgiving here in Canada this weekend and I’m doing a big vegan brunch for the fam, this looks like a great addition for pancake and all my baking…a little decadent but hey, that’s what holidays are all about 😉
Yummy! Was concerned the coconut oil flavour may come through ’cause my husband doesn’t like it. It didn’t!
Alterations: I used 3/4 of the sugar amount and used water instead of almond milk. Also added a bit more salt to resemble more the flavour of a Brazilian candy called “passoca”. It was a success!
Hey Veronica! Yes my hubby is crazy about things tasting like coconut too and he loves this stuff! 🙂
Are you supposed to use natural peanut butter for this recipe? Or a firmer non natural version like skippy?
Either one works! You may need to adjust the amount of powdered sugar to get it to firm up if your peanut butter is super runny!
I made this tonight and while it tastes good, it is very runny – before I even added the almond milk, which I omitted. I tried adding more powdered sugar but it didn’t help. I have it sitting in the fridge hoping it will thicken up a bit. Any idea why it would turn out so soft? Definitely couldn’t get it to pretty like you did in the cup.
Hey Stefanie!! I am SO sorry that this happened! It’s always such a disappointment when a recipe doesn’t turn out the way it is supposed to! A few questions to help troubleshoot….1) What kind of peanut butter did you use? 2) Did you make sure to let the peanut butter and coconut oil mixture cool completely before adding the powdered sugar? 3) Did you use coconut oil (I know, silly question, but I have actually used coconut milk on accident when I should’ve used coconut oil before)! Let’s start there and see! This stuff absolutely hardness in the fridge because of the coconut oil…so that might help get it to firm up.
I used Natural Jif, I did let it cool and I did use coconut oil. I put them decorated in the fridge and it did firm up nicely, I just couldn’t get the icing to look as pretty as I wanted. 🙂 Tasted great though. Put the icing on top of dairy/gluten free chocolate cupcakes so my daughter could have a dessert at a party last night and I barely was able to grab one for her before they were gone!
I had the same problem with the Natural Jif. I think it’s the peanut butter, it needs to be a more natural peanut butter with less or nothing added to it. I was able to thicken it with extra powdered sugar though, and it was delicious regardless!
I’m sorry that this recipe can be a bit temperamental! I’ve used lots of different peanut butters with success….it is important to make sure your peanut butter/coconut oil mixture is at room temperature!