The Recipe Critic

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 05:00 AM PDT

Chocolate buttercream frosting is creamy, smooth, rich, and mouthwatering! The chocolate flavor is absolutely incredible and you will want to add it to every single treat that you bake up this fall!

Thick and silky, this rich frosting simply melts in your mouth. This chocolate buttercream will satisfy your chocolate cravings and leave you wanting to try more! So if you are a chocolate lover like me, try out these other chocolate recipes like Double Chocolate Zucchini Brownies, No-Bake Chocolate Pie, and Chocolate Truffles!

Chocolate buttercream being piped onto a chocolate cupcake.

Homemade Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I knew that when I wanted to lick this bowl clean because this chocolate buttercream was so good that I just couldn’t keep this recipe a secret anymore! It is that good! Like, you will want to eat it plain with a spoon good. And maybe you do! No judgment here! It is wonderfully creamy and if you want to take it to the next level, try it out on these chocolate cupcakes. Not only does this frosting taste like heaven, but it also looks absolutely incredible piped into that beautiful swirl onto your cupcake. A thick, creamy layer of frosting is exactly what takes any cupcake to the next level!

If you are familiar with buttercream frosting then you know that it is fast and simple! It can be combined with literally any type of cake. That’s what makes it an excellent go-to! Whether I am baking cupcakes or cake, it has become our most requested topping for any birthday cake in our house. This recipe will make enough for about 24 cupcakes or 1 sheet cake so your options are totally open! In fact, because I know that you will be using this SO often, I have included below some ways that you can make this ahead and store it! So not only do you now have the secret recipe to chocolate heaven, but this tried and true favorite that you can make ahead will make your life a little bit easier. And I know that we all want that!

Chocolate Buttercream Ingredients

Buttercream frosting is something that is easy to make and simple to love! Most of the ingredients you will already have around in your kitchen so there is no excuse to be buying premade frosting at the store! See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredient measurements.

Butter: I like to use unsalted and softened butter to make sure that the taste and consistency is perfect!
Powdered sugar: unlike granulated sugar, this will dissovle quickly without any heat so it creates that silky smooth texture!
Cocoa powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder is exactly what you need to achieve that amazing chocolate taste!
Milk: Any kind of milk (skim,1% or 2%) will do!
Vanilla extract: This will add just the right amount of extra sweetness without being to overpowering.
Salt: A must have incredient that will keep this from being overly sweet and will enhance the flavor of the other ingredients!

How to Make Chocolate Frosting

If you have 5 minutes, then you have enough time to whip up this amazing homemade topping! It will make all the difference in your baked goods and everyone will be raving about it after they try it!

Beat: Beat the butter in the bowl of a mixer until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat slowly until incorporated, increasing the speed to beat it more fully.
Mix: Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl and add the cocoa powder, milk, vanilla and salt. Mix on medium high until completely smooth and combined. If the frosting is too stiff, add more milk one tablespoon at a time until it is a pipeable consistency.
Pipe: Use this frosting to frost cupcakes, cakes or whatever dessert your heart desires.

Chocolate buttercream frosting in a bowl stirred together.

Tips for the Best Chocolate Buttercream

Buttercream is simple and easy to make! It tastes SOO good on just about anything. To make sure that this is as easy as possible for you, I have a few tips to make sure that your buttercream turns out perfectly! Read these through before you whip it up and I know that it will!

Room temperature ingredients: Make sure you start with butter that is room temperature. This will help the butter beat into a smooth, glossy frosting without any clumps of butter.
Mix slowly: When adding the powdered sugar make sure you start slowly! Go slow until it’s moistened and then begin to increase the speed. That way, you don’t end up with a cloud of powdered sugar in the air and covering everything in your kitchen!

Simple Varitations

There are a few things that you can do to make this chocolate buttercream recipe your own! Here are a few ideas for some variations that you can try to make it fit exactly what you need!

Darker chocolate: If you prefer dark chocolate go ahead and substitute the cocoa powder for a dark cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s Special Dark.
Add ins: Try adding in some peppermint extract or some citrus flavors such as lemon, lime or orange! Just do a small bit at a time until it reaches your desired taste. This will switch things up and open the door to so many more tasty desserts!
Filling: You can not only use this to top off your beautiful cupcakes but you should try filling them with this! Cut a hole out of your cupcakes and put this frosting inside AND on top!

Chocolate buttercream frosting on top of chocolate cupcakes.

Storing Buttercream

Chocolate Buttercream is rich, sweet, and can be made ahead of time! I know that you are going to love this it so I recommend that you double the recipe! Make a big batch and freeze it to make sure that you always have some on hand. You won’t regret it!

Room temperature: Place your frosting in an airtight container and it can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 14 days. Bring to room temperature before use.
Freezer: You can freeze chocolate buttercream for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Allow to thaw in the fridge and then bring it to room temperature on the counter. If it is a little too soft, mix more powdered sugar into it until it is as stiff as you would like.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate buttercream frosting is creamy, smooth, rich, and mouthwatering! The chocolate flavor is absolutely incredible and you will want to add it to every single treat that you bake up this fall!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate buttercream, chocolate buttercream frosting

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings Cups

Calories 1582kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons milk more as needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Beat the butter in the bowl of a mixer until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat slowly until incorporated, increasing the speed to beat it more fully.
Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl and add the cocoa powder, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix on medium-high until completely smooth and combined. If the frosting is too stiff, add more milk one tablespoon at a time until it is a pipeable consistency.
Use this frosting to frost cupcakes, cakes, or whatever dessert your heart desires.

Nutrition

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Posted: 29 Aug 2021 05:00 PM PDT

Peanut butter and jelly bars have all of the classic flavors you love in one tasty, golden brown piece of heaven. Your family is going to go crazy over these easy and delicious treats!

Bars like these are the perfect solution for busy weeknights when the kids want a sweet treat. For more snacks with big flavor but little effort, give Nanaimo, snickerdoodle, and oatmeal chocolate chip bars a try!

A stack of 2 peanut butter and jelly bars.

Super Easy Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars Recipe

Peanut butter and jelly is one of those flavor combinations that I find myself coming back to time and time again. There is something about it that is both super nostalgic and just downright delicious. I mean, how can you go wrong with your favorite jam and the rich creaminess of peanut butter? The answer is, you can’t. But you can enhance it by taking those amazing flavors and putting them into a buttery, mouthwatering bar form. With each bite, you sink your teeth into layers of jammy goodness perfectly balanced by a crumbly, buttery crust and smooth, nutty peanut butter. And as if you needed any more convincing…

The best part of this recipe is that you can customize the flavors to your liking. Not a fan of peanut butter? Throw in cashew, almond, or hazelnut butter instead! You can also add in any type of jam or jelly. I personally like using homemade jam for the best possible flavor. No matter what combination you choose, the result is sure to be the perfect balance of nutty and sweet! The other great part of this recipe is that it only takes a few minutes of prep. Simply mix together your crust and filling ingredients, bake, and go! It is perfect for all of my busy readers out there. It also has an all-pantry staple lineup, making your life easier! Delicious, easy, and inexpensive, this is the recipe to put on repeat.

Ingredients for PB&J Bars

I love recipes where I can just stroll into my kitchen and start cooking. Peanut butter and jelly bars are perfect for when you are craving a sweet treat but don’t want to go to the store! Exact measurements for each ingredient can be found below in the recipe card.

Butter: For this recipe, I use unsalted butter, softened.
Crunch Peanut Butter: I like using crunchy peanut butter for the texture that it gives, but you can use smooth if you prefer that!
Brown Sugar: Added for a rich sweetness.
Egg: Used as a binding agent to give the bars shape.
Vanilla: Added in to enhance flavor. I use pure vanilla extract for best results.
All-Purpose Flour: AP flour has a low protein content so it helps keep baked goods light and fluffy.
Quick Oats: Oats give your bars a tasty texture and a slight nutty flavor.
Baking Soda: Keeps your bars from becoming too dense.
Salt: Used to enhance overall flavor of your bars.
Jam: You can use any jam of your choice!

Making Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Making PB&J bars is as easy as it gets! Combined with the pantry staple ingredients, this is the kind of treat you can make any time! My kids love helping me layer the dough and jam. It’s a fun and quick activity that ends in a delicious dessert. There’s nothing better than that!

Prep Your Pan: First, preheat the oven to 350°. Spray an 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. You can line the baking pan with parchment paper if you would like to lift the bars from the pan before cutting them.
Mix Butter, Peanut Butter, and Brown Sugar: Next up, in the bowl of a mixer, use the paddle attachment to beat the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar on medium until combined. Add the egg and vanilla and mix again until smooth.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low just until combined.
Layer: Next, gently press 2/3 of the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan followed by the jam spread evenly on top. The remaining third of the dough can be dropped in small sections over the top of the jam. If it doesn't fully cover it, don't worry! It doesn't need to be completely covered, just evenly spread over the top.
Bake: Bake for just about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Cool and Serve: Lastly, allow to cool before slicing and serving.

Process shots of adding layers to peanut butter and jelly bars.

Tips for Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Peanut butter and jelly bars are a quick, easy dessert that delivers the same nostalgic taste of a PB&J but with a hint of nuttiness from the oats and sweet gooeyness. Here are a few tips to make your bars the BEST! They will be gobbled up in minutes!

Peanut Butter Variations: If you like crunchy peanut butter, stick with crunchy. If you prefer smooth peanut butter, go ahead and switch it out for smooth! If you like it semi-crunchy, try ¼ cup of crunchy and ¼ cup of smooth. You can also substitute for other nut butters like cashew, hazelnut, and almond.
Jam Variations: Use your FAVORITE kind of jam in this recipe, or try a new flavor to change it up! Any kind of jam would be absolutely delicious, but I used strawberry because that's my favorite.
Quick Oats vs Rolled Oats: If you like a little bit more chew try switching out the quick oats in the recipe for rolled oats. This will change the texture of the peanut butter dough just slightly and give your bars a little bit more chewiness.
Let Cool Completely: It is best to let your PB&J bars cool completely before cutting. It allows each slice to hold its shape better. Cut too early, and you may be left with a mushy mess and jam everywhere.

How To Store Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

If you manage to keep these tasty bars around longer than a few hours, they can be stored in an airtight container either on the counter or in the fridge. They are the perfect treats to store and take on the go! They can even be added to school lunches for a twist on a classic staple.

Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag for up to 5 days.
In the Fridge: Store in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag for up to 8 days. It's best to let the bars come to room temperature before serving them.

Close-up of a cut peanut butter and jelly bar

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Peanut butter and jelly bars have all of the classic flavors you love in one tasty, golden brown piece of heaven. Your family is going to go crazy over these easy and delicious treats!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and jelly bars

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings Bars

Calories 398kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers