A creamy, thick, protein-packed frosting to use on top of all your favorite healthy (or not-so-healthy) treats.
I made this healthier frosting last week when I had an abundance of Greek yogurt in my refrigerator that I wanted to eat up before leaving for vacation. I spread the frosting onto a batch of Skinny Double Chocolate Chip Muffins. I love these chocolate muffins because they taste like dessert. Made from egg whites, yogurt, whole wheat flour, applesauce, cocoa powder, honey, and not much else.
I usually have a bunch of these skinny chocolate muffins in my freezer. I make a batch, eat what I can, and freeze the rest. They’re good for up to 3 months. A quick nuke in the microwave and you have yourself a melty chocolate muffin with half the guilt. By the way, when I say “muffin” I really mean cupcakes. These lightened up chocolate muffins are really just cupcakes without frosting.
Let’s talk about this creamy dreamy frosting. It’s made from protein-packed Greek yogurt, peanut butter, a touch of maple syrup for sweetness, vanilla extract, and a bit of cream cheese. For my batch, I used 0% plain Chobani and reduced fat cream cheese.
Substitutions? You could use vanilla Greek yogurt (nonfat or low fat) or even honey flavored. As for sweetening the frosting? Honey, agave, stevia, sugar or whatever sweetener you prefer can be used instead of maple syrup. Almond butter, honey-roasted peanut butter, cookie butter, or even Nutella would be fabulous substitutions for regular peanut butter as well.
My Greek yogurt frosting certainly doesn’t taste like buttercream. If you can make a healthy frosting taste like real buttercream, you’re my new best friend!!
Some other ideas for the frosting:
1) Use it as a protein-packed dip. Dip apples, bananas, pretzels, graham crackers, celery, carrots, pita chips, and more. It makes a healthy after school/mid-workday snack.
2) Frost it onto wholesome treats like these healthy banana muffins, peanut butter oatmeal bars, breakfast cookies, or toasted no-knead honey oat bread. Or your sweet treats like chocolate cake or chocolate cupcakes!
3) Eat it with a spoon.
Look how thick it is!
So now you know what I’ll be eating this week as I recover from a weekend full of treats. Detoxing with frosting.
Print
Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt Frosting
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 and 1/2 cups
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
A creamy, thick, protein-packed frosting to use on top of all your favorite healthy (or not-so-healthy) treats.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla, nonfat or low fat)*
- 3 Tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 ounce (28g) low-fat or full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (see above for substitutions)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- optional: 1 batch Skinny Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
Instructions
- Add Greek yogurt and peanut butter to a medium bowl. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute until combined. Add the cream cheese and maple syrup, beat for 2 minutes until combined and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Taste the frosting and add more maple syrup if desired.
- Use as a frosting, dip, or enjoy it plain. Cover frosting tightly and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
So light and flavorful and great on chocolate muffins! We also use it on the whole wheat banana bread slices.
Coyld I make this but omit cream cheese?
Hi! Would I be able to replace the maple syrup with unsweetened applesauce? Or maybe a cinnamon applesauce? Thank you!
You can definitely try. The texture and flavor will differ, though.
Hi Sally 🙂 My husband has requested a chocolate cake roll with peanut butter filling for his birthday. I’d like to use this recipe for the filling. Is it best to go with a regular (not natural) peanut butter or could I use the natural? Happy almost Thanksgiving 🙂Â
This should be great for a cake roll filling and I suggest a regular (non natural) PB like Jif creamy or Skippy.
You’re the best, Sally 🙂 As always, thanks for your help & quick reply. Can’t wait to make this!Â
I used this frosting on the G. I. Diet granola bars I made. I was not happy with the results of that recipe. They were satisfying but kind of bland and boring. I substituted brown rice syrup for the artificial sweetener in the recipe, and used only 1/3 of what was called for. It definitely needed more! Spreading a square with natural peanut butter definitely helped, so I searched for a healthy p.b. frosting. This one seemed to be what I was looking for…and it was!
I added a bit more cream cheese, just in case my yogurt wasn’t thick enough. This resulted in a definite cream cheese taste with a hint of peanut butter. I at least doubled the peanut butter to get the predominantly peanut butter taste I wanted this time. I used maple syrup but, without the added peanut butter, this amount was too sweet for my taste, so maybe start with less sweetener.
I will definitely use this recipe again.
Hello Sally!
I’m making a chocolate layer cake, and wanted to know if this frosting would be okay to use between the layers of the cake? I want to frost the outside with a chocolate buttercream, but was hoping to find a lighter peanut butter frosting to use inside! Thank you 🙂
Chelle, this frosting would be wonderful in between layers of chocolate cake. My mouth is watering thinking of it!
Woooow! This is so amazing! Thanks for posting this great recipe!
Thanks for the recipe! Just made it with honey instead of maple syrup. The cream cheese made the frosting super lumpy. Has this ever happened to you?
Perhaps it’s because one tbsp of the cream cheese was the last bit of one package (so it was a little harder than a new cream cheese). Or because I hand mixed it? I always hand mix things and never have lumps like this.
Thanks!
Kim, I definitely suggest a mixer. The lumps aren’t blending because the yogurt is smooth and cold and the cream cheese is thicker. If you can’t get ahold of a mixer, try using room temperature cream cheese (if you aren’t already) and mix it up with a fork until it’s smooth. They add the yogurt and other ingredients. This should help!
Hi Sally,
Thank you so much for responding!
I just tried it again with a mixer and still lumpy! Even after whipping it for a total f 10 minutes. I’ll try room temperature cream cheese next 🙂
Hi! I was wondering if you could tell me how much the peanut butter Greek yogurt frosting makes? Approximately – I have to balance my daughter’s meals – carbs, protein & fats have to be at a certain ratio – just trying to get a grasp on how much of this to use on her chocolate coconut flour donuts 🙂
Thanks!
Around 1 and 1/2 cups
Wow. That’s about all I can say. I made a coconut flour chocolate cake, also sweetened with maple syrup, and wanted a frosting that was delicious w/o being loaded with sugar. My daughter asked for a peanut butter cream cheese frosting. An internet search brought me to your page. I have to say, they made quite a pair! I haven’t had a chance yet, but I’m definitely going to take a look around at your blog! Thanks for the great ideas!