Name: Peanut Butter Sauce for Ice Cream
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients: ½ cup (4 oz.) heavy cream; ½ cup (4 oz.) water; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup granulated; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup smooth peanut butter; 1 teaspoon vanilla

Jump to Recipe

Homemade Peanut Butter Sauce for Ice Cream is rich, creamy, sweet, and salty with big peanut butter flavor.

This recipe for peanut butter topping is simple to make on the stovetop with just a few ingredients, and it’s so delicious on ice cream, frozen yogurt, homemade sundaes, and more.

This ice cream topping recipe is naturally gluten-free! I’ll include tips on making it dairy-free too.

A bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with homemade peanut butter sauce.

Sure, we all love the classic sundae toppings of hot fudge and caramel sauce, but sometimes you’re in the mood for something different!

Homemade Peanut Butter sauce for ice cream is going to be your new favorite ice cream topping!

Try it with chocolate ice cream for a decadent chocolate peanut butter cup treat, or drizzle it on homemade strawberry ice cream, and enjoy a frozen treat that tastes like a PB&J sandwich.

Or add it to no bake turtle pie, for an extra special treat.

Why You’re Going to Love this Peanut Butter Sauce for Ice Cream Recipe

Simple Ingredients: Peanut Butter, Sugar, and cream are cooked together with just a bit of vanilla extract and salt to create the best homemade peanut butter sauce. You probably have everything you need to make this recipe already at home.

Way Better Than Store-Bought: Making your own ice cream toppings will save you money, and give you better tasting sauce that is free from preservatives and chemical additives.

It’s Rich and Creamy: Sure, you could just melt some peanut butter and pour it over your ice cream, but this syrup recipe turns peanut butter into something much better: A thick, creamy peanut butter sauce that’s extra sweet and flavorful.

Easy to Make Ahead: Keep homemade peanut butter syrup in the fridge for up to a week. Just pull it out and warm it up whenever you need it!

The ingredients needed to make peanut butter ice cream sauce, all in small glass bowls on a counter.

Ingredients in Homemade Peanut Butter Sauce for Ice Cream

Peanut Butter– Use any type of creamy peanut butter to make a creamy, smooth ice cream syrup.

Brown and Granulated Sugar– I like using some of each, as brown sugar adds a bit of molasses that really deepens the flavor. However, this sauce is very good with only white sugar if that’s what you have on hand.

Heavy Cream – This is what thickens the sauce and makes it creamy. You can use a lower fat milk like half and half or even plant-based milk, but it won’t be quite the same.

Water – To make sure that all of the sugar dissolves and that the sauce has a pourable consistency.

Salt – This brings out the saltiness of the peanuts.

Vanilla Extract – Vanilla elevates all of the other flavors here, making this the best peanut butter ice cream topping ever!

a small saucepan holding ingredients to make peanut butter sauce and a spatula.

How to Make Peanut Butter Sauce for Ice Cream

Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, just until the mixture starts to boil.
Reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly, until all the sugar is dissolved and the peanut butter sauce is thick and creamy.
Allow the sauce to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving or storing for later use.

The photos here are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe below.

a small saucepan cooking down ingredients to make peanut butter sauce for ice cream. There is a rubber spatula in the pot.

How to Store Homemade Peanut Butter Topping

Store the peanut butter sauce in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Let the sauce cool at room temperature before transferring it to a jar or other airtight container for storage.

How to Reheat Homemade Peanut Butter Sauce

The best way to reheat this homemade peanut butter sauce is on the stovetop.

Add the amount of sauce that you need to a small saucepan, and heat over low to medium heat, just until it’s softened and warm.

I do not recommend using the microwave to reheat this sauce, as it can lead to hot spots, graininess, and burning.

But, If the microwave is your only option, be sure to use a microwave-safe dish, and set the microwave to 40-50% powder. Microwave at 20-second intervals, stirring after each, and stop when the sauce is warm enough to pour.

Tips for Making The Best Peanut Butter Sauce for Ice Cream

Use quality ingredients – When making homemade ice cream toppings, you’ll want to make sure you are using high-quality ingredients for the best outcome.

To make this recipe dairy-free and vegan, replace the heavy cream with water or non-dairy milk. The topping won’t be as creamy as it is in the photos, but it will still be delicious!

If you’d like to reduce the calories a bit, you can use half-and-half or whole milk instead of heavy cream.

Avoid overcooking – Keep an eye on your sauce as it’s cooking on the stove. In fact, don’t walk away from it! You should stir it constantly as it’s cooking, and remove it from the heat as soon as all of the sugar has fully dissolved.

If the sauce seems too thick, stir in a small amount of water until you get the consistency you’re looking for.

Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

These are all delicious ice cream flavors that you can make at home in your ice cream maker, and they’ll all be delicious with a drizzle of peanut butter topping:

You can also swirl peanut butter sauce directly into any homemade ice cream recipe! Simply pour the sauce into the loaf pan with the soft, just-churned ice cream. Swirl with a knife before freezing the batch.

And don’t forget about milkshakes! Top your favorite chocolate milkshake, vanilla milkshake, or vegan milkshake with fresh whipped cream and homemade peanut butter sauce.

A glass jar of thick peanut butter ice cream sauce, viewed from directly overhead.

How to Use Peanut Butter Topping

Pour this tasty ice cream syrup over ice cream sundaes, or include it in your own version of the best banana split!

Making an ice cream cake or an ice cream pie? Use peanut butter sauce as a filling or topping.

I also love adding a drizzle of peanut butter sauce to my famous ice cream pizza dessert!

Outside of ice cream, you can enjoy this peanut butter syrup on waffles and pancakes, baked cakes and cupcakes, or added to yogurt or oatmeal. It’s delicious on just about anything sweet!

Two images of peanut butter sauce. Text in center says "peanut butter sauce for ice cream"

More Homemade Ice Cream Topping Recipes

LET’S GET SOCIAL, you can follow us on Pinterest or leave a comment below if you have any questions.

Did you make this Homemade Peanut Butter Ice Cream Topping? Leave a Comment Below letting us know what you thought!