Peanut Butter Syrup

If salty sweets are one of your love languages, you’re going to fall head over heels for my homemade Peanut Butter Syrup. This versatile flavor booster is made with just 3 ingredients and is perfect for everything from sweetening your coffee to drizzling over ice cream, oatmeal, and more!

Call me a nut, but when I first heard about peanut butter coffee syrup I couldn’t help but do the happy wiggle dance. I love peanut butter and will happily eat it by the spoonful—the idea of putting it in my favorite coffee drinks was a gee dang revelation! (Once you try my iced peanut butter latte, you’ll see why.)

And, while peanut butter coffee might sound a little wacky, nutty coffee syrups have long been on Starbucks’ menu—pistachio syrup, toffee nut syrup, hazelnut syrup, and chestnut praline syrup are just a few examples. In other words, don’t knock it ‘til you try it! 

I mean, just imagine the possibilities. Make a Reese’s latte with peanut butter syrup and mocha sauce, or a PB&J latte by pairing it with strawberry syrup. But don’t feel limited to drinks! This thick, caramelly peanut sauce is just as yummy as an ice cream sundae or waffle topping. Seriously, nut lovers—run, don’t walk, to make a batch.

Jump to:

• What does it taste like?
• Why You’ll Love This Peanut Butter Simple Syrup 
• Ingredients Needed
• Substitutions
• How To Make Peanut Butter Syrup For Coffee
• Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe Success Tips
• FAQs
• Peanut Butter Coffee Syrup Nutrition
• Other Coffee Syrup Recipes
• Peanut Butter Syrup

What does it taste like?

Imagine the flavor of a peanut butter cookie fresh out of the oven, melted into a silky drizzle. The creamy peanut butter gives it a rich, roasty depth—nutty, smooth, and just slightly salty—while the brown sugar adds a mellow, caramel-like sweetness that rounds out each spoonful. 

Why You’ll Love This Peanut Butter Simple Syrup 

• Quick & Easy - You only need 3 ingredients and about 10 minutes to make a batch of peanut buttery goodness that’ll last you all week long.
• Versatile - It’s thick but pourable, with a velvety texture that clings lovingly to pancakes and ice cream, but easily dissolves in your coffee. 
• Salty-Sweet - My peanut butter syrup is basically a hybrid of salted caramel syrup and peanut butter. YUM!

Ingredients Needed

• Creamy Peanut Butter - While I’m generally pro-natural peanut butter, this is an instance where peanut butter spreads like JIF or Skippy work better.
• Brown Sugar - The molasses in brown sugar adds a caramel undertone that’s delightful. Feel free to use either light or dark brown sugar.
• Water - Make sure to start with filtered water for the best-tasting results.

Substitutions

• Creamy Peanut Butter - Can’t do peanuts? Swap in another creamy, spreadable option like sunbutter or cookie butter.
• Brown Sugar - If you’re fresh out, you can make your own using a ratio of 1 cup white sugar to 1-2 tablespoons molasses (more for dark, less for light brown sugar). You can also use less-processed sugars like turbinado, muscovado, or grated piloncillo. Alternatively, use honey like in my honey syrup recipe.

How To Make Peanut Butter Syrup For Coffee

Step 1: Mix all ingredients together in a small saucepan. Set it over medium heat.

Step 2: Simmer, whisking constantly until the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat.

Step 3: Transfer the peanut butter syrup to a mason jar, syrup bottle, or other storage container to cool in the fridge. It should keep well for up to 2 weeks!

Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments

• Nut-Free PB Syrup - As much as I love peanut butter, I know it isn’t safe for everyone. You’re welcome to use your favorite alternative—creamy Biscoff cookie butter syrup sounds pretty fantastic to me!
• Peanut Butter Sugar Free Syrup - Swap in your favorite cup-for-cup brown sugar alternative (e.g. monkfruit) and make sure to choose an unsweetened peanut butter spread for a reduced-calorie, sugar-free version of this syrup that’s diabetic-friendly.
• Lite Peanut Butter Syrup - I haven’t tried it, but I have a feeling this recipe would work well with powdered peanut butter if you’re looking to reduce fat and calories.

Serving Suggestions

I typically use my homemade peanut butter syrup for coffee (iced peanut butter lattes are 🤌so good), but don’t stop there! Here are a few other ways to put this nutty number to work:

• Drizzled over pancakes, waffles, or French toast – Skip the plain syrup and take breakfast to the next level. This peanut butter drizzle adds richness and a hint of nostalgia to every bite.
• As an ice cream topping – Pour it over vanilla, chocolate, or banana nice cream for a gooey, peanutty twist on a caramel sundae.
  On yogurt or smoothie bowls – Add a sweet punch (with a bit of protein!) to your morning bowls. 
• Frozen drinks – Blend it into milkshakes, protein shakes, or frappuccinos for a creamy, peanut butter explosion. Bonus points if you toss in some chocolate chips.
  On toast – Use it as a spread over warm whole grain toast for a midday snack with just the right balance of sweet and savory.
• As a dip – For a quick treat, serve it warm as a dip with your favorite dunkers like pretzels, graham crackers, or sliced fruit—perfect for salty-sweet cravings.

Recipe Success Tips

• A Tale of Two Peanut Butters - As an RDN, I usually try to avoid artificial or highly processed ingredients as much as possible. So, as much as I love truly natural peanut butter, this is an instance where a *kinda* natural option like JIF Natural works better. If you really don't want to use PB with added oils, consider adding a bit of a natural emulsifier/stabilizer like sunflower lecithin to keep the oil from separating out.
• Easy Measuring - I recommend measuring out your brown sugar before your peanut butter. Then, before loading the PB into the cup, spray the inside with nonstick spray so it’ll easily slide out!
• Simmer, Don’t Boil - If you cook sugar and water long enough, you can make hard caramel candies. While a peanut butter Werther’s sounds delicious, that’s not what we’re after. You just want to heat the mixture enough to dissolve the brown sugar, then remove it from heat.
• Proper Equipment - Peanut butter syrup is thicker than my other coffee syrups, which can make it trickier to clean up. I recommend using a mason jar funnel to decant the syrup into a clean mason jar, then attach a lid with a wide pour spout to keep messes to a minimum.

FAQs

Peanut Butter Coffee Syrup Nutrition

As a Registered Dietitian, I always say that food should be both nourishing and enjoyable—this peanut butter syrup strikes a lovely balance. Thanks to the peanut butter, you’re getting 2 grams of plant-based protein and 5 grams of fat with each drizzle, both of which can increase feelings of satiety. 

But, with 15 grams of carbs (13 of which are sugar) per serving, it’s a sweet treat—enjoy it mindfully, and keep an eye on added sugars throughout the day. And while the fat and protein combo helps slow down the absorption of sugars, it’s still a simple syrup. If you’re concerned about sugar or fat content, I’ve offered some optional variations above to reduce both.

At the end of the day, I like to think of it as a flavor enhancer—just a few tablespoons can go a long way in making simple foods feel extra special, without needing a large portion. Enjoy!

Total nutritional content per serving is:

• Calories: 110 calories
• Total Fat: 5 grams
• Protein: 2 grams
• Sodium: 30 mg
• Carbohydrates: 15 grams
• Sugar: 13 grams

*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.

Other Coffee Syrup Recipes

xoxo Megan