Warm, silky peanut butter sauce for ice cream—made with pantry staples and ready in about 10 minutes—turns any scoop or brownie into a sundae. This easy dessert peanut butter sauce has a pourable, ribbon-thin texture when warm, plus simple tips to reheat and adjust thickness for perfect drizzles every time.
Of course you can always buy a jar of peanut butter sauce at the store, but this is why our homemade version is better.
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- Smooth and silky: Perfect for pouring over ice cream, this sweet peanut butter sauce has a decadently smooth texture.
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- Perfect for many desserts: The beauty of this easy peanut butter sauce is that it can be used in so many different ways. Drizzle it over your favorite ice cream, pancakes or waffles. Add it as a topping on brownies or cookies or use it as a fruit dip.
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- Tried and tested: I’ve tested this recipe several times so that you don’t have to! Check out my tips and tricks for perfect peanut butter sauce.
Gather This
The beauty of this peanut butter sauce recipe is that it’s crazy easy to make. All you need are 4 ingredients, which can be found in most pantries or the grocery store. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Peanut butter – smooth peanut butter is recommended. It needs to be store-bought, not natural creamy peanut butter. The best brands to use are Skippy of Jif.
- Corn syrup – I recommend using light corn syrup, my favorite brand being Karo. If you don’t have any, you can replace corn syrup with runny honey.
- Sweetened condensed milk – This is what makes the peanut butter sauce very shiny and smooth. I don’t recommend swapping it for evaporated milk.
- Milk – is needed to make the sauce a little thinner, so it can be drizzled. Any type of milk or plant based alternative can be used.
- Optional: salt – Although optional, I strongly recommend it. Salt makes the flavors more intense and delicious. You could also add a splash of vanilla extract.
For the 2 ingredient option, you will need only peanut butter and corn syrup in 1:1 ratio. If it’s too thick, you can make the sauce runnier with some extra water or milk.
- Salt – Although optional, I strongly recommend adding salt. It makes the flavors more intense and delicious. You could also add a splash of vanilla extract.
- Seasonings – To take the flavor of this peanut butter sauce up a notch, you could add a splash of vanilla extract or even a dash of cinnamon.
- Swaps – You can certainly swap the milk for a diary free alternative like almond milk or soy milk. Just keep in mind the sweetened condensed milk will have dairy.
- Senses – This sauce is smooth, rich, and irresistibly nutty. As it warms, the scent of roasted peanuts rises up, wrapping you in cozy sweetness. Its velvety texture coats the spoon like silk, delivering a creamy, sweet-salty burst with every lick—warm, indulgent, and deeply satisfying.
Ways to Use
When I first made this peanut butter sauce for ice cream, I didn’t realize just how many different uses it has. The options are endless, but here are some of my favorites:
- Pancakes – If you’re tired of the same old maple syrup topping, then peanut butter sauce is what you need. You can use it for any type of pancake like Sticky Banana Pancakes, Pumpkin Spice Pancakes, Pancake Spaghetti or Oatmeal Pancakes.
- Waffles – Trust me when I say that waffles and peanut butter sauce are the perfect match. Simply drizzle it over your favorite waffles and enjoy!
- Brownies – Although brownies are already decadent and delicious, peanut butter sauce takes them to a whole different level. Drizzle some on top of Homemade Brownies or chocolatey Nutella Brownies.
- Fruit dip – It goes without saying that peanut butter sauce and bananas is a heavenly combination, but you can also use it with other fruits. Try it with strawberries, apples or melon.
- Hot drinks – A spoonful of peanut butter sauce in your favorite hot chocolate or coffee will make the drink go from good to amazing.
- Desserts – Add this peanut butter sauce to all of your favorite desserts including cheesecake, ice cream sundaes, bread pudding or even pound cake.
- S’mores- Whether you are making them over a fire for s’mores in the oven, nothing pairs better with marshmallow and chocolate than peanut butter!
- Ice cream – Among other ice cream toppings, this creamy sauce is one of my favorites. I especially love using it on chocolate ice cream.
Tips & Tricks
I’ve gathered a few tips and tricks a long the way to ensure you get the best batch of peanut butter dessert sauce.
- Use store bought peanut butter – Natural peanut butter does not melt as well as the store bought variety. For this peanut butter recipe for ice cream it’s important to use commercial brands such as Skippy or Jif.
- Don’t overheat – Whether using the stove or microwave, you shouldn’t overheat the mixture too much as the peanut butter can burn. When using a microwave, cook in increments of 10-20 seconds and mix multiple times to avoid burning. With the stove, cook over low heat whilst mixing continuously to avoid burning the bottom.
- Mix well to combine – Once heated up well, all the ingredients need to be mixed well until fully combined.
- Dilute with milk – For an extra runny sauce, you need to dilute the mixture a little to make it runnier. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time and mix well before adding any more.
- Use whilst hot – This peanut butter sauce for ice cream is best whilst hot. This is when it’s runny and the perfect drizzling consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
No—this is a dessert peanut butter sauce for ice cream and sweets; for noodles/spring rolls, see a savory peanut sauce with soy, lime, vinegar, etc.
Peanut butter firms as it cools; whisk in 1–2 tsp warm milk until it runs off a spoon in a thin ribbon.
Warm gently, don’t boil, and add liquids a little at a time while whisking; if grainy, whisk in 1–2 tsp water or milk to smooth.
More Sweet Sauces
Not all sauces have to be savory! These are some of our favorite sweet sauces that we know you’ll love.
Sweet Peanut Butter Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter*
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk*
- ¼ cup corn syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3-4 tablespoons milk for thinning the sauce
Instructions
- In a small microwave-safe bowl combine the ½ cup smooth peanut butter*, ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk*, ¼ cup corn syrup or honey (or honey), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and Optional: ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Microwave for 20-30 seconds, then mix well to combine all ingredients. Microwave again in increments of 20 seconds until the peanut butter is fully softened.
- Add in the 3-4 tablespoons milk and stir to incorporate. If the sauce is too thick, add more milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Drizzle hot over ice cream or other desserts.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings!
Video
Notes
Condensed milk can be substituted with more corn syrup. If no condensed milk is used, leave out the extra milk.
The sauce hardens when cooled. To make runny again, microwave for 20-30 seconds, then mix well. Add 1-2 teaspoons of milk if needed.
How to Store Peanut Butter Sauce
Place in an airtight container or jar and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To reheat, microwave in small increments of 20-30 seconds and mix until runny. Add 1-2 teaspoons of milk if needed to thin out the sauce.Can I Freeze Peanut Butter Sauce?
Because corn syrup does not freeze well, I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.Nutrition
This is my kind of heavenly sauce. I’m going to put this on pancakes, waffles, ice cream etc…
Yes please, we love peanut butter in our house. Looking forward to making some this weekend with our pancakes. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
What an incredible consistency, just like my friend makes. Definitely need to surprise her now with making my own pb sauce!
I cannot believe how easy this is and also how YUMMY it is. Condensed milk is a game changer in this. Love it so much. Thank you!!
Holy. Moly. This looks absolutely amazing! I can’t wait to make this and put it on EVERTYHING.
So yummy on top of brownies and yellow cake. Going to try it on top of Churro waffles tomorrow morning. Thank you for this great recipe. I’ll be making it again and again.
can I can this recipe to give as gifts?
Hi Deb- you could, but it should be refrigerated since it doesn’t contain preservatives and isn’t canned. So as a hostess gift where a fridge is near, sure! As a wrapped gift with unknown amounts of time out, probably not.
Just made this to put on top of a cotton cheesecake, delicious
How do you store this and how long does it last before it expires?
Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Heat it a bit and stir well before serving. Since it doesn’t have perservatives, it won’t last as long as storebought.
This peanut butter sauce was excellent. I didn’t have condensed milk so, I used a little Italian sweet cream from natural bliss. Delicious. 😋
Kay Fielder
This recipe is super easy and incredibly delicious! I decided to omit the honey or corn syrup in the recipe. My daughter and I are obsessed! Thank you!
After making this for the first time, I found that the peanut butter flavor was masked by the honey (corn syrup). I added more peanut butter to correct the balance. When making it again, I will omit the honey.
Can I substitute this for the chocolate sauce in my homemade Irish cream? I’m using Screwball Whiskey which is peanut butter flavored.
Hi! You can try! Sounds delicious to me!
This was exactly what I was craving!! I used it to make a home version of the Friendly’s Reese’s peanut butter fudge sundae, and it tasted just like it!!! It was perfect!! Thank you!❤️❤️❤️❤️
Woot woot- that’s what we aim for!