How Much Peanut Butter to Substitute for Cream Cheese
Works for baking, sauteing, and slow cook. Peanut Butter brings a noticeably different flavor than Cream Cheese.
How much peanut butter equals one cup of cream cheese?
Use 2/3 cup peanut butter per cup cream cheese.
Health notes
Compared with Cream Cheese, Peanut Butter has: more calories (588 vs 295 per 100g in Cream Cheese), more fat (49.5g vs 28.6g per 100g in Cream Cheese), less saturated fat (9.5g vs 18g per 100g in Cream Cheese), more protein (21.9g vs 7.1g per 100g in Cream Cheese), and more carbs (24g vs 3.5g per 100g in Cream Cheese).
Using peanut butter as a cream cheese substitute in baking
2/3 cup per cup; good in brownies and peanut frosting.
Other cooking methods
- Sauteing
2/3 cup per cup in peanut sauces; stir over low heat.
- Slow Cook
2/3 cup per cup; stir into creamy stews at the end.
- Raw Cold
2/3 cup per cup in dips and frostings.
- Drinks
2/3 cup per cup in smoothies; blend until smooth.
Methods to avoid (3)
- Frying
Not recommended: burns before cream cheese would melt.
- Grilling
Not recommended: won't melt evenly on heat.
- Steaming
Not recommended: separates under steam heat.
FAQ
- How much peanut butter equals one cup of cream cheese?
Use 2/3 cup peanut butter per cup cream cheese.
- Can I substitute peanut butter for Cream Cheese in baking?
Yes. 2/3 cup per cup; good in brownies and peanut frosting. Not recommended: burns before cream cheese would melt.
- How much peanut butter to use as a cream cheese substitute?
Add lemon juice or cream to restore tang if needed.
- How does the flavor change when substituting Peanut Butter for Cream Cheese?
Peanut butter brings a noticeably different flavor than cream cheese.
- How does texture change when substituting Peanut Butter for Cream Cheese?
Peanut butter thicker, stickier spread that firms less when chilled.
- What else should I know about substituting Peanut Butter for Cream Cheese?
For frostings, dips, and no-bake cheesecake. Expect nutty, denser spread with less tang and chill-set firmness. Skip savory bagel spreads and recipes needing cream cheese acidity. Thin with milk if too stiff. Sweeten to taste since peanut butter adds its own sugar.
- What still works when substituting Peanut Butter for Cream Cheese?
Peanut butter still works as a binder, emulsifier, fat, and flavor base.
- What won't work when substituting Peanut Butter for Cream Cheese?
Peanut butter won't work as a spreading agent, tenderizer, and dairy richness.
- How well does Peanut Butter match Cream Cheese?
Peanut butter is okay on structure, good on heat, and stretch on flavor.
- How does nutrition compare per 100g when substituting Peanut Butter for Cream Cheese?
Peanut butter has about x2 fewer sat. fat, and about x2 more calories and fat and x3 more protein.
- How do the flavor notes shift when substituting Peanut Butter for Cream Cheese?
The flavor shifts toward more sweet, more bitter, more pungent, and more umami notes.