Easy Peanut Butter Balls Recipe

The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is irresistible. It is my ultimate weakness. From Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies to Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars, this delicious duo stars in many simple and delicious no-bake recipes.

If you are like me and can’t resist this amazing combo, you absolutely are going to want to make these Peanut Butter Balls. They are a like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups but in truffle form. These are perfect for a holiday dessert plate, but would also make a great Christmas gift for your neighbors.

How to Make Peanut Butter Balls

Here is a brief overview of how to make no bake peanut butter balls. This easy no-bake treat uses only four ingredients. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the full list of measurements and instructions on the printable recipe card.

1. Make the peanut butter dough. Combine the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
2. Form into balls. Roll the peanut butter mixture into one-inch balls. See the tips below if your dough is too sticky or too crumbly.
3. Coat balls in chocolate. Use a toothpick or fork to coat each ball in melted chocolate.

Scooping Peanut Butter Balls

The most time consuming parts of this recipe are the scooping and the dipping. I love using a scoop when I make everything from meatballs to cookies. It keeps the size uniform (which is great for baking recipes) and makes everything go faster. For those recipes, I love this scoop.

For this recipe, I invested in a new scoop. I like it because it is a little bit smaller, which is perfect for recipes like this. It is 1 tablespoon (vs. 1 1/2 in the other scoop) which makes it the perfect size for bite sized treats like this.

Chocolate Chips vs. Candy Melts

Chocolate covered peanut butter balls can be made with either chocolate chips, candy melts, or chocolate almond bark. While chocolate chips may be easier to find, they don’t form the hard coating you will be looking for. Additionally, a coating made with chocolate chips is more likely to melt on your hands while you eat these little wonders.

For those reasons, I prefer using candy melts or almond bark. Almond bark is easy to find in the baking aisle of your grocery store. It does not contain nuts but was named that for it’s ability to coat almonds. Candy melts can be a little harder to find, but are readily available on Amazon.

Tips and Tricks

• Spoon the powdered sugar into the measuring cup. If you scoop it from the container with the measuring cup and pack it into the measuring cup, you will have too much.
• If the mixture is too crumbly when you go to roll the balls, add more peanut butter. You likely will only need another tablespoon or two.
• If the mixture is too sticky, add a little more powdered sugar. Go easy, a little can go a long way.
• Refrigerate the peanut butter balls before dipping. This step isn’t absolutely necessary, but it does help with dipping. If you decide to pop them in the freezer, be sure to only do so for 30 minutes. Otherwise they will expand after dipping and crack the chocolate.
• DO NOT over heat the chocolate/almond bark/candy melts. Chocolate becomes an absolutely disaster when it is overheated. It clumps up and there is no recovering. Regardless of what you use, follow the directions on the package closely.
• Use vegetable shortening to thin out the chocolate. If the candy melts or almond bark is too thick after melting to dip, add a teaspoon or two of vegetable shortening to thin it.
• Use a fork and a toothpick for dipping. No need for a fancy dipping tool. I find that dipping with a fork and using a toothpick to push the peanut butter ball off the fork works perfect.
• Add a topping. For these, I melted a little bit of Reese’s peanut butter chips and then pipped those on top. Other great choices is cute drizzle of chocolate, some mini chocolate chips, or some crushed peanuts.

Variations

Try one (or all!) of these yummy variations on the classic easy peanut butter balls recipe.

• Add some crispiness. Make your peanut butter balls with Rice Krispies cereal for a little extra texture. Add 1/2 cup to the peanut butter mixture.
• Use crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy. You can replace crunch for creamy peanut butter in this recipe 1 for 1.
• Swap out the vanilla extract for rum extract.
• Use white almond bark or dark chocolate candy melts to cover peanut butter balls.
• For a festive touch, add colored sprinkles before the chocolate sets. This would be a great addition for the holidays.

Storing and Freezing

Store your easy peanut butter balls in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

These chocolate peanut butter balls freeze extremely well. When fully set, place a single layer in a large freezer bag. Lay flat in your freezer and freeze for up to four months. They can be eaten frozen, thawed in the refrigerator, or enjoyed at room temperature.

Other No Bake Desserts

• Edible Cookie Dough
• No Bake Baileys Chocolate Pie
• Easy Fudge Recipe

If you try this chocolate peanut butter ball recipe or any of my other recipes, leave a comment and tell me what you think!