Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls (video)
The love of chocolate and peanut butter are combined in these irresistible chocolate-covered peanut butter balls. These no-bake peanut butter balls are made with just 4 ingredients and are melt-in-your-mouth good!
Why this recipe is so great:
- No-bake and only 4 ingredients – All you have to do is combine 3 ingredients, roll the mixture into balls, freeze, and dip in chocolate – and you’ve got the most delicious homemade candy.
- Shockingly good – They taste like Reese Peanut Butter Cups, but even better! The peanut butter filling is creamier and smoother like a gourmet chocolate truffle. The candy coating is more chocolaty and doesn’t melt as soon as you touch it.
- Keeps well and great for gifting – These chocolate peanut butter balls keep for 2 weeks and can be frozen for up to 3 months. They also make for great gifts because they are better than any box of store-bought chocolates.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Creamy peanut butter – regular not the natural kind
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Dark or semi-sweet baking chocolate
How to make chocolate peanut butter balls:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- In a mixing bowl, add some creamy peanut butter, powdered sugar, and softened unsalted butter.
- Mix until combined.
- Roll the peanut butter mixture into 1 inch balls and place in a freezer-safe container lined with wax paper. Chill in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Melt some baking chocolate using a microwave or double-boiler. Dip the peanut butter balls, one at a time, in the melted chocolate. Set the balls on wax paper and drizzle with the excess chocolate or top with sprinkles if desired. Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes until the chocolate sets.
Other variations:
Peanut butter balls with Rice Krispies – Fold in 1 cup of Rice Krispies to the peanut butter mixture and follow the rest of the recipe as instructed.
Peanut butter balls with coconut – Fold in 1/2 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut to the peanut butter mixture and roll in more coconut after dipping in chocolate if desired.
Expert tips:
- Chill the dough if it’s too soft to roll – If the dough is too soft or sticky to easily roll in your hands, pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to firm up.
- Freeze the balls before dipping in chocolate – This really helps the peanut butter balls hold their shape when dipping in the warm chocolate. It also helps the chocolate set up faster.
- Use dark or semi-sweet baking chocolate – Baking chocolate melts much better than chocolate chips. I’ve also heard good things about Ghirardelli chocolate wafers. You can also use chocolate-flavored melting wafers, but they don’t taste as good.
- Melting the chocolate – The easiest and fastest way is to melt the chocolate in the microwave. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, heat at 50% power for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until completely smooth and melted.
- Use a small fork to dip the peanut butter balls – Using a fork allows you to quickly roll the balls in the chocolate and lift them out. Tip the fork to roll the balls onto the wax paper or use a toothpick to help slide the balls off the fork.
- Tap excess chocolate – After dipping the balls in the chocolate, tap the fork on the side of the bowl a few times to let the excess chocolate drip off so it doesn’t pool on the bottom when you place the balls to set.
FAQ:
What type of peanut butter is best to use?
Regular peanut butter is best because it’s emulsified. I personally like creamy peanut butter for a smooth truffle-like texture, but you can use crunchy peanut butter if you prefer. Do not use natural peanut butter because it’s too oily to work with.
How long are peanut butter balls good for?
If properly stored, they can last 2-3 days at room temperature or up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Can you freeze peanut butter balls?
Yes, place them slightly spaced apart in a single layer on a tray and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours until completely frozen. Then transfer the peanut butter balls to a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or place on the counter for 1 hour before serving.
You might also like:
- Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
- Apple Oatmeal Whoopie Pies with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Christmas Cracker Candy
- White Chocolate Christmas Crack
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (135g) creamy peanut butter
- 3 tbsp (42g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (125g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 8 oz dark or semi-sweet baking chocolate
Instructions
- Mix together the peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar until combined.1/2 cup (135g) creamy peanut butter, 3 tbsp (42g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (125g) powdered sugar
- Roll the mixture into 1" balls and place in a freezer-safe container lined with wax paper. Cover and chill in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until completely smooth and melted. You can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler if you prefer.8 oz dark or semi-sweet baking chocolate
- Dip the peanut butter balls, one at a time, in the melted chocolate using a small fork. Tap the fork on the side of the bowl a few times to let the excess chocolate drip off.
- Set the balls on wax paper and drizzle with the excess chocolate if desired. Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes until the chocolate hardens.
Notes
Expert tips:
- Chill the dough if it's too soft to roll - If the dough is too soft or sticky to easily roll in your hands, pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to firm up.
- Freeze the balls before dipping in chocolate - This really helps the peanut butter balls hold their shape when dipping in the warm chocolate. It also helps the chocolate set up faster.
- Use regular peanut butter - Creamy style is best because it gives the peanut butter balls a smooth truffle-like texture. Do not use natural peanut butter becuase it's too greasy to work with.
- Use dark or semi-sweet baking chocolate - Baking chocolate melts much better than chocolate chips. I've also heard good things about Ghirardelli chocolate wafers. You can also use chocolate-flavored melting wafers, but they don't taste as good.
- Melting the chocolate - The easiest and fastest way is to melt the chocolate in the microwave. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, heat at 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth and completely melted.
- Use a small fork to dip the peanut butter balls - Using a fork allows you to quickly roll the balls in the chocolate and lift them out. Tip the fork to roll the balls onto the wax paper or use a toothpick to help slide the balls off the fork.
- Tap excess chocolate - After dipping the balls in the chocolate, tap the fork on the side of the bowl a few times to let the excess chocolate drip off so it doesn't pool on the bottom when you place the balls to set.
These are incredibly delicious, but they are far more labor intensive than the recipe indicates. It takes a fair bit of time to roll the balls and then much longer to get them properly dipped in the chocolate.
These have been relegated to Christmas-only baking because of that. I’m only willing to put in that effort once a year.
I guess I’ve been making these long enough that I can move pretty quickly with the process lol, but I hear ya, especially if you want to make them perfect. Glad you thought they were delicious and thank you for your feedback!
In all fairness, I made them yesterday and had a new plan to try and make the process go faster.
I froze them for 2 hours before starting, and I took them out of the freezer 6 at a time to roll in the chocolate. I also reheated the chocolate for 10 seconds at 50% power when it started to cool off.
The process went a LOT faster this time, and I might be convinced to make them more often. ๐
They really are delicious and a big hit with everyone.
I always add a few spoons of shortning to my chocolate, even chocolate chips melt smoothly.
Everything went well except melting my semi sweet chocolate chips. The chocolate did not melt smooth. I even added 2 tbsp of butter. what can I do.
When I put the peanut balls in it, it was not smooth and round like your picture.
Hi Gloria, it is advised in the post to use baking chocolate and not chocolate chips as they don’t melt as well. My apologies that was not clear, but other than it not looking smooth, I’m sure it still tastes great.
Sorry I tried to find this in the recipe but how many cake balls does this make? Trying to see if I need to double it.ย
No worries, it makes about 20-22 balls. Enjoy!
I used a half Tablespoon scoop to make them, just the right size to melt in the mouth, the recipe is delicious. The addition of a Tablespoon of butter into the melted chocolate does give a nice sheen to the chocolate, one day I’ll learn how to temper the chocolate to make it really shiny and crunch
Thank you for your kind words and same, I still need to master tempering. Enjoy!
Thanks for adding the gram weight for the ingredients. Using “grams” I can easily make half a batch and it’s easier to measure the peanut butter, butter and sugar.
You’re very welcome, Betty! Enjoy the PB balls!
Easy enough but I am having difficulty dipping in chocolate. The balls are losing shape after about the 4th one.
Pop them back in the freezer until frozen solid and try dipping again. Also, the chocolate could be too hot if it’s melting the balls that quickly. I hope this helps!
Better with chunky peanut butter
Interesting. I’m a smooth peanut butter kind of gal, lol. Thank you for your feedback and happy holidays!
I LOVE 4 ingredient treats! And your chocolate coating is superb (just so clean and perfect). You should do a video on how to do this, as I know a lot of people struggle making them look that smooth and nice ๐
Thank you and great suggestion, Terri!
Any tips to keep the chocolate shiny after it’s set? Thanks
I’ve heard adding a bit of butter makes chocolate shiny. So maybe stir in a tablespoon of butter to the melted chocolate and see if that helps. Good luck and let me know if that works!
We made these for gift boxes. They’re SO easy to make and so yummy that it was lucky there were enough for gifts! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re very welcome, Colleen! so glad you liked them and thank you for your kind words:)
These look perfect. My son has been asking me to make a recipe like this for ages. Thanks for the recipe, saving for later.
Thanks, Julia! I hope you and your son enjoy them:)
love the PB and chocolate combo plus these are so perfect looking!
Thanks, Nancy – much appreciated!
These are absolutely stunning Lily. I’m not a huge PB fan but the rest of my family is and they were thrilled when I made them this treat. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for your kind words, Bernice! And I’m so happy to hear your family enjoyed them:)
Going to make these for my sister Betsy when she comes for Thanksgiving! They sound so delish!!!! Love combination of chocolate and peanut butter
thank you
Yvonne
You’re very welcome and enjoy!
Haven’t had these in years so I made them the other day. I can’t stop eating them and they are even better than Reese peanut butter cups!
I agree! They don’t melt in your hands like the Reese peanut butter cups and thank you for your comment:)