These no-bake peanut butter balls are the perfect salty snack! You only need a few simple ingredients, they’re easy to make, and every bite is pure peanut butter pleasure.
Add a few festive sprinkles and you’ve got the perfect dessert for the holiday season. They can be made ahead of time, they’re easy to transport, and people devour them!
As a peanut butter lover, I’m a huge fan of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. These are better! The filling is very smooth and creamy, and has lots of peanut butter flavor.
And using real chocolate makes it richer instead of overly sweet. My favorite is to use half milk and half semisweet chocolate. Delicious!
How to make:
Peanut Butter Filling – Mix the softened butter and peanut butter in a mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix until smooth and crumbly. 
Form – Cool until firm enough to roll. Use a small cookie scoop to portion the peanut butter dough; Roll into 1-inch or smaller balls. Cool while the chocolate melts. 
Chocolate coating – Place the chocolate in a glass bowl, then melt it at half power, stirring for 30 seconds until smooth. (If using chocolate chips, melt the coconut oil in the bowl first.) Dip Them – Dip the balls one at a time into the melted chocolate. Shake off excess chocolate, then place the dipped balls on silicone mats or parchment paper. 
Icing – If you want sprinkles, you need to add them very quickly after dipping. Chocolate is prepared very quickly. 
You can store these old-fashioned peanut butter balls in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, or in the refrigerator for a few weeks. I recommend placing wax paper or parchment paper between the layers.
What do you do with leftover melted chocolate?
There’s always a little chocolate left over after dipping peanut butter balls (or any candy for that matter). The easiest way to use it is to simply add some roasted almonds, peanuts, cashews, or any combination of nuts.
Spoon them onto the silicone mats and let them prepare for the best nut clusters ever!
Pro Tips:
If you are using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the filling. Make sure the balls are cooled before dipping them. Not only does this help them maintain their shape, but it also helps the chocolate to prepare in just minutes. Since you use so few ingredients, quality is important. A quality chocolate bar may be a little thicker than a candy melt for dipping, but the flavor is so much better! Never let water get into melted chocolate, it will solidify. If it is too thick, reheat for a few seconds, or add some oil.
Differences:
I actually like to add 1/2 cup of finely ground graham cracker crumbs. They add great crunch and flavor. You can also try dipping peanut butter balls in almond bark or melted white chocolate bars. I find it too sweet with white chocolate, but my kids love it. If you want to use crunchy peanut butter, add an additional 1/4-1/3 cup or else the filling will be too crumbly. Instead of sprinkles, try drizzling the tops of the balls with melted chocolate. I like to use contrasting colors. So for the milk chocolate peanut butter balls, I use a dark chocolate drizzle, and vice versa.
More no-bake desserts:
Yield: 3 dozen
Peanut butter balls recipe
Everyone loves no-bake chocolate and peanut butter balls, and you only need 5 ingredients! Watch them disappear no matter where you serve them!
Prep time
30 minutes
Extra time
30 minutes
Total time
1 hour
ingredients
6 tablespoons salted butter, very soft 1 cup creamy peanut butter 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar? (confectioners’ sugar) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch salt 12 oz* milk chocolate (or semisweet chocolate), chopped
directions
In a large bowl, mix the butter and peanut butter together until there are no lumps of butter. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix with a spoon or your hands until the ingredients are well combined. Wrap the peanut butter filling in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until firm enough to form balls. (You can refrigerate it for 2-3 days.) Scoop the peanut butter mixture and roll it into small balls. I used a 1/2 oz cookie scoop. Refrigerate the peanut butter balls for about 15 minutes. Melt the chocolate at half power in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Use a teaspoon, plastic fork, or dipping tool to dip each ball into the melted chocolate. Press the spoon against the side of the bowl and let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Use a toothpick to push the bottom of the chocolate ball off the spoon onto the silicone mat or parchment paper. Quickly decorate the dipped balls with sprinkles before the chocolate hardens. I find that I can usually do 3-4 reps at a time. Since the peanut butter filling is cold, the chocolate should set quickly.
Notes
*I like to use high-quality chocolate bars like Ghirardelli or Baker’s. Dipping chocolate works well too. You can use chocolate chips, but you may need to add a teaspoon or two of melted coconut or vegetable oil to get the right consistency for the dipping. Candy melts can also be used, but I don’t think they have the same great chocolate flavor.
– You can store the chocolate covered peanut butter balls at room temperature for 2-3 days, but they can be kept in the refrigerator for at least two weeks. You can also freeze them for 3-4 months and let them thaw at room temperature when ready to serve.
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Nutrition information:
fruit:
36
Serving Size:
1
Amount per serving:
Calories: 137Total fat: 8 gramsSaturated fat: 4 gramsTrans fats: 0 gramsUnsaturated fats: 4 gramsCholesterol: 7 mgSodium: 61 mgCarbohydrates: 14 gramsFiber: 1 gramsugar: 12 gramsprotein: 2 grams
This chocolate peanut butter balls recipe only requires 5 ingredients, but it tastes absolutely incredible! We love them any time of year, but they’re always a holiday favorite. 🙂
