Peanut Butter Balls are a favorite no bake treat! Made with smooth peanut butter and covered in chocolate they are so easy to make!
Few things go together as well as peanut butter and chocolate. It has to be one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations and one that I talk about a good bit for recipes.
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Easy Peanut Butter Balls Recipe
Growing up, my Grandmother would make little peanut butter balls that looked just like little buckeyes. She’d mix all of the ingredients together and roll the peanut butter mixture around to form these little bite-sized treats. Then, she’d carefully dip them into her chocolate, leaving just a bit of the peanut butter peeping through at the top.
Now, her buckeyes were wonderful treats that I surely love still, but when Sam and I were making them when he was younger we decided not to fool around with all that special dipping for our peanut butter balls. And by request, we decided to make them a little bit bigger.
Okay, a good bit bigger.
I don’t think she’d mind and I know she’d love the changes.
How to Make the Best Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Balls
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
For these peanut butter balls, you’ll need:
- Peanut butter – creamy peanut butter is perfect in this recipe.
- Confectioner’s sugar – this is also called powdered sugar since it is of a powdery consistency. Granulated sugar will not work here.
- Butter – Use salted or unsalted butter based on what you have. If you use salted butter, reduce the amount of salt called for in the recipe to 1/8 teaspoon.
- Vanilla extract – the vanilla extract enhances the sweetness in these peanut butter balls.
- Salt – take note of the type of butter used in the recipe and adjust the salt accordingly.
- Chocolate chips – You can use your favorite chocolate chips in this recipe: dark, milk, or semisweet. The chocolate chips are melted with vegetable shortening or coconut oil to coat the peanut butter balls.
- Oil – Use vegetable shortening or coconut oil. Coconut oil can lend a coconut flavor to items, while vegetable shortening is generally flavor-neutral.
How to Make Peanut Butter Balls
Make the Peanut Butter Mixture
Mix. Mix the peanut butter, confectioners sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and salt with an electric mixer until well combined.
Scoop. Scoop the peanut butter mixture into individual balls with a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop and place on the parchment lined baking sheet.
Chill. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes to harden.
Make the Chocolate Coating
Melt. Melt the chocolate chips and your choice of shortening or coconut oil together in microwave for 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes at 50 percent power.
Dip. Dip each hardened ball into the melted chocolate. Place each chocolate-dipped ball back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet to dry.
After the chocolate has dried, serve immediately or store accordingly.
How to Make-Ahead, Store and Freeze Peanut Butter Balls
These delicious peanut butter balls are always a favorite treat to have on hand and make such a thoughtful food gift to take to a friend!
To make ahead. Prepare as directed. Store in a cool place on the counter for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To store. Place in an airtight container in between layers of waxed or parchment paper.
To freeze. Place the balls in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and into the freezer until they have frozen, about 30 minutes to overnight. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 7 months.
To serve, simply remove from the freezer and allow to reach room temperature.
More Delicious Treats
Here’s my family recipe for these delicious peanut butter balls.
Peanut Butter Balls Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (540 g) peanut butter
- 2 cups (227 g) confectioner’s sugar
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.65 g) kosher salt
- 1 (12-ounce) package (340 g) chocolate chips, dark, milk, or semisweet
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) shortening
Instructions
- Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mix together peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, butter, vanilla extract and salt with an electric mixer until well combined. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop individual balls and place onto the parchment paper. Place in freezer for 15 minutes to harden.
- Melt chocolate chips and shortening or coconut oil together in microwave for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes at 50 % power.
- Dip each hardened peanut butter ball into the melted chocolate using a spoon and then place back onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet to dry.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Prepare peanut butter balls as directed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 7 months. Vegan:
For a vegan option for these peanut butter balls, use dairy-free chocolate chips and coconut oil in place of the butter called for in the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe time includes time for chilling to firm before dipping in the chocolate as well as the time for the chocolate to dry.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives, originally posted 2011.
Very good recipe the entire family loves them every body wants the recipe that try it out here at my house. Thank you so much
Thanks so much Tab!
DID YOU REALIZE YOUR PIN FOR “PEANUT BUTTER BALLS” IS UNDER “CORNED BEEF HASH” IN PINTEREST? JUST TO LET YOU KNOW.
Thanks Kathie – Wonder how that happened…I appreciate you letting me know!
Was so excited to try to make these but mines turned out ito be peanut butter discs . They froze as balls but melted while I was dipping so my sister got a kick out of that . So now they are in the fridge and one is all you need , guess that is a plus .Will try again !
I wonder what could have happened? Maybe the chocolate was just a bit too hot?
At least it sounds like you had a good time with your sister! Thanks so much – I hope you like them and try them again. xo
These are delicious! But don’t skip the part about freezing the rolled peanut butter ball before dipping… it’s essential! The longer you freeze, the better the results!!
Agreed! Much easier to roll from the freezer. I was heartbroken when Lindt Chocolate discontinued their peanut butter truffles! I was looking for something similar and came across this recipe. I cut the recipe in half (never again since we ate them all in one day) and used melted Lindt milk chocolate bars. So easy and delicious!
So glad you enjoy them! Thanks so much! xo
I am having problems with even getting these rolled into balls. Dough is very soft even after spending the night in Fridge. If I don’t get these made soon, I will eat all of the dough! Help! More powdered sugar???
Is the peanut butter too oily? I’d say try more sugar. Worst case, you can press it all into a jelly roll pan and spread the melted chocolate on top, freeze and cut into petit-four sized squares. Still delicious!!!
Love this simple version of the buckeyes! Who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate together!
I’m making these tonight then freezing for the holidays. (if I can keep my hands off of them!)
Have a wonderful Christmas!
I’ve had these so often always love them. Some that I’ve had seemed to have a crunch in the peanut butter. Is that because crunchy peanut butter was used or were rice crispy’s mixed in? Either way they are very addicting and am glad I only see them at the holidays.
Hi Karen,
To get the crunch you are right, you can either use chunky peanut butter or add a little crispy cereal. I hope you love these! xo
It was graham cracker…added the crunch
These are perfect!!! Peanut butter is my favorite. Love the simplicity of this tasty recipe.
Thanks so much, Jessie! I’m a peanut butter and chocolate fan myself! xo
Can we freeze right after dipping and then put them in an air tight container? Then to store can we keep them in the fridge?
I have done that before and honestly i thought they tasted way better frozen.i am not the author of this post but from experience.
These were so yummy. . .Seeing them brought back fun memories of my girls years ago (now they have “littles” of their own). When they were little, I started making my own peanut butter. . .Often I would make PB balls, similar to yours, for their snacking but rolled them in different things like granola or chopped nuts, and of course chocolate for a treat. . .they loved them !! We all did. You reminded me of a fun time many years ago. . .and that I should really make again, for my “grand-littles” this time, and of course. . .for the “BIG” kids too.
I love this, Sandy! Made me smile! 🙂
Merry Christmas!