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These creamy peanut butter balls coated in chocolate are the ultimate holiday candy. They are quick and easy to make, taste delicious, and are everyone’s favorite no-bake treat.
Here it is – the candy recipe that you have all been waiting for. I love a good cookie exchange box. Fill it with holiday favorites like thumbprint cookies, peppermint meringue cookies, chewy gingersnaps, and iced sugar cookies.
But let’s face it, the two items that always disappear first are peanut butter blossoms and these peanut butter balls. And is it any wonder why? Peanut butter and chocolate are a long-time favorite flavor combination.
In this recipe for peanut butter balls, the creamy peanut butter filling is rolled, chilled, and then dipped in a milk chocolate or dark chocolate coating. The resulting bite-size candy is entirely delicious.
Even though these candies are made from a few simple ingredients and are easy to make, there are a few tricks you can use to ensure success.
Natural peanut butter, while delicious, can be a little too oily for this recipe. The oils can make the filling too soft to hold together. So, go for a sugar-free peanut butter, but a non-natural one… and make sure it is salted, for better flavor.
Confectioners’, or powdered sugar, is what you need for this recipe. Regular granulated sugar will give a gritty taste to the filling.
Also, the confectioners’ sugar makes the filling creamy and thickens it up. If after you have mixed the ingredients together, the filling still feels too soft or sticky, just add a little more powdered sugar to thicken it up.
The best part about these candies is that they can be stored in the freezer for up to two months. So get a head start on your holiday cookie boxes now, before your to-do list gets too complicated!
Give these no bake peanut butter balls a try – they’ll disappear as quickly in your house as they will in mine. These will thrill the Reeses fan in your house. Or really anyone.
Recipe Snapshot
- TASTE: Peanut butter and chocolate – the perfect flavor combination
- TEXTURE: Creamy and delicious.
- EASE: Super easy
- TIME: A little over an hour, including chilling time.
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- Sugar-free creamy peanut butter – Add the sugar, but make sure the peanut butter is salted.
- Butter – Sweet cream unsalted butter, softened
- Vanilla extract – make your own vanilla extract or use the highest quality you can find.
- Confectioners’ sugar – This will all have creamy sweetness with no texture.
- Chocolate melting wafers – For the coating.
Recommended Tools
- Parchment paper will help you from making a mess after you have rolled the balls in the chocolate.
How to Make Peanut Butter Balls
This peanut butter balls recipe requires a little chilling time, but otherwise it is quick and easy to make.
- Cream butter and peanut butter. In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter and butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Mix in powdered sugar. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until combined. the dough will look thick like cookie dough but shouldn’t be sticky.
- Roll the dough. Roll the dough into 1.5 tablespoon-sized balls – you can scoop them out with a small cookie scoop. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Dip the peanut butter balls. Dip each ball into melted chocolate and return to the baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until hardened.
Handy tip: Use a scale
If at all possible, weigh the ingredients. It’s important to use precise measurements so the consistency of the peanut butter dough comes out properly. If it feels too soft and sticky, add more powdered sugar.
Tips For Success
Peanut butter: For the best results, use a commercial brand of peanut butter that is salted but unsweetened. Natural peanut butter can be too oily resulting peanut butter balls that are too soft to hold shape.
Confectioners’ sugar: It’s important to use powdered sugar. This thickens the dough so it can be shaped. Other sugars won’t work the same way and will leave a gritty mouth feel.
Storage & Freezing
- Keep them tightly covered and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- They also freeze well for up to 2 months. First, freeze the peanut butter balls on the baking sheet for 1 hour then transfer to a ziptop freezer bag.
More Candy Recipes
With the holidays on the horizon, it’s time to think about holiday candies to add to your cookie boxes. Here are some of my favorites.
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Printable Recipe
Peanut Butter Balls
These Peanut Butter Balls coated in chocolate are a favorite candy for the holidays. They require only 5 ingredients and are so easy to make!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 g) sugar-free creamy peanut butter, choose one that's salted
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) confectioners' sugar
- 12-ounces chocolate melting wafers
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter and butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Beat on low speed until sugar is moistened then beat on medium speed until combined. The dough will look thick like cookie dough and shouldn't be sticky.
- Scoop the mixture with a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop and roll into balls. Place the balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Chill in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Add chocolate melting wafers to a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pot filled with 1-inch of barely simmering water. Heat stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
- Dip each peanut butter ball into the melted chocolate and return to the baking sheet.
- Once all the peanut butter balls are coated, refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened, about 30 minutes.
Notes
Peanut butter: For the best results, use a commercial brand of peanut butter that is salted but unsweetened. Natural peanut butter can be too oily resulting peanut butter balls that are too soft to hold shape.
Confectioners' sugar: You must use confectioners' sugar/powdered sugar. This is used to thicken the dough so it can be shaped. Other sugars won't work the same way and will leave a gritty mouth feel.
If at all possible, weigh the ingredients. It's important to use precise measurements so the consistency of the peanut butter dough comes out properly. If it feels too soft and sticky, add more powdered sugar.
Make ahead tip
- Keep them tightly covered and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- They also freeze well for up to 2 months. First, freeze them on the baking sheet for 1 hour then transfer to a ziptop freezer bag.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 23 Serving Size: 1 candyAmount Per Serving: Calories: 233Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 102mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 4g
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients you used in the recipe.
Hello, love your website. It is absolutely necessary to use sugar free peanut butter? I don’t have any and would rather use what I have which is the natural jeff peanut butter … Thank you and look forward to your reply. Barbara
With the amount of powdered sugar in the recipe, you’ll want to use sugar-free peanut butter. Otherwise, the candies will be too sweet. I also don’t recommend using natural peanut butter. It tends to be oilier and will result in peanut butter balls that may not hold shape.