Peanut Butter Balls Recipe (2024)

Peanut Butter Balls are a favorite no bake treat! Made with smooth peanut butter and covered in chocolate they are so easy to make!

Peanut Butter Balls Recipe (1)

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.

Table of Contents

  • Easy Peanut Butter Balls Recipe
  • How to Make the Best Peanut Butter Balls
  • Ingredients for Peanut Butter Balls
  • How to Make Peanut Butter Balls
  • How to Make-Ahead, Store and Freeze Peanut Butter Balls
  • More Delicious Treats
  • Peanut Butter Balls Recipe

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, herbuckeyes were wonderful treats that I surely love still, but when Samand 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.

Peanut Butter Balls Recipe (2)

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

Peanut Butter Balls Recipe (3)
Peanut Butter Balls Recipe (4)

Mix. Mix the peanut butter, confectioners sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and salt with an electric mixer until well combined.

Peanut Butter Balls Recipe (5)

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

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Peanut Butter Balls Recipe (7)

Melt. Melt the chocolate chips and your choice of shortening or coconut oiltogether in microwave for 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes at 50 percent power.

Peanut Butter Balls Recipe (8)
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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.

Peanut Butter Balls Recipe (10)

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

Best Rice Krispies Treats

Caramel Crunch Popcorn

Peanut Brittle

Easy Fudge

Peanut Butter Balls Recipe (11)

Here’s my family recipe for these delicious peanut butter balls.

Peanut Butter Balls Recipe (12)

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Peanut Butter Balls Recipe

Robyn Stone

5 from 20 votes

Peanut Butter Balls are the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate! This no-bake peanut butter balls recipe makes a simple treat that everyone loves! These peanut butter balls are deliciously make-ahead and freezer friendly too!

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 50 pieces

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

Make-Ahead and Freezer Friendly:
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

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 66mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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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.

Categorized as:All Recipes, Chocolate, Christmas Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Freezer Friendly Recipes, Game Day Recipes, Halloween Recipes, Holiday and Occasion Recipes, New Year Recipes, Recipes, Simple Recipes, Southern Favorites

Welcome to Add A Pinch

About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

Read more about Robyn

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Peanut Butter Balls Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are peanut butter balls made of? ›

Making Peanut Butter Balls couldn't be simpler. The filling ingredients (creamy peanut butter, butter, vanilla extract, and confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar) are just mixed together, rolled into small balls, chilled, and then dipped in melted chocolate.

Why are my peanut butter balls too soft? ›

If your butter was too soft or if the peanut butter you're using is too thin, the filling can get a little soft and sticky as you're rolling. The refrigerator can fix that—stop what you're doing and chill the bowl of filling for 15 minutes in the refrigerator before trying again to roll into balls.

What can be made from peanut butter? ›

Peanut butter recipes
  • Peanut butter cheesecake. A star rating of 4.5 out of 5. ...
  • Peanut butter cake. A star rating of 4.6 out of 5. ...
  • Peanut butter cookie cups. A star rating of 4.5 out of 5. ...
  • Res kanyah. ...
  • Peanut butter brownies. ...
  • Peanut butter-stuffed French toast. ...
  • Peanut butter & jam pudding. ...
  • Peanut butter cookies.

How much wax do I add to chocolate? ›

ingredients
  1. 12 ounces chocolate, chopped into small pieces. ( Any type will do, although I am partial to Hershey's Milk Chocolate)
  2. 2 ounces canning paraffin wax, like Gulf Wax (about 1/2 bar)

Are peanut balls good for you? ›

A peanut ball can provide so many benefits to you or your child's physical therapy exercises. They can help develop and build gross motor skills, bilateral coordination, core muscle strength, postural stability and balance.

Who makes butter balls? ›

Land O'Lakes Inc. - Butter Balls.

Do buckeyes go bad? ›

Storage Tips. Make sure your buckeyes stay fresh for as long as possible! The buckeyes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep them nice and fresh. Stored in this way, they will keep for about 1 month (although good luck keeping them that long without eating them all, ha!).

Why are my buckeyes dry? ›

1. To avoid a dry, crumby dough . . . Mix together the peanut butter and butter first, and then stir in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, until you reach the right consistency. Usually about 3 cups of powdered sugar will do for approximately 1 1/2-2 cups of peanut butter.

Can you leave buckeyes out? ›

How to Store Buckeyes. Buckeyes are fine to sit out at room temperature on holiday cookie plates for up to 24 hours, though if you're keeping them around for longer than that, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator where they'll stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. Buckeyes also freeze super well.

Is it OK to mix peanut butter with milk? ›

You can absolutely add peanut butter to hot milk if you'd like to create a warm, comforting beverage. Peanut butter can melt and blend well with hot milk, creating a creamy and flavorful drink. This combination can be quite delicious and provide a good balance of protein, healthy fats, and warmth.

Can dog eat peanuts butter? ›

Dogs can eat – and many really enjoy – peanut butter. But beware, some peanut butter brands contain an ingredient called xylitol, which is toxic to dogs and even eating small amounts can be fatal. Xylitol is an artificial sweetener that is often used in foods to keep the product sugar-free.

What mixes well with peanut butter? ›

Ideas to Try:
  • Add into a bowl of oatmeal.
  • Dip apple slices in peanut butter.
  • Add banana slices to a toasted PB&J.
  • Spread on a rice cake or cracker.
  • Add to a smoothie.
  • Dip celery or carrots in peanut butter.
  • Mix with yogurt.
  • Top a stir fry with peanut butter sauce (see Peanut Noodles with Tofu recipe below).

What is the best wax for candy making? ›

Paraffin is a common ingredient in candy making as it gives chocolate its shiny coating.

Which wax is better chocolate or milk? ›

Chocolate wax is much better than the normal wax and is preferred by most women. Chocolate wax contains natural ingredients like cocoa, soybean oil, almond oil, glycerin, vitamins and olive oil. This wax is calming and does not cause as much pain as the normal wax.

What is the best melting chocolate? ›

The best chocolate for melting and hardening is couverture chocolate. Couverture chocolate contains a higher cocoa butter content, which makes it ideal for tempering—a crucial process for achieving a glossy finish and hardness. This type of chocolate ensures a smooth texture and excellent flavor.

What is the difference between a peanut ball and a regular ball? ›

The peanut ball is another type of plastic birthing ball that is used instead of a traditional birthing ball for women laboring with an epidural, as this intervention can be used for limited mobility. As the name suggests, this ball is elongated and pinched in the middle to resemble a peanut shell.

What are protein balls made of? ›

Combine the oats, protein powder, flaxseed and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in the maple syrup, vanilla extract, nut butter, milk and chocolate chips. Stir well to combine the mixture, then, using damp hands, roll it into 15 balls (they should be about 30g each).

What are peanut balls? ›

A “peanut ball” is shaped like a peanut shell, where the middle circumference is smaller than the ends. To facilitate the desired upright position for successful labor progression, a peanut ball could be placed between a woman's legs while she is limited to staying in bed (Figure 1).

What are plastic peanut butter jars made of? ›

First, plastic peanut butter jars are typically made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which does not contain bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical that has raised concerns in other plastic products. Animal studies suggest that PET doesn't leak any hormonal disruptors into food products, either.

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