Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
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These Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls are certainly an old favorite and much better than anything you will find in the candy aisle.
Are there ever enough Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls to go around? I don’t think so. Chocolate and peanut butter is a combination that’s hard to beat, don’t you think? These easy treats are perfect for parties or as a surprise for any chocolate and peanut butter lover. Watch them disappear!
Plus, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls couldn’t be easier to make. Really. Dipping treats in chocolate may be intimidating to some, but once you try it a couple of times, it is really very easy. I promise. Be sure to check out the Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls Recipe notes below for all kinds of helpful tips.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls recipe notes:
- Make sure there is room in the fridge for chilling a baking sheet of these. Chilling is important!
- The peanut butter dough can be made ahead, tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for a couple of days until ready to form the balls.
- Finished peanut butter “dough” should be firm enough to make a ball that holds together. Additional powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) may be needed. Just add a tablespoon or so until the correct consistency is reached.
- Warm hands will make the dough soften. If dough begins to soften, return the dough to refrigerator to firm back up for a little while. The same can be said for working in a warm space. If it’s hot where you are, you may need to keep returning the dough to the refrigerator, and/or add more powdered sugar to thicken up dough.
- A wooden skewer or thick toothpick will help for dipping the peanut butter balls in chocolate. Once dipped and excess chocolate has dripped off, slide a fork under the ball (skewer between tines) and pull the skewer out from below, while holding ball with fork. Then use skewer to gently push ball off of fork onto lined baking pan.
- For chocolate dipping, try this tip I learned from my friend, Bakerella. Once dipped in chocolate, while holding the skewered peanut butter ball over container of melted chocolate, gently tap your wrist or hand with your other hand until the excess chocolate drips off. I thought it was an odd thing to tap my wrist or arm instead of just shake the stuff off, until I tried it. Works like a charm!
- Peanut Butter treats always makes me feel sad for those that are allergic to peanut butter. For those with peanut allergies (and those who like almonds) check out these Chocolate Almond Butter Balls.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls Recipe
Chocolate and peanut butter are an all-time favorite combo for many of us, plus, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls couldn't be easier to make.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (substitute other nut butters, if needed)
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 1 cup+ powdered sugar
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Mix peanut butter and butter together in a mixing bowl. Gradually stir in powdered sugar until combined well into a dough ball. If needed, add more powdered sugar a little at a time until mixture holds together in a large ball. Cover and let peanut butter dough sit for about 15 minutes to firm up, or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to form balls.
- Shape into 1-inch balls, place on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to allow to firm up. Dough balls should hold shape before dipping in chocolate. Add more refrigeration time if necessary.
- Melt chocolate according to package instructions.
- Dip peanut butter balls one at a time into melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper lined baking sheet, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- The peanut butter dough can be made ahead, tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for a couple of days until ready to form the balls. Once peanut butter balls are formed, they can also be covered in plastic wrap ad refrigerated until ready to dip in chocolate.
- Finished peanut butter "dough" should be firm enough to make a ball that holds together. Additional powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) may be needed. Just add a tablespoon or so until the correct consistency is reached. If peanut butter dough seems too soft, tightly wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for about 20 minutes to firm up before forming balls.
- Warm hands will make the dough soften. If dough begins to soften, return the dough to refrigerator to firm back up for a little while. The same can be said for working in a warm space. If it's hot where you are, you may need to keep returning the dough to the refrigerator, and/or add more powdered sugar to thicken up dough.
- If concerned with peanut allergies, substitute an almond butter or other nut butter that is allowed for the peanut butter.
They look fabulous! Stumbled upon this and went to the store to get the ingredients! It’s a must make!!
I hope you enjoy them, Mollie!
Can I freeze the peanut butter balls ahead so I can dip later?
Yes, you can. Just keep them covered with plastic wrap or in a ziptop plastic bag.
How long will they keep in the frig? I am making some today for a party on the 18th. I am really going to try to not keep eating them.
I’m not sure they will last as long as the 18th refrigerated. You can freeze them in a ziptop plastic bag.
How long will they stay good storing in the freezer?
I love the photography. These looks very yummy. Going to make them tomorrow with the kids. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Do these have to be stored in the refrigerator or would they be okay stored at room temperature? I would like to give them as a gift and would like to have them wrapped up if possible..
They should be okay stored at room temperature, assuming it’s not a hot room.
My grandmother made these when I was a little girl, and I loved them. However, I improved on the recipe by using cashew butter, and chopped cashews. Everybody wants more and I can’t stop eating the darn things.
That sounds delicious, Shirley! I’ve also made these using almond butter (recipe is here on the site) and I kind of like them better.
How many do you get out of one batch? I live in Norway, and are going to make these for christmas.
Absolutely cannot wait to make these for my love and his family! He loves peanut butter 🙂
I hope y’all enjoy them, Kathryn!
They were delicious!!! Made some for my coworkers, and was told how wonderful they were! Thank you!
I’ve lost my old recipe for peanut butter balls! They had the same basic ingredients as this recipe but they also had chopped walnuts or pecans, chopped dates and chopped candied cherries. These added flavors made it hard to stop eating them! I just can’t seem to remember the quantities. I guess there’ll be a few extra batches being made this year until I can get it right.
Help I doubled the recipe and the peanut butter mixture is super sticky. Should I just put it in the fridge for a bit? I’ve added extra powdered sugar.
Yes, I would try to firm it up a bit by letting it cool down in the fridge.
Thank you! I did add some extra icing sugar and refrigerated. They turned out wonderfully! The best I’ve ever had ????
Yay! Happy to hear you enjoyed them as much as we do, Ceri.
Loved this recipe and decided to try a new and exciting difference. Half creamy peanut butter and half cookie butter. We are callng them Peanut Cookie butter Balls!
Oh wow! That sounds fabulous, Tara.
I love these!!!!!! Yay!
Random side note.. To thicken peanutbutter dough, unlike using a brand called PB2 it is powdered peanutbutter!!!!! Will thicken like the sugar without adding more sweet!!!
So love these tho!!! Nom nom nommmmmm!
I like… Stupid fingers got excited
Just made these twice and they turned out terribly. The melted chocolate was much to thick, and the balls fell apart while being dipped. On the second try I spooned chocolate onto the balls, which worked okay but 8 oz was not nearly enough chocolate chips to cover them, and when they were done, they didn’t even taste very good. Much too sweet, gross! Will be finding recipes elsewhere in the future.
Maybe it was your error and not the recipie. Just sayin.
I just made some and they are awesome!! I used a hole bag of chips and put peanuts in the left over chocolate spread on a sheet. Double peanut Christmas snacking pleasure!! Thanks for the guidance!
I made h dough for these the day before Xmas eve and never dipped them. The dough is still wrapped in plastic and in my fridge. How long do you think the dough lasts??? I’m unsure if I should use this dough or make a new batch. Thoughts?
Hmmm … I’m not exactly sure how long it lasts, but I would make a new batch.
Just a thought…..If it were me I wouldn’t worry so much about the “dough” going bad in the fridge. Peanut butter and sugar sit on our shelves ….how long? If there were raw eggs or milk in the recipe I would be concerned, but not with just the three ingredients listed in the recipe for the dough. So glad i found this recipe! It’s been a few years since I have made pb balls and can’t find my old recipe!!!
THANK YOU!
This will be my 4th time making these. Thank you so much much for the recipe. I use natural peanut butter. Crunchy works well also. They keep well in the freezer.
I have made these at Christmas for more than 20 years. Mine also have crushed Rice Krispies in them. I usually double or triple and have made as many as 250 at a time. I roll them and put them on waxed paper lined sheets and freeze them overnight. Then I dip them when froze and it goes super fast. I then put them back in freezer to set. I always store in freezer and they will keep at least 6 months