This Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls recipe is my favorite candy for the Holidays and so incredibly Easy to make! These are like little Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, but in ball form.
I’m pretty much a peanut butter fanatic and love making desserts using peanut butter including out Reese’s Cookies, Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Cups, No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. If you love peanut butter like I do, you definitely want to check these out.
How To Make Peanut Butter Balls
These are a must for our Holiday cookie plates and the most requested. They are so simple to make and the kids can make these all by themselves. They might need a little bit of help on the dipping part, or things could get a bit messy.
Ingredients you will need…
- Creamy Peanut Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Butter
- Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
- (optional) Vegetable Shortening or Coconut Oil
First, you make the peanut butter dough…
Then you form the dough into balls…
Next, you dip the balls into the melted chocolate…
Now the dangerous part. Try…just try to eat one. It’s incredibly difficult because these are melt in your mouth delicious!
Add Christmas sprinkles on top of the peanut butter balls for a festive Holiday look. It’s become a family tradition to make these for holidays and parties. These are are so great because it’s a quick and easy no-bake treat when your making a gazillion other goodies. It’s a guaranteed winner for the Christmas cookie tray.
Can You Freeze Peanut Butter Balls?
Yes! These will freeze perfectly. Make sure the balls are completely set (hardened back up) and line them in a tupperware container. Add a piece of wax or parchment paper on top and repeat until full. Seal the top.
How long do They last?
You can store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
You can also drizzle extra melted chocolate on top for a different look.
Peanut Butter Ball Tips:
- You can use any nut butters for this recipe. Almond butter, cashew butter, etc…
- Make sure the balls are chilled before dipping.
- We love these Chocolate Dipping Tools, but you can always use a fork for dipping. A toothpick will also work. Expect a bit of a mess, but it will work.
- You can melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30- second increments, or over a double boiler.
- You can use chunky peanut butter instead of creamy if you prefer. We also like to add in Rice Krispies sometimes for some texture.
- Add any type of holiday sprinkles, chopped peanuts, sea salt or whatever you prefer. It’s all good!
4-ingredient Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 Tbsp salted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 Tbsp vegetable shortening or coconut oil optional
Instructions
- Mix the peanut butter and softened butter together in a mixing bowl. Gradually stir in powdered sugar until fully combined. Cover and place in the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm up.
- Using your hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place the balls on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (this will hold it's shape for dipping).
- Melt the chocolate chips according to package instructions.
- Using a fork, dip the peanut butter balls one at a time into the melted chocolate. Allow the excess chocolate to fall off. Place the chocolate balls onto wax paper, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Last Step:
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Once you try this recipe for chocolate covered peanut butter balls, it will be your go to recipe! It’s SO GOOD!
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267 comments on “4-ingredient Peanut Butter Balls”
I love your recipes! These were great! Next time I’ll thin the chocolate a bit with shortening to make it easier to dip. Definitely a keeper!
A couple of days ago, I made these. I used Nestle dark chocolate chips for the coating. They taste divine and look great, too.
This will be my go to treat! Easy, so delicious. Recommend coconut oil!
Can you tell me when to use the coconut oil? The recipe doesn’t say…
Use the coconut oil when melting the chocolate.
These were so easy to make! After spending all day on peanut butter fudge yesterday, this was a vacation, and they taste just like my grandmothers but with half the work. I LOVE this recipe.
This sounds great but you should try adding rice crispys!! Gives it an awesome crunch.
Oh, we know! https://kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com/peanut-butter-balls-with-rice-krispies/
I would love to make these tonight but I only have all natural peanut butter. Will that work?
Yes, that will work.
Oh yea – I could just sit there and eat these until my jeans ripped off my body!
Add butterscotch chips with the choc chips. Yum yum. I like them better that way, also add the rice krispies. Thank you.
I’ve been making these for years use them as Xmas gifts
I’ve been doing these for over 50 yrs. It’s a recipe my mother gave me. I’ve always used paraffin in the chocolate to make them shiny . Gonna use crisco this year
THESE ARE DELICIOUS. I LOVE THEM. ❤️
Add egual amount of butterscotch chips with the chocolate chips and add rice
krispies, awesome yum yum.
Fast, easy and looks like I bought at a bakery. Thx
Awesome I had those when I was a young girl.
I followed this recipe but the peanut butter, butter, and confectioners sugar didn’t firm up that great in the refrigerator. I had it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. It was a little too sticky and didn’t make the quantity of 24. It only made 14 peanut butter balls. Why would the mixture be so sticky? Thanks
I really like your recipes. I was wondering if you had any goods that are sugar free. My husband is diabetic and I feel bad he can’t have what I make. It would be great for all of us.
Deborah, you can use any sugar substitutes like Stevia, Monk fruit extract and others in any of our recipes. Just follow the directions on the package for the proper ratio.
Unsweetened peanut butter, powered sugar substitute, etc. All the regular things can be swapped out for diabetic friendly ingredients.
I make this all the time! My daughter has Celiac and this is her favorite treat. Easy and delish!
Do they have to be kept refrigerated? I made homemade peanut butter cups once and they just kept melting.
Hey Amy. You can store for a few days in an airtight container at room temp or refrigerate for up to a week.
I freeze mine in zip lock bags
Hi I have a dumb question. What is the optional shortening for?
Hey Patty, it just softens the chocolate coating.
I always add a little paraffin to my chocolate when melting the chocolate chips
Makes the chocolate easier to melt and stay smooth and not clump up
I’ll keep this family friendly:. These are AMAZING using infused butter.
We make these in Ohio but with a twist. When covering with chocolate, leave a small circle of the peanut butter showing. They are called Buckeyes! They look very similar to the nut of the Buckeye tree and we are the Buckeye state!
These are far the best recipe for peanut butter balls.
My grand daughter loves them and they are so easy to make, she loves helping me make them.
I changed it up just a bit by adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract in it with a little extra powdered sugar.
Both ways are delicious!
Thank you for a great recipe, I will keep it forever and generations to come.
So glad you loved it Tracie!
This is an easy go-to recipe for a quick treat or gift. I’m gonna try this with Cookie Butter next time. Mmmm.