Peanut Butter Balls have only four simple ingredients and are super easy to make, albeit a bit time-consuming. If you like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, you'll love these peanut butter balls! They are the ultimate peanut butter and chocolate treat and a perfect candy to make for the holidays or anytime you want to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Whether enjoyed as a festive holiday gift or a personal indulgence, chocolate-covered peanut butter balls are a favorite of everyone.
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Bite-Sized Peanut Butter Balls versus Buckeyes
These bite-sized confections resemble the well-known Buckeye recipe. This recipe differs because the peanut butter mixture is completely covered in chocolate.
Many people tend to make the peanut butter balls too big. To make them truly bite-sized, I like to roll the peanut butter mixture into small balls, no more than 1 inch in diameter.
Ingredients: Here's What You'll Need
I got my recipe for these chocolate-covered treats from a candy-making class Susan and I took years ago. In that class, we made peanut butter cups. I thought the peanut butter mixture had the perfect balance of the simple ingredients.
Here's what you'll need:
- Peanut Butter: A 16-ounce jar of Jif Extra Crunchy peanut butter adds the perfect texture and flavor to these treats.
- Unsalted Butter: Half a cup or four ounces of unsalted butter at room temperature helps achieve a creamy consistency when mixed with peanut butter.
- Confectioners' Sugar: Three and a half cups of confectioners' sugar, also known as powdered sugar, sweetens the mixture and contributes to its smooth structure.
- Chocolate Candy Coating: You have some excellent choices for the coating. I use Ghirardelli Dark Melting Wafers because of their rich flavor and seamless melting properties.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Make Peanut Butter Balls
Chocolate-covered Peanut Butter Balls are an easy candy recipe with amazing results. This guide will walk you through making these all-time favorite peanut butter bites, perfect for any occasion.
- Beat the Butters: As a first step, I beat room temperature butter with the peanut butter in a medium bowl until the mixture was smooth. I like the crunch of peanuts, so I always use Jif Extra Crunchy peanut butter, but you could just as easily use creamy peanut butter.
- Add Confectioners' Sugar: I added the confectioners' sugar to the peanut butter mixture.
- Creating the Crumbly Mixture: First, I combined the ingredients using an electric mixer and then kneaded the mixture using my hands. A word of caution—the mixture is very crumbly.
- Shape into Balls: When I make the peanut butter balls, I keep them small to make them more bite-sized. Therefore, I used my smallest ice cream scoop to divide the crumbly mixture. Then, I kneaded the crumbly mixture before rolling it into a small ball.
I weighed the mixture. Each ball weighed between 9 and 10 grams and was about the size of a quarter - less than 1 inch in diameter. I know - I'm a foodie nerd!
- After rolling the balls, I placed them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sometimes, I use wax paper in place of parchment paper. I'll admit that rolling the small balls is a bit tedious, but it's worth the effort.
Final Step - Dipping in Chocolate
Next comes the tedious part - dipping each ball in the chocolate coating, which has been melted in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. The bottom of the pan mustn't touch the water or boil.
Through the years, I've found that using a toothpick is the best way to dip the peanut butter balls. I have another toothpick handy to help remove the dipped peanut butter ball after allowing the excess chocolate to drip into the pan.
I don't worry too much about initially fully coating these tasty treats. Drizzling a bit more chocolate on top of the peanut butter balls to coat them fully is easy enough.
Specifically, I use coated balls to dab additional chocolate with the exposed mixture on the peanut butter balls.
I placed each dipped piece of candy on parchment-lined baking sheets to allow the chocolate to set fully.
The result is around 80 delicious peanut butter balls. When I give them as gifts, I roll the individual peanut butter balls in colored foil.
As the festive holiday season approaches, I always turn to my favorite candy, which perfectly combines peanut butter and chocolate.
This easy treat is one of the most requested candies I make for the holidays. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
The peanut butter balls should last several weeks if stored in an airtight container.
I've been making these peanut butter balls for as long as I can remember and have never refrigerated them.
I would recommend against using chocolate chips because they don't harden the same way as candy melts. However, if you have to use chocolate chips, temper the chocolate (melt at a low temperature) and add about a tablespoon of shortening.
Tips for Success
- Weighing for Consistency: If you've looked at many of my recipes, you've probably noticed that I typically include ingredient weights. This recipe is no exception regarding the confectioners' sugar. Weighing the ingredients is necessary to achieve the proper consistency of the peanut butter balls time after time.
- Using Toothpicks to Dip for Easier Handling: Through the years, I've tried several different techniques to dip the peanut butter balls in the melted chocolate coating. I've found that toothpicks work the best, at least for me. Generally, after dipping a peanut butter ball using a toothpick, there is a hole at the top, and sometimes the top isn't completely covered. I take the next dipped peanut butter ball and dab it on top of the previous peanut butter ball to cover the hole completely.
- Perfect as Is: This is Susan's absolute favorite Christmas candy. Every year, before I make the peanut butter balls, I ask whether I should try a variation, like adding Rice Krispies or using creamy peanut butter. The resounding answer is no—they're perfect as is.
- Bite-Sized Confections: In my opinion, the biggest mistake people make when preparing peanut butter balls is forming them too large. I like my peanut butter balls to be one-bite confections.
- I Only Use Jif Extra Crunchy: I've not experimented with using different brands of peanut butter and don't intend to. The Jif Extra Crunchy peanut butter is perfect for this recipe.
- Added Bonus: The peanut butter mixture used in this recipe is perfect for my chocolate-dipped peanut butter bugles and copycat homemade tagalongs.
Other Christmas Edible Treats
Look no further if you're looking for homemade edible gifts for this time of year. Here are some of my favorites.
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Easy Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls (Perfect Holiday Gift)
Equipment
- Double boiler for the melted chocolate
- Electric hand mixder
- Kitchen scale
Ingredients
- 16 ounce jar crunchy or creamy peanut butter (See Tip 1)
- ½ cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 ½ cups (14 ounces) confectioners' sugar
- 3 cups chocolate melting wafers, melted (See Tip 2)
Instructions
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or wax paper. Set aside.
- Beat peanut butter and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar. Beat on low to begin to combine the ingredients. Finish by kneading by hand until thoroughly mixed. The mixture will be crumbly. Roll into balls about the size of a quarter, 9 to 10 grams each; place balls on the prepared pan. (See Tip 3)
- Meanwhile, melt chocolate wafers in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water; stir until smooth. Insert a toothpick in the top of peanut butter balls and dip into chocolate. Let excess chocolate drip off. Place the coated balls on the prepared pan; drizzle a small amount of chocolate on top of the balls to cover the hole made by the toothpick. Let cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
- Yield: 80 to 90 peanut butter balls.
Video
Tips/Notes
- My original recipe from years ago called for an 18-ounce jar of peanut butter. The manufacturer has reduced the size of the jar to 16 ounces, so the recipe has been modified to accommodate the smaller jar.
- You may use 3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips melted with 1 tablespoon of shortening in place of chocolate candy coating. However, based on my experience, the chocolate melting wafers produce a coating that hardens better than chocolate chips.
- To ensure that the peanut butter balls are all the same size, I always weigh the individual peanut butter balls before dipping them in chocolate. For me, the perfect size is between 9 and 10 grams. I know that it's tedious, but it always produces picture perfect peanut butter balls that are truly bite-size!
Nutrition
This was first posted on December 22, 2014. At that time, a jar of peanut butter contained 18 ounces. Therefore, the recipe at that time was based on an 18 ounce jar of peanut butter. Now, the peanut butter comes in 16 ounce jars. The recipe below has been modified for the smaller jar of peanut butter.
