Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls
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Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls are PERFECT for the holidays, made with peanut butter, vanilla, and confectioners sugar, dipped in melted chocolate and decorated with more chocolate and sprinkles!
For more recipe ideas this holiday season, check out this Homemade Christmas Chex Mix, Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies, and Gingerbread Cupcakes!
Chocolate peanut butter balls are made with a simple handful of ingredients, and are the perfect sweet treats for a holiday party! They do take a little more prep time to put together, because you have to roll out each ball, but they’re not complicated to make.
The combination of peanut butter and powdered sugar dipped in chocolate will remind you of peanut butter cups! Plus this candy recipe is a fun activity for the family. These no-bake peanut butter balls will become a new family tradition around the holidays!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Peanut Butter. For this recipe, you need creamy peanut butter. I recommend using regular instead of natural peanut butter, because the natural tends to separate and may not hold together as well.
Powdered Sugar. The powdered sugar mixes with the peanut butter to create a filling that’s similar to a frosting, but thicker. It adds a lot of sweetness, making the peanut butter filling really indulgent.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. I like to use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips for this recipe. You can also decorate with melted white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips.
Shortening. The shortening helps keep the chocolate chips smooth and creamy once melted.
Unsalted Butter. This helps add some flavor to the filling, and also helps with the creamy texture. I always go with unsalted butter, so I can control the level of salt in the recipe.
Vanilla Extract. This is added for flavor. You can also try other flavors, like a few drops of peppermint extract in the chocolate coating.
Salt. You can use salt to balance out the sweetness in dessert recipes, along with flakey salt decoratively on the top for flavor and presentation.
How to Make Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls
- In a large bowl or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix together the softened butter, vanilla extract, salt, and peanut butter until well-combined.
- On medium speed, add 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until everything is mixed together. The peanut butter mixture will look crumbly, which is normal. Use a rubber spatula to scrape around the bottom and sides of the bowl, to make sure everything is well-mixed together.
- Using your hands, roll 1-inch balls and place them on a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes before coating in chocolate.
- Add the chocolate chips and shortening to a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until chocolate chips are melted and smooth (about 2 minutes). Use a fork to dip each peanut butter ball into the chocolate, letting excess chocolate drip off, gently scraping the bottom of the fork against the bowl. Place the coated peanut butter ball on the sheet pan, repeating with each ball. Allow the chocolate to harden before serving, about 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your chocolate peanut butter balls are too soft, it’s most likely because they’re too warm. Try putting the peanut butter balls in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, especially if you haven’t dipped them in chocolate yet.
I recommend using a small cookie scoop to help measure out the peanut butter dough. It will ensure that you roll out the same amount each time, and the button on the scoop helps release the filling if it sticks.
More Chocolate Recipes
- Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- Double Chocolate Donuts
- Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
- Chocolate Coffee Cake
Storage
Refrigerate for up to a week in an airtight container. Use parchment paper between layers to keep the balls from sticking to each other.
Freeze these no-bake chocolate peanut butter balls for up to a month. Place the balls on a sheet pan and freeze for about an hour. Then transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator before serving.
Peanut Butter Balls Recipe Variations
- Make this with white chocolate or dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate!
- Try adding a small amount of cinnamon to the melted chocolate for added flavor.
- Add a small amount of pumpkin pie spice to the peanut butter mixture. Then coat the peanut butter balls in white chocolate, and drizzle with extra white chocolate with orange food coloring for a Halloween look!
- After the peanut butter filling is totally mixed together, add 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips and stir everything together for some chocolate crunch in the filling.
Cooking Tips
- Refrigerating the peanut butter balls before dipping them in the warm chocolate helps them maintain their shape. Don’t skip this step!
- I prefer to melt the chocolate chips in the microwave. I set it for 2 minutes, and every 30 seconds I stop the microwave and stir the chocolate chips to make sure they don’t burn. You can also use a double boiler, but that method will take a lot longer.
- You need to use regular creamy peanut butter for this recipe. Natural peanut butter separates from the oil, and can be an issue for this recipe. Crunchy peanut butter doesn’t mix well with the powdered sugar.
- If you store these in a container, place a piece of parchment paper between each layer to keep them from sticking together.
- When dipping the peanut butter balls into chocolate, use a fork and scrape the bottom of the fork on the side of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate that may pool on the baking sheet.
- A stand mixer is the easiest way to do this, but you can also use an electric hand mixer. Use a deep bowl, to stop the powdered sugar from flying. You can also work everything together with your hands.
- I use a parchment-lined baking sheet to help prevent the chocolate from sticking while it sets. Don’t use oil to prevent sticking, or the chocolate ball will be oily on the bottom.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups peanut butter, creamy (regular, not natural)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon shortening
Equipment
- 1 Sheet pan
- 1 Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix together the butter, vanilla, salt, and peanut butter until combined.
- On medium speed, add 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, waiting until it's combined before adding the next cup. The peanut butter mixture will look crumbly. Use a rubber spatula to scrape around the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed in.
- Using your hands, roll 1-inch balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
- Add the chocolate chips and shortening to a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until chocolate chips are melted and smooth (about 2 minutes).
- Use a fork to dip each peanut butter ball into the chocolate, letting excess chocolate drip off, gently scraping the bottom of the fork against the bowl. Place the chocolate coated peanut butter balls back onto the sheet pan.
- Allow the chocolate balls to set in the refrigerator, about 30 minutes.
Notes
- These are made of peanut butter, so they’re going to be higher in calories. Cut them down by making them half the size.
- Refrigerating first helps the peanut butter balls maintain their shape when dipping in the warm chocolate. Don’t skip this step!
- I prefer to melt the chocolate chips in the microwave. I set it for 2 minutes, and every 30 seconds I stop the microwave and stir the chocolate and shortening together to make sure the chocolate chips don’t burn.
- You need to use regular creamy peanut butter for this recipe. Natural peanut butter separates from the oil, and can be an issue for this recipe. Crunchy peanut butter doesn’t mix well with the powdered sugar.
- A stand mixer is the easiest way to do this, but you can also use an electric hand mixer, or work everything together with your hands.
- I use a parchment-lined baking sheet to help prevent the chocolate from sticking while it sets. Don’t use oil to prevent sticking, or the chocolate balls will be oily on the bottom.
Nutrition
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