This is my family's old-fashioned recipe! Peanut Butter Balls are perfect for New England holiday gift giving; easy to make and a no-bake treat.
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This recipe for Peanut Butter Balls is one of my all-time favorites. I loved making them as a kid, and still love to make them now.
Peanut Butter Balls have a shell of smooth chocolate and a sweet, peanut butter filling. It's a no-bake recipe that's perfect to give as a holiday gift. And, they're fun to make with kids!
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: Our family's favorite, old-fashioned, no-bake Peanut Butter Balls recipe. They're a Christmastime staple and honestly wonderful any time of the year—sweet peanut butter centers with a chocolatey coating.
- You'll love this part: These treats are so easy to make and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Make the candies for holiday cookie trays or to share with friends.
- How it's made: Cream together the sweetened peanut butter filling, roll the mixture into balls, and chill them. Then, dip the balls in melted chocolate.
Jump to:
- Notes from fellow cooks:
- No-bake Peanut Butter Balls: a New England holiday classic
- What are peanut butter balls made of?
- What's the difference between Peanut Butter Balls and buckeyes?
- Why you'll love this recipe for Peanut Butter Balls
- 🔪 How to make Peanut Butter Balls
- Peanut Butter Balls FAQs
- Tips:
- Don't just take my word for it...
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Notes from fellow cooks:
"Loved the texture and flavor... they looked great when I just drizzled chocolate as well. I thank you! —A.M.B.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No-bake Peanut Butter Balls: a New England holiday classic
Even though the ingredients are on hand year-round, to my family, they're a favorite holiday treat. My sister and I always looked forward to finding chocolate-covered peanut butter balls in a tall, glass jar at our grandparents' house.
One December, my sister and I ate all but two or three! (We stopped when we were caught, literally with our hands in the peanut butter ball jar.)
If you like to make goodies during the holidays, like cakes and Christmas cookies, easy, chocolate-covered peanut butter balls are a wonderful recipe to add to the mix.
Here's another fun one to make for the holidays: Peanut Butter Macaroons.
What are peanut butter balls made of?
Old-fashioned peanut butter balls are a kind of candy made with peanut butter (of course,) butter, and powdered sugar. When blended, they create a smooth, sweet dough that can be shaped into balls and then covered in chocolate.
What's the difference between Peanut Butter Balls and buckeyes?
If you love buckeyes, then these treats probably look pretty familiar! Buckeye candies are also made with a sweetened peanut butter filling coated in chocolate—except that a little bit of the peanut butter is left peeking out at the top. This makes it resemble a buckeye nut, from the state tree of Ohio, where buckeye candies were created.
The flavor of the two candies is pretty much the same. Other names for peanut butter balls include peanut butter bonbons and peanut butter truffles.
Chocolate, Granola, and Peanut Butter Bites is another recipe you should really check out!
Why you'll love this recipe for Peanut Butter Balls
Make homemade chocolate peanut butter balls for your own candy jar, for holiday exchanges, to send to loved ones, and even for bake sales. If you have peanut butter lovers on your gift list, they'll be so excited to get these.
No ovens or candy thermometers are needed, so it's easy to make these candies with kids helping by your side—especially rolling out all the balls. An adult can help melt the chocolate on the stovetop and then set the pan on the workspace for coating the candies.
The recipe makes several dozen, so you'll have plenty to share and enjoy.
In my opinion, our family recipe for Christmas peanut butter balls is THE BEST, and that's why I'm sharing it with you!
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🔪 How to make Peanut Butter Balls
Peanut Butter Balls Ingredients:
- Peanut Butter: Use a good creamy peanut butter like Skippy or JIF. Natural peanut butter won't work here because they're too oily.
- Butter: This is blended with peanut butter to make a creamy texture.
- Powdered Sugar: For sweetness and to turn the peanut butter into a dough that can be shaped.
- Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla for the best flavor.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Baking bars of chocolate will melt the best.
- Vegetable Shortening: Just a little helps the chocolate coating firm up.
Mix the peanut butter filling
Cream together the sugar, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla. Shape the filling into small balls.
Refrigerate them until they're firm.
Melt the chocolate
Place the chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler. Stir the chocolate until it's melted and smooth.
Dip them into the chocolate
Lower the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate using a dipping tool, toothpick, or the tines of a fork.
Let them set
Place them on a wax paper-lined pan. Allow them to cool and set for about 2 hours.
Peanut Butter Balls FAQs
Choose a creamy peanut butter with a good, peanutty flavor. I like Skippy, and Jif is good, too. If you want peanut butter balls with texture, you can use crunchy peanut butter. Flavored peanut butters would be fun in these candies, also.
No, I don't recommend this. In natural peanut butter, the emulsion is less stable, which is why it's so oily. This will make peanut butter balls sticky, and they won't hold their shape.
No. Although paraffin wax was part of my old family recipe, I no longer use it in my peanut butter balls. Adding wax is a way to get dipping chocolate to harden quickly and with some shine. Instead, I add just a little vegetable shortening to the melted chocolate.
(I remember dropping pieces of wax into the melting chocolate as a kid. So I guess we ate a fair amount of wax every Christmas, but hey, we turned out okay!)
Chilling them first will help the candies hold their shape. To coat the peanut butter balls, you can lower them into the melted chocolate on the tines of a fork or use candy dipping tools like these. Another way is to poke a toothpick into the ball and use it to lower into the chocolate. (That's what we did as kids.)
Peanut Butter Balls can be stored in the fridge or at room temperature; they last slightly longer when refrigerated. Keep in mind that once chilled, if you move the candies back to a room temperature location, the chocolate coating may have grey splotches or streaks; this happens when chocolate is exposed to temperature changes.
Your Peanut Butter Balls will last for about five days when stored covered at room temperature, or for about a week when refrigerated.
Yes! Once the chocolate is firm, place the peanut butter balls in a single layer in a freezer-proof resealable bag. Press out all the air and seal it. Store them in the freezer for up to three months. To thaw, move the container to the fridge the night before you want to eat them. After freezing, the thawed candies should be stored in the refrigerator.
Tips:
- Use semisweet baking chocolate for the best texture when the chocolate is melted. Use a good quality like Ghirardelli or Callebaut if possible.
- I don't recommend using chocolate chips. They're made with stabilizers that prevent the chocolate from melting as smoothly as baking chocolate.
- I like semisweet chocolate as a coating but dark chocolate chocolate would also be delicious. You can also try coating the peanut butter balls with white or milk chocolates—just keep in mind that they'll be super sweet!
Don't just take my word for it...
"Oh my, these peanut butter balls are amazing! — Michael E.
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Ready for a delicious candy that you will find irresistibly sweet and delicious?
The recipe for chocolate-covered Peanut Butter Balls is below, and here are some other treats to tempt you:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Peanut Butter Balls
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Equipment
- A stand or hand mixer
- 2 baking sheets
- Wax or parchment paper
- A fridge for chilling
- Double-boiler, or heat-proof bowl to set over a pan
- Dipping tool, a fork, or toothpicks
Ingredients
- 1 pound confectioner's sugar (about 4 cups)
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup butter, unsalted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
Instructions
Make the peanut butter filling:
- Have ready a large baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper.
- Cream together the confectioners sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla.
Roll the balls:
- Use your hands to roll 1½-inch balls from this mixture, placing them onto the prepared baking sheet. (You can also use a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, and then roll the ball quickly in your hands to smooth it.)
- Refrigerate the balls for 3-4 hours until they are very firm.
Melt the chocolate:
- In the top of a double-boiler, heat and stir the chocolate and the vegetable shortening until they're melted and smooth.
- Have another sheet of wax or parchment paper ready on a baking sheet where you will place the chocolate-coated balls.
Dip the peanut butter balls:
- Spear a chilled peanut butter ball with a toothpick, or use a candy dipping tool or place it on the tines of a fork.
- Lower it into the melted chocolate. Coat it thoroughly, using a spoon if necessary. to get the entire surface covered.
- Place the ball on the wax paper. Repeat these steps with all of the peanut butter balls.
- Allow them to cool for 1-2 hours until the chocolate is set.
Store:
- Store the balls in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days—if by some remarkable chance they do not all get eaten in the first 24 hours!
- You can also store the peanut butter balls in the fridge for up to one week.
- To store them in the freezer, place them in a single layer in a freezer-proof resealable bag with all the air pressed out. They'll keep for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Use semisweet baking chocolate for the best texture when the chocolate is melted. Use a good quality like Ghirardelli or Callebaut if possible.
- I don't recommend using chocolate chips. They're made with stabilizers that prevent the chocolate from melting as smoothly as baking chocolate.
- I like semisweet chocolate as a coating but dark chocolate would also be delicious. You can also try coating the peanut butter balls with white or milk chocolates—just keep in mind that they'll be super sweet!
Nutrition
carolyn taaning says
can shortening be substituted? like coconut oil or?
I am planning to cover frozen figs,, soaked in spiced rum and want to coat with chocolate
The peanut butter balls great for kids birthdays.
Thanks
Nancy Mock says
Hi Carolyn, The shortening in the chocolate is just there to make the chocolate a little shinier once set, and to help it set more quickly. I haven't experimented with other fats, but you might be able to add a little coconut oil to the chocolate to get similar results. Or, you can just leave the shortening out altogether. If you do try to substitute coconut oil, I suggest adding it to just a little chocolate to start and test-dip a couple of your figs to see how it goes. Best of luck to you!
Lea says
What type of vegetable shortening can be used in this recipe?
Nancy Mock says
Hi Lea! I use Crisco vegetable shortening, or a store brand version. (The solid-at-room-temperature shortening.) I hope you like the Peanut Butter Balls!
AM Boltz says
Loved the texture and flavor... a bit sticky to roll, may-be I did not add enough 10x sugar, or I should have chilled before rolling..... They looked great when I just drizzled chocolate as well..... I thank you!
Nancy Mock says
I'm so happy that you enjoyed the finished peanut butter balls! Yes, for next time (and I do hope you'll make these again!) mixing in a little more powdered/10x sugar or giving the dough a chill should help make it easier to handle. Thank you for giving my recipe a try! 😁
Michael A Evenson says
Oh my, these peanut butter balls are amazing!
Nancy Mock says
Aren't they?? Thanks for making my recipe, Michael, peanut butter balls are a family favorite for sure!
TaMara Sloan says
These look good. I think I'd probably make them without the wax. LOL Thanks for sharing at Food on Friday!
Anonymous says
Yummm, but what's wrong with a little parafin 🙂
Nancy Mock says
It never hurt us when we were kids so how bad could it be! 🙂