Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

These candies are a Christmastime favorite and are wonderful any time of year. Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls are easy-to-make, no-bake treats.

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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. Get the kids in your house in on the fun, too!

A little bit about these candies:

On the outside is a shell of smooth chocolate
When you bite into it, you'll find a sweet and peanut butter filling
It's a no-bake recipe
They keep well and are great to give as gifts

No-bake peanut butter balls are a holiday classic

peanut butter buckeye candies in a bowl with a spoon of peanut butter.

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 grandparent's 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, 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 together, they create a smooth, sweet dough that can be shaped into balls and then covered in chocolate.

White bowl that says Yum and a spoonful of peanut butter.

Peanut butter balls vs. 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

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 Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl.

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.

Step 1: Mix the peanut butter filling

Peanut butter candy dough in a metal mixing bowl.

Cream together the sugar, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla. Shape the filling into small balls.

Rolled balls of peanut butter candy on a baking sheet.

Refrigerate them until they're firm.

Step 2: Melt the chocolate

Place the chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler. Stir the chocolate until it's melted and smooth.

Step 3: Dip the balls into chocolate

Chocolate coated peanut butter ball sitting on times of a fork.

Lower the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate using a dipping tool, toothpick, or the tines of a fork.

Peanut butter candies freshly dipped in chocolate set on a tray.

Place them on a wax paper-lined pan. Allow them to cool and set for about 2 hours.

FAQs

What's the best peanut butter for making peanut butter balls?

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.

Can I use natural peanut butter to make peanut butter balls?

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.

Are peanut butter balls made with paraffin wax?

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!)

How do you dip peanut butter balls?

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.)

Can you freeze peanut butter balls?

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.

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!

Chocolate covered peanut butter bonbons on table and in a bowl.

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 chocolaty treats to tempt you:

💬 Have you made these Peanut Butter Balls? Leave a comment below.

📖 Recipe