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My homemade Peanut Butter Balls taste like Reese’s peanut butter cups but so much better! This is an easy candy recipe with simple ingredients that are like buckeye balls but completely coated in chocolate. If you’re looking for the best peanut butter balls ever then you’re in the right place!
This is the BEST Peanut Butter Balls Recipe – they are like buckeyes but so much better, and they taste just like a peanut butter cup. These no-bake peanut butter balls are about the least intimidating candy recipe ever – they’re practically fool-proof and we love them!
- This recipe is easy – five ingredients easy!
- You don’t need a candy thermometer or an advanced degree in dessert making – all you need are a few bowls, a baking dish, and a microwave.
- They taste like Reese’s peanut butter cup but better because they’re homemade. The magic is in the peanut butter filling – it has a very similar texture and flavor.
- They are freezer-friendly and also keep well for five days at room temperature. Perfect for gifting!
Just 5 Ingredients Needed
- Peanut Butter: I use creamy peanut butter but you can also use crunchy peanut butter for some extra texture – don’t use natural peanut butter.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter, but you can use salted if it’s all you have. You’ll want it to be room temperature.
- Powdered sugar: for sweetness and binding
- Vanilla: for flavor
- Melting chocolate: Ghiradelli Candy Melts or Candiquik are the two best tasting you can buy at the grocery store. I recommend milk chocolate but dark chocolate would be fantastic too!
How To Make Peanut Butter Balls
- Mix: Cream the peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar while mixing on low until the mixture is well combined. Add the vanilla and mix again.
- Roll and Chill: Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Scoop 1-inch balls of the peanut butter filling and roll between your palms. Chill the balls for 20 minutes or until they harden.
- Melt: Melt the chocolate following the package instruction. Most likely, you can do this in the microwave in 30 seconds or so.
- Dip: Use a toothpick to dip each peanut butter ball in the melted chocolate, coating it evenly on all sides. Let the excess chocolate drip off and then place on the baking sheet. Get all my best tips for dipping candy in chocolate here!
- Set: Place all of the dipped balls back on the cookie sheet and leave them to set. Once the chocolate has hardened, they are ready to serve.
Peanut Butter Ball Recipe Variations
You can easily switch this recipe up to make it your own – feel free to experiment!
- Chocolate: Use white chocolate, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate – they all work great! I recommend sticking with candy melts, Candiquik, almond bark, or even bars of baking chocolate for the best results. Avoid chocolate chips – they don’t melt as well!
- Peanut Butter: Use your favorite peanut butter! Crunchy, creamy or flavored.
- Decorations: Sometimes, I add some sprinkles before the chocolate sets. This is great for holidays, so think red and white for Valentine’s day, red and green for Christmas, pastel sprinkles for Easter… you get the idea!
How to Store Easy Peanut Butter Balls
Keep them in an airtight container, and they will keep for five days in the refrigerator.
You can even freeze them. It works best to layer them in a container with wax paper between each layer so they don’t stick together. Thaw them in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
FAQ
You can make adorable mini peanut butter cups with this recipe, too! Lightly coat mini liners with cookie spray and coat the bottom with a layer of chocolate. Add a peanut butter ball and flatten it. Cover it with more chocolate, and then leave them to sit at room temperature until they’re set.
I don’t recommend using chocolate chips for this recipe. You need a really smooth and dippable melted chocolate. Chips are thicker when melted, making it hard to dip and coat the peanut butter balls evenly. So use melting chocolate for the best results!
Yes, if you want to make crunchy peanut balls substitute the same amount of chunky peanut butter for the smooth kind.
Be sure to measure your powdered sugar correctly – too much will make the mixture dry. Make sure your butter is softened so it mixes together properly, and use candy melts for dipping so the mixture doesn’t melt in your hands.
Peanut Butter Balls Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup (283g) creamy peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons (84g) butter
- 2 ¾ cups (311g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 package 10 ounces Chocolate melting chocolate (such as Ghiradelli or Candiquik)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream the peanut butter and butter together with a hand mixer.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar until well combined. Add the vanilla.
- Line a large cookie sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.
- Scoop 1-inch balls of the peanut butter mixture and roll into a ball. Place on the cookie sheet. Continue until all the peanut butter mixture is gone.
- Refrigerate for 20 minutes until hardened.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the melting wafers for 30 seconds. Stir and if not completely melted add for an additional 10 seconds, stir and repeat as necessary. (Refer to package directions for melting instructions as well.)
- Remove the peanut butter balls from the refrigerator. Using a toothpick, dip one ball at a time into the chocolate until covered. Place back on the lined cookie sheet. Let harden completely before serving.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- The dough comes together easily if using a stand mixer. If you’re using a hand mixer, you might want to reduce the sugar to 2 1/2 cups.
- Be sure you’re measuring your sugar correctly and not packing it. I have added the weights in grams so that helps.
- I find 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar to be fine for sweetness and taste. If you want them less sweet you can reduce sugar to 2 1/2 cups.
- Make sure you’re using SALTED butter. If you’re using unsalted add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Recipe Nutrition
Other Favorite Candy
These EASY Peanut Butter Balls are chocolate covered like buckeyes but better – and they’re done in no time at all! This candy recipe is no bake and tastes like a peanut butter cup – use your favorite kind of chocolate too!
I’ve made these multiple times using this recipe & they always turn out amazing! Every time I get compliments on how good they are. I just made them for a party we have tomorrow & almost had a mini heart attack last night as I thought I lost this recipe! After, what felt like, 20 min of searching the internet I luckily stumbled upon it & made sure I saved it in more than 1 spot lol. This recipe is by far the best one, with the best advice, I’ve come across & have made!!
So glad you like them!
These peanut butter balls are delicious and hard to resist. I made the recipe (as written, but halved it) and balls Wednesday and left them in the refrigerator until Thursday morning. When dipping, I only took a few out of fridge at a time as I thought they would get too soft for the toothpick method and fall into the chocolate. They dipped easily into the melted chocolate. My only struggle was not eating all of them myself! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
While I was making these I let sit in the fridge for the 20 minutes then put them in the chocolate some of them were trying to fall apart on me. What did I do wrong and how can I avoid it?
Thanks
It needed to be mixed longer if they won’t stick together.
I rate 100 owt of 10
Love this recipe. I’ve made it twice and have to hide them from my family so they don’t get eaten too quickly! I melt semi-sweet chocolate chips with a little milk added so it doesn’t burn while melting. I also use 4.5 tablespoons of butter and about 2 cups powdered sugar instead of the recommended amount. So yummy! Happy I found this recipe!!
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