These no-bake chocolate peanut butter balls come along with a easy 5-ingredient filling, identical to these peanut butter egg candies. For the coating, use baking chocolate bars and comply with all my success tricks to make dipping simple. These candies are as mushy as chocolate truffles and as irresistible as peanut butter cups!
Whereas there’s no disputing that peanut butter + chocolate is a successful mixture, there is plenty of competitors vying for the title of Finest Chocolate-Peanut Butter Deal with. Whereas I like peanut butter blossoms and these no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars—oh, and this decadent darkish chocolate peanut butter cake is a favourite special-occasion indulgence—I feel the prize for Finest All-Round goes to those easy peanut butter balls.
Actually the Finest Peanut Butter Balls
And right here’s why:
- Smooth + creamy peanut butter filling
- Easy + wealthy chocolate coating
- Straightforward to make no-bake recipe
- Make-ahead & freeze fantastically
- Recipe doubles simply, and a tin of those makes a beautiful present
It’s all the time good to have a simple no-bake deal with to accompany your different Christmas cookies. It’s what I like about Oreo balls and rum balls, too. And since there’s no flour wanted right here, peanut butter balls are additionally a beautiful choice in relation to gluten-free dessert recipes.
Consider these no-bake candies as peanut butter bars in truffle type. My peanut butter bars have a bit extra substance from the graham cracker crumbs. These peanut butter balls, alternatively, have a purely creamy peanut butter filling. (They usually’re much more wildly scrumptious than they sound, I swear.)
Finest Substances to Use & Why:
- Softened Butter: Begin with room-temperature butter. Overly mushy or melted butter will sabotage your efforts from the beginning. Good rule of thumb: let the butter sit out on the counter for 1 hour earlier than starting the recipe. You should utilize salted or unsalted butter; if utilizing salted, no want to regulate the added salt within the recipe—I promise these are a lot candy both manner.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: As you’ll be able to guess, peanut butter is the primary ingredient. For one of the best texture, use processed creamy peanut butter reminiscent of Jif or Skippy, the identical form I like to recommend for peanut butter blossoms and peanut butter frosting. Pure-style peanut butter is great for consuming and cooking, however I don’t suggest it for this recipe as a result of the filling will likely be too dry and crumbly.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Confectioners’ sugar binds all the things collectively and provides sweetness. With out this powdery sugar, the peanut butter filling will likely be too liquid.
- Vanilla Extract: For somewhat additional taste, use vanilla extract.
- Salt: Salt offsets the sweetness.
- Chocolate: Simply as in case you had been making chocolate truffles, use pure baking chocolate. Don’t use chocolate chips as a result of they don’t soften correctly. I listing all of my recommendation in regards to the chocolate coating under.
- 1 Teaspoon Vegetable Oil: Melted chocolate generally is a little too thick to easily coat the candies, so add a small splash of vegetable oil to assist skinny it out.
Non-compulsory: festive sprinkles, after all!
The way to Make Peanut Butter Balls
Let me present you the method, so you realize what to anticipate when it’s your flip to attempt these treats. First, while you beat the butter and peanut butter collectively, the combination will likely be fairly skinny (under, left). After you add the remaining filling substances, count on a crumbly dough-like combination (under, proper).
I promise the crumbly dough will come collectively along with your arms as you roll.
Scoop and measure 1 scant Tablespoon (about 18g) every. Roll into balls.
Chill the rolled balls for 1 hour within the fridge. Freezing them works too, however frozen peanut butter balls are troublesome to coat in chocolate as a result of the chocolate will slide off or crack. No shortcuts right here, simply refrigerate for 1 hour or as much as 1 day.
Dip in melted chocolate. In case you have any chocolate leftover, drizzle on high. Add sprinkles, if desired, after which let the chocolate set.
These peanut butter balls hold properly for as much as 2 weeks within the fridge and even longer within the freezer, however that’s actually a joke. There’s no potential manner they may final!
5 Success Suggestions for Dipping in Chocolate
I’ve made plenty of coated candies, and even have an complete cookbook devoted to candy-making. In my expertise, I’ve discovered some *key* success suggestions for coating varied candies. See under, apply the following tips, and the method must be a breeze.
- Use actual chocolate. For the BEST wanting and tasting candies, begin with actual chocolate. Use the 4-ounce “baking chocolate” bars you’ll find within the baking aisle of the grocery retailer. I want Baker’s or Ghirardelli manufacturers. You might want to chop up three 4-ounce (113g) bars for this recipe, or 12 ounces (339g) whole. Melting wafers additionally work, and for these, I like to recommend Ghirardelli model. You should utilize milk, semi-sweet, darkish, and even white chocolate. Be warned that utilizing all white chocolate will produce a VERY candy sweet. As a substitute, I like to recommend darkish/bittersweet or semi-sweet goodies. Don’t use chocolate chips. Save them to your chocolate chip cookies!
- Soften the chocolate correctly. You should utilize a double boiler, however I often simply use the microwave. Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl or glass liquid measuring cup. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after every. Chocolate is temperamental, so all the time soften with care. I don’t suggest tempering the chocolate for this recipe. Tempered chocolate isn’t refrigerated, and as a result of butter within the filling, these candies must be refrigerated.
- Let the chocolate quiet down for a couple of minutes. In any other case it would soften the chilly filling.
- Use a dipping device to assist. I take advantage of this spiral dipping device for dipping chocolate truffles and Oreo balls, and it really works simply as properly right here. Place a peanut butter ball within the melted chocolate, and elevate it again out once more with the dipping device. Rapidly flip it the wrong way up onto a lined baking sheet. When you don’t have a dipping device, merely use a fork to elevate the dipped ball out of the chocolate and use a toothpick (or one other fork) to slip the ball onto the lined baking sheet.
- Enable the chocolate to set. Prime the still-wet chocolate with sprinkles, if utilizing, and if in case you have leftover chocolate, be happy to drizzle it on high—you should utilize a spoon or squeeze bottle for that. Place the baking sheet with the chocolate-covered peanut butter balls within the fridge to set the chocolate.
In case your butter was too mushy or if the peanut butter you’re utilizing is just too skinny, the filling can get somewhat mushy and sticky as you’re rolling. The fridge can repair that—cease what you’re doing and chill the bowl of filling for quarter-hour within the fridge earlier than making an attempt once more to roll into balls.
If the filling will get somewhat crumbly, maintaining molding it and mashing it between your arms. The heat of your arms will help convey it again collectively.
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil thins out the chocolate so it’s one of the best consistency for dipping. When you discover your chocolate remains to be too thick, add somewhat extra vegetable oil. Coconut oil works too, however I like to recommend vegetable oil for finest outcomes.
It’s too thick. You need thinned-out melted chocolate. See above.
That is a simple repair! First, be sure to are working rapidly. Second, hold the chocolate fluid by re-heating within the microwave for 10 seconds or use a double boiler. When you don’t have a double boiler, spoon the chocolate right into a heatproof glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water. This retains the chocolate barely heat. Don’t let the water contact the underside of the bowl.
The chocolate is just too scorching. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to barely quiet down.
If the peanut butter balls are softening and dropping their form as you’re dipping, put them again within the fridge (on the lined baking sheet) for five–10 minutes after which attempt once more.
Wait till you style them straight out of the fridge. Have you ever ever had a chilly Reese’s peanut butter cup? It’s like that, however higher.
Extra Peanut Butter + Chocolate Recipes
Peanut Butter Balls (Truffles)
Prep Time: half-hour
Prepare dinner Time: 0 minutes
Whole Time: 1 hour, half-hour
Yield: 32-35 balls
Class: Desserts
Methodology: No Bake
Delicacies: American
Description
Utilizing just a few easy substances, these peanut butter balls come collectively in a snap. Comply with the recipe carefully and overview the chocolate dipping success suggestions, in addition to the recipe notes under earlier than starting.
Directions
- Line a big baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Put aside.
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high pace till creamy and easy, about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter and beat till mixed, about 1 minute. When you discover any small chunks of butter, don’t fear—the combination will easy out. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and beat on low pace for two minutes till all the things is mixed. The combination will likely be somewhat mushy and crumbly.
- Roll peanut butter dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 scant Tablespoon or 18g of dough every) and place on the baking sheet. Maintain working and rolling the dough in your arms till the peanut butter balls come collectively. It is best to have about 32-35 balls whole. The combination generally is a little crumbly, however the heat of your arms will convey it collectively. When you discover the peanut butter combination turning into too mushy to deal with, chill within the fridge for quarter-hour. Alternatively, you'll be able to powder your arms with confectioners’ sugar, which helps stop the filling from sticking to your arms.
- Chill the formed peanut butter balls within the fridge for no less than 1 hour and as much as 1 day. Throughout the previous few minutes of the chilling time, start melting the chocolate and oil collectively. You may soften it in a double boiler or the microwave. If utilizing the microwave: place the chocolate and oil in a medium heat-proof bowl. I like to recommend utilizing a liquid measuring cup as a result of its depth makes dipping very easy. Soften in 20-second increments within the microwave, stirring after every increment, till utterly melted and easy. Let the nice and cozy chocolate sit for six–8 minutes to chill barely earlier than dipping, in any other case it would soften the formed peanut butter balls.
- Coat with chocolate: Take away peanut butter balls from the fridge. Working with 1 at a time, submerge into the chocolate, then rigorously elevate out utilizing a fork or the spiral sweet dipping device. Faucet the fork/device gently on the aspect of the bowl/measuring cup to rid extra chocolate. When you used a fork, use a toothpick or a 2nd fork that can assist you slide the ball off of the fork and onto the baking sheet. When you used the dipping device, simply invert the ball onto the baking sheet. (See video tutorial for the way I do that.) I reheat any leftover chocolate and use a spoon or squeeze bottle to drizzle on high of the coated balls. If desired, calmly sprinkle every with sprinkles whereas chocolate remains to be moist.
- Refrigerate coated peanut butter balls for half-hour or till chocolate has utterly set earlier than serving.
- Retailer in an hermetic container at room temperature for two days or within the fridge for as much as 2 weeks. The filling can get somewhat mushy, in order that they style finest proper out of the fridge. We love them proper out of the freezer, too!
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: You can begin this recipe 1 day forward of time. The formed filling will be chilled within the fridge for as much as 1 day previous to coating. The coated peanut butter candies will be frozen. Freeze the coated candies for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop or Digital Scale | Double Boiler or Liquid Measuring Cup | Sweet Dipping Device | Squeeze Bottle
- Butter: I take advantage of unsalted butter on this recipe, although I’ve made them loads of occasions earlier than with salted butter. No want to regulate the salt within the filling, although be happy to style the filling earlier than including the salt and solely add a pinch if desired. As a result of the filling and coating are so candy, I by no means modify the salt if utilizing salted butter.
- Can I Use Crunchy Peanut Butter? Creamy/easy is finest as a result of crunchy yields a really crumbly filling that’s troublesome to mould. If crunchy is all you might have, you can also make it work in a pinch—simply be warned the filling combination will likely be tremendous crumbly and also you’ll actually should work it along with your arms to mould into balls.
- Chocolate: For one of the best wanting and tasting candies, use 4-ounce “baking chocolate” bars discovered within the baking aisle. I want Bakers or Ghirardelli manufacturers. You want 3 4-ounce bars for this recipe, 12 ounces whole. You should utilize milk, semi-sweet, or bittersweet goodies. You possibly can additionally use chocolate melting wafers, reminiscent of Ghirardelli model. Sweet melts or almond bark work too, however they don’t style like actual chocolate. Don't use chocolate chips as a result of they comprise stabilizers stopping them from melting into the right consistency for coating.
- Coating/Melting Chocolate: See all my troubleshooting suggestions above within the submit.
- Oil: Vegetable oil helps skinny out the chocolate so it simply coats the candies. When you’re utilizing chocolate melting wafers, you don't want so as to add oil. Coconut oil works, however the chocolate isn’t fairly as skinny. I’ve discovered vegetable oil it your best option. Don't use butter.
- Do Not Mood: I don't suggest tempering the chocolate for this recipe. Tempered chocolate shouldn't be refrigerated and as a result of contemporary substances within the filling, these candies should be refrigerated.
- Replace in 2023: I barely up to date the filling in 2023. The recipe used to name for 8 Tablespoons butter (113g) and three cups confectioners’ sugar (360g). I lowered each barely to the quantities you see above, for much less sweetness, and extra peanut butter taste. The filling now matches my in style peanut butter eggs.
Key phrases: peanut butter balls
