No Bake Peanut Butter Balls are a classic treat that are perfect to make all year round. Rich, soft, and decadent, these classic no bake dessert balls are a peanut butter chocolate lover’s heaven. Using only 6 easy ingredients, these buckeye like truffle treats are sure to satisfy whatever sweets you may be craving.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
Chocolate and Peanut Butter – The ultimate flavor combination!
On the Go Treat – These bite sized treats are perfect to grab one (or two) on the way out your door.
Easy to Make – The best treats are assembled quickly and only need 6 ingredients, just like this recipe.
Get Decorative – You can get as colorful and as creative as you want with these dessert balls. You can decorate them for any occasion like Christmas, Valentines Day, Halloween etc.
Edible Gifts – A container of these delicious no bake chocolate peanut butter balls makes a great gift for friends and neighbors.
These easy peanut butter balls are one of the first recipes I ever learned to make, thanks to my grandmother. They are like biting into sweet nostalgia during the holiday season.
Not only are these great to make and snack on throughout the week, but they make lovely gifts as well. The ingredients are simple and you probably have them in your pantry already. Don’t miss out on making these delicious treats!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Recipe Discussion
Let’s discuss how to make this recipe, as well as the ingredients that are needed. Please take note that below you will find discussion, expert tips, and answers to frequently asked questions about this recipe to help you recreate it in your kitchen. If you *just* want the recipe itself, scroll down. The full printable recipe itself, with exact measurements and instructions, is found at the bottom of this page.
- Peanut Butter – You’ll want smooth peanut butter for this recipe. I would not recommend using the ‘natural’ peanut butter because its very oily and your balls may not hold their shape.
- Graham Crackers – These should be finely crushed up. You can do that by hand, or pulse it for a few moments in a food processor.
- Powdered Sugar – This will give the truffles that sweetness, while keeping the texture smooth. I don’t recommend substituting this ingredient for a different type of sugar.
- Chocolate Chips – White chocolate chips and regular semi-sweet chocolate chips will work just fine for this recipe. If you want these balls to taste a little more like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, you can use milk chocolate. You can also use almond bark or candy melts, but if you do, then omit the vegetable shortening.
- Butter – Unsalted butter is the best for this recipe, otherwise the balls will be too salty.
- Vegetable Shortening – This ingredient will make it so the chocolate hardens around the balls.
How To Make No Bake Peanut Butter Balls
- Begin by lining a baking tray with either a silicone mat, parchment paper or wax paper. Then, in a large bowl, add your powdered sugar, peanut butter, and butter.
- Cream the peanut butter mixture together before adding the crushed up graham crackers to the mixture. Mix this together until smooth.
- Once smooth, shape the peanut butter mixture into 1 inch diameter balls. Place the balls on the lined baking sheet and allow it to cool for about 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips to a large microwave safe bowl, and the white chocolate to another. Then, add vegetable shortening to both bowls. Heat bowls in the microwave for 1 minute. If the chocolate isn’t melted all the way, keep heating for 20-30 second increments until fully melted. Stir the chocolate and shortening together until smooth.
- When the peanut butter balls have cooled, take them out of the fridge. Dip each peanut butter ball into the chocolate and place it back on the baking sheet.
- Repeat this step for every ball. Let them cool completely in the fridge. Decorate the balls to your liking, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Advice
Melting Chocolate – It’s important when working with chocolate to make sure your bowl and all utensils are completely dry. Any water with melted chocolate can cause it to seize. Also take care not to overheat your chocolate, which can make it hard to work with. When melting chocolate, low and slow is the way to go, you can always add more time. And make sure to stir, stir, stir – often chocolate will seem like it’s not melting, but some aggressive stirring will smooth it right out.
Storage – Store the truffles in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4-5 days. The chocolate may sweat a little bit, but you can separate them by parchment paper.
Equipment – For this recipe you’ll need a mixing bowl, some microwave safe bowls, a fork, a baking tray and parchment or wax paper.
just keep mixin’
The peanut butter mixture is quite thick and dry, but you just have to keep mixing it together. If you want, you can use an electric mixer to cream the mixture together a bit faster.
Recipe FAQs
This could be because you didn’t mix the batter enough. If you keep mixing and it still remains dry, try adding a tablespoon of peanut butter at a time until it smooths out. If the mixture becomes too wet, add a fe more graham cracker crumbs.
This could be because you didn’t let the balls chill enough in the fridge. They need to harden just a little bit before you start dipping.
Similar Recipes to Try
- No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
- Peanut Butter Rice Krispies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Christmas Oreos
- Oreo Truffle Recipe
- Chocolate Covered Ritz Crackers
No Bake Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter the "natural" type of peanut butters do not work well in this recipe
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 cups chocolate chips you can use one type, or a few different ones to make different types of peanut butter balls
- 1 tablespoon shortening crisco or coconut oil will both work
Instructions
- Begin by lining a baking tray with either a silicone mat, parchment paper or wax paper.
- Then, in a large bowl, add your powdered sugar, peanut butter, and butter.
- Cream the peanut butter mixture together before adding the crushed up graham crackers to the mixture. Mix this together until smooth. The mixture will be thick and dry, just keep mixing.
- Once smooth, shape the peanut butter mixture into 1 inch diameter balls. Place the balls on the lined baking sheet and allow it to cool for about 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Add the chocolate chips to a large microwave safe bowl, and add in vegetable shortening to the bowls. Heat bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. If the chocolate isn’t melted all the way, keep heating for 20 second increments until fully melted. Stir the chocolate and shortening together until smooth.
- When the peanut butter balls have cooled, take them out of the fridge. Dip each peanut butter ball into the chocolate and place it back on the baking sheet.
- Repeat this step for every ball. Let them cool completely in the fridge. Decorate the balls to your liking, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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