Peanut Butter Balls

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These easy bite-sized sweets are the disappear to go at any gathering.

By
Catherine Jessee
Catherine Jessee
Catherine Jessee
Catherine Jessee is an Assistant Digital Food Editor at Southern Living. She is a writer, editor, and recipe developer with a passion for Appalachian foodways, culture, and history. Prior to joining the Southern Living, Catherine tested and developed recipes for print and digital publications like EatingWell, Food & Wine, Real Simple, Serious Eats, Southern Living, and more.
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Published on December 6, 2023
Recipe tested by
Southern Living Test Kitchen
Southern Living Test Kitchen
Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen

The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama.

Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen
Southern Living Peanut Butter Balls on a plate to serve
Photo:

Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling
Active Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
1 hr
Yield:
2 dozen

Peanut butter balls are synonymous with a good time. These are the treats that are rolled out at the holidays, alongside bourbon balls and pecan snowballs. Or for birthdays, they're the special treat you get to sneak away and call all your own. In any event, they're a favorite—or will be as soon as you have your first one.

A rich dark chocolate exterior gives a slight snap as you bite into a creamy, sweet, pleasantly salted peanut buttery interior. The combination of smooth peanut butter with a chocolate coating is irresistible.

Learn how to make peanut butter balls, and try a few of the variations our Test Kitchen pros suggest for your next batch.

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Balls

These no-bake peanut butter balls require just six ingredients, all of which we bet you have in your fridge and pantry now.

  • Powdered sugar: This provides the structure of the peanut butter balls, turning peanut butter from a spread into a solid, rollable mixture.
  • Peanut butter: This recipe won't work well with an all-natural peanut butter that separates as it sits. You want the standbys like Jif and Skippy.
  • Vanilla extract: Many recipes for peanut butter balls skip vanilla extract, but you can tell a difference. Vanilla adds a warm toasty flavor to help balance all the sugar and salt.
  • Kosher salt: Salt will also help balance the sweetness.
  • Unsalted butter: You can use salted butter, but taste the flavor of the mix before you add salt to make sure you don't oversalt the mixture.
  • Bittersweet chocolate: To keep these from being too sweet, bittersweet chocolate blunts the sugar-PB mixture.

How To Make Peanut Butter Balls

This recipe requires a little time for chilling, and a little more for letting the chocolate harden. Peanut butter balls are great to make ahead for that reason.

Get the full recipe for peanut butter balls further below. Here's a brief recap to get you started:

  • Step 1. Combine peanut butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, and 2 tablespoons butter in a stand mixer bowl. If the mixture is soft or runny, you can add more powdered sugar until it is firm enough to roll.
  • Step 2. Scoop 1 teaspoon of peanut butter mixture onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet until you've used all the mixture. Chill for about 20 minutes.
  • Step 3. Remove the baking sheet from the fridge, and roll each scoop into a ball. Chill again another 5 minutes.
  • Step 4. Melt the chocolate for dipping.
  • Step 5. Slide a fork under a peanut butter ball, and dip the ball into the melted chocolate. Use a spoon to lap chocolate over the ball to make sure it's evenly coated.
  • Step 6. Let chocolate drip off each candy. Gently scrape the bottom of the fork against the side of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate. Then put each ball on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Once all balls are dipped, chill to set the chocolate.
  • Step 7. Melt the remaining chocolate.
  • Step 8. Drizzle the chocolate over the balls

Peanut Butter Balls Vs. Buckeyes

The only difference between peanut butter balls and buckeyes is in their chocolate coverage. The buckeyes are not fully dipped, allowing some of the peanut butter mixture to peek through. This gives the sweets the look of buckeyes, a type of nut.

Tips for the Best Peanut Butter Balls

While peanut butter balls are uncomplicated and don't require a lot of ingredients, there are some things that could make everything easier. Our Test Kitchen pros provided these notes:

  • Chilling the peanut butter mixture immediately after the scooping process helps with the forming process.
  • Then, the second chill, after the peanut butter balls after rolled, helps ensure that they stay firm and neat when dipped in the warm chocolate mixture.
  • It’s important to keep the peanut butter mixture cold—the colder it is, the firmer it will be to shape and hold its shape. If it gets too melty or mushy, simply place in refrigerator for 15 minutes or until firmer to the touch.
  • Keep a spoon near when you're dipping the peanut butter balls to help you ladle chocolate over the candy.

Variations for Peanut Butter Balls

Have a little fun with your next batch of peanut butter balls. Here are a few ideas:

  • Use crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy for some added texture, if desired.
  • Sprinkle with flaky salt.
  • Use melted white chocolate as a drizzle on top to create extra visual interest.
  • Add sprinkles or sanding sugar if you're serving these at a holiday party or shower and want to match the color theme.

Why are my peanut butter balls runny?

If your peanut butter balls are runny, you probably used a particularly "wet" or oily peanut butter. Most natural peanut butters are too runny for this recipe, which works best with peanut butters like Maranatha, Jif, or Skippy. It’s also important to keep your peanut butter balls cool, as they will firm up, with butter, to a thicker consistency.

How To Store Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut butter balls can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The main perishable ingredient in the peanut butter balls is butter, which is in both the peanut butter mixture and the chocolate coating. Because of this, it's best to eat them within a week’s time.

Can You Freeze Peanut Butter Balls?

Yes, you can freeze peanut butter balls, but we recommend you freeze them without the chocolate coating. To do this, the peanut butter mixture can be portioned, chilled, then rolled into balls and chilled again on a baking tray. After the second trip to the fridge, move the tray to the freezer, and freeze for several hours. Then, move the balls to a ziplock bag, and store until ready to use, or up to 1 month ahead of time. Remove from freezer and proceed with Step 4 as directed.

More Favorite Peanut Butter Candies

Serve these alongside other favorite sweets, such as:

Southern Living Peanut Butter Balls on a tray to serve

Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (about 3 1/4 oz.) sifted powdered sugar

  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (such as Jif)

  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, divided

  • 2 (4-oz.) pkg. (60% cacao) bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped (such as Lindt)

Directions

  1. Make peanut butter ball mixture:

    Beat sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

    Southern Living Peanut Butter Balls making the peanut butter mixture for the filling

    Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling

  2. Scoop peanut butter into balls:

    Using a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon, scoop peanut butter mixture onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place, uncovered, in refrigerator until firm, about 20 minutes.

    Southern Living Peanut Butter Balls scooping the peanut butter mixture into balls

    Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling

  3. Roll peanut butter balls:

    Roll mixture into balls, and place back in refrigerator until chilled, about 5 minutes.

    Southern Living Peanut Butter Balls after the balls have chilled

    Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling

  4. Melt chocolate:

    Meanwhile, place chocolate and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium-size microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted, about 2 minutes.

    Southern Living Peanut Butter Balls melting the chocolate

    Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling

  5. Dip peanut butter balls into chocolate:

    Remove peanut butter balls from refrigerator. Place 1 peanut butter ball on tines of a fork, and dip into melted chocolate. Spoon additional melted chocolate over peanut butter ball to evenly coat on all sides.

    Southern Living Peanut Butter Balls dipping the balls in the melted chocolate

    Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling

  6. Remove excess chocolate:

    Let excess chocolate drip off of peanut butter ball; carefully scrape bottom of fork against side of bowl, and remove excess chocolate. Transfer peanut butter ball to parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining peanut butter balls. Refrigerate chocolate-covered peanut butter balls until chocolate is just set, about 10 minutes.

    Southern Living Peanut Butter Balls dipping the balls in chocolate

    Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling

  7. Melt chocolate for drizzle:

    Meanwhile, microwave remaining chocolate in bowl on HIGH for 30 seconds; stir until smooth.

    Southern Living Peanut Butter Balls melting the rest of the chocolate

    Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling

  8. Drizzle balls with chocolate:

    Remove Peanut Butter Balls from refrigerator. Using a fork, drizzle chocolate-covered Peanut Butter Balls with additional chocolate.

    Southern Living Peanut Butter Balls drizzling with the melted chocolate

    Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling

    Transfer to a plate, or place in muffin paper liners.

    Southern Living Peanut Butter Balls on a tray to serve

    Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling

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