Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls: decadent and delicious balls of peanut butter with a secret surprise; they have a delicious crunch. Dip in dark chocolate and you will be in chocolate peanut butter heaven with every bite.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls: When I was rifling through the box of recipes from my childhood, I came across this peanut butter ball recipe filed in the cookie section. Hmmm, I thought, are these cookies or candy? Either way, they are so yummy, and it’s been decades since I’ve had them. Now that I made them again, I refiled the recipe under candy. These are very close to a copy cat Reeses Peanut Butter Cup. YUM!
How To Create a Chocolate Peanut Butter Ball.
Make the Filling: Make the filling by mixing together peanut butter and Rice Krispies. That one caught you by surprise didn’t it? That’s right the rice Krispies are the secret ingredient. They add a little crunch to the balls and lighten the filling. Confectioners sugar and some melted butter complete the filling.
Shape the Balls
You will need to mix the filling and shape the balls using your hands. Press the filling firmly together when you form the balls. You don’t want your peanut butter balls to fall apart. Let the peanut butter balls rest in the fridge while you melt the chocolate.
Melting the Chocolate:
Melting the chocolate is the trickiest step. I add some Crisco to the chocolate to thin it into a smooth thin consistency once it is melted. The recipe instructions say to add paraffin wax to the chocolate. When was the last time anyone bought paraffin wax? My mom used to melt it and layer it on top of the homemade jam she made. I looked for it, but the only paraffin for sale was perfumed and used for hair removal. I am definitely not using that wax. I substituted some Crisco for the wax. The chocolate wasn’t quite as firm once it set up. However, Farmer Fred freezes peanut butter cups, so he eats these frozen as well.
The old school way to melt chocolate is with a double boiler. But seriously, does anyone use a double boiler. The microwave is so much easier and quicker. Also less messy.
Dipping the Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls.
Once the chocolate is melted and thin enough to smoothly coat the peanut butter balls. Individually coat the balls with chocolate by dipping them into the chocolate and rolling them gently around in the chocolate. Place the chocolate-coated balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with crushed peanuts or rainbow nonpareils. Put the dipped balls in the fridge for 30 – 60 minutes to harden the chocolate before eating.
Storing the Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls:
Store the balls in an airtight container. Balls can be stored at room temperature if the temperature of the room is less than 70 degrees. Otherwise, freeze or store in the fridge. The chocolate may turn whitish after an extended time in the refrigerator or freezer. It is still ok to eat, just not as pretty.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
Peanut Butter filling
- ½ cup butter(113g)
- 2 cups peanut butter(540g)
- 3 cups rice crispies (87g)
- 1 lb confectioners sugar(454g)
chocolate for dipping
Instructions
Peanut Butter Balls Filling
- Melt the butter and stir it into the powdered sugar add the peanut butter and mix togeter.
- Add the peanutbutter, sugar, and butter mixture to the rice crispies and stir to evenly coat the rice crispy cereal.
- Form into 1 inch balls and set aside on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Chocolate for dipping
- Add the Crisco to the chocolate. Melt in a double boiler being careful to not boil the water or get any water into the chocolate. Alternatively, melt in the microwave in 20 to 30 -second intervals, Stir after each interval. Be careful to not get hot spots in the chocolate or it will "seize" up and turn hard and crumbly. If this happens you will have to throw out the chocolate and start over.
- Once the chocolate is melted. Dip the peanut butter balls in the chocolate to coat. Place on a parchment line pan and sprinkle with chopped peanuts or non-pareils rainbow sprinkles.
- Put the chocolate peanut butter balls in the fridge to cool and firm up the chocolate. Store in an air-tight container in a cool place.
