Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls consist of a creamy peanut butter center, coated in melted chocolate, and topped with a peanut butter drizzle. Enjoy them as sweet treats with your afternoon coffee or as bite-size dessert.
Calling all peanut butter and chocolate lovers! This flavor combination never disappoints and is why I keep adding to my list of treats. Go ahead and try my Instant Pot Lava Cake, Instant Pot Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, Reeses Pieces Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Butterfinger Lush!
Minimal ingredients and no baking makes these chocolate covered peanut butter balls an easy and affordable option to satisfy those chocolate-peanut butter cravings without having to make a large dessert.
🌟 WHY I LOVE THESE CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUT BUTTER BALLS
These peanut butter balls are so easy to make. With just 5 key ingredients, you can make at least 24 delicious balls for any occasion.
Easily adapt these chocolate covered peanut butter balls by using different chocolate, swapping the peanut drizzle for chopped nuts or sprinkles, or thickening the peanut butter center with extra powdered sugar.
Prepare the peanut butter balls a day ahead so that you only need to coat them in melted chocolate and decorate just before serving.
Get the kids to help you make these balls. There’s no baking time or technical skills required!
🍽 KEY INGREDIENTS
Peanut butter – Creamy commercial peanut butter is best for these chocolate covered peanut butter balls.
Butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter since the peanut butter already contains a lot of salt.
Powdered sugar – This thickens and slightly dries the peanut butter mixture so that it can be rolled into balls.
Melting wafers – This recipe calls for Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers. You won’t need to add any oil to the melted wafers in order to achieve a smooth consistency, which is why I love to use them!
Peanut butter drizzle – This is completely optional, but adds a fancy look to these treats. The drizzle is a simple combination of creamy peanut butter and melted Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers.
Swaps
Melting wafers – White melting wafers, colored melting wafers, almond bark, candy melts, or a premium melting chocolate can be used instead.
Peanut butter – If you have peanut butter allergies, use softened cream cheese with crushed cookies or your choice to make these balls.
🥣 EQUIPMENT
You’ll need a large baking tray lined with parchment paper, a large mixing bowl, hand mixer, cookie scoop, double boilers, a fork, and a piping bag.
🔪 HOW TO MAKE
These scrumptious chocolate covered peanut balls are the perfect bite-size treats, made with just 5 ingredients and simple steps. Even better is that there is no baking involved!
Preparations
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and allow the butter to soften at room temperature.
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Combine the creamy peanut butter with softened butter in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer.
Step 2
Mix in the vanilla extract and slowly add in the powdered sugar, a little bit at a time, and beat to combine well.
Step 3
Place the combined peanut butter mixture, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Step 4
Remove the peanut butter mixture from the fridge and use a 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop to roll even-sized balls. Place the balls on the prepared baking tray. Place the rolled balls back into the fridge for another 20 minutes.
Step 5
Use a double boiler to melt the dark melting wafers. Place a chilled peanut butter balls on a fork and dip the ball into the melted chocolate to fully coat.
Lift the ball out of the melted chocolate and tap the fork gently against the double boiler to remove excess chocolate. Place the chocolate covered peanut butter ball onto the baking tray and repeat this process for every ball.
Step 6
Allow the chocolate covered balls to set (about 5 minutes) and then make the optional peanut butter drizzle by melting more dark melting wafers in a clean double boiler and mix in creamy peanut butter.
Add the peanut butter drizzle mixture to a piping bag and decorate each chocolate covered ball with the drizzle. Allow the decorated balls to set and keep them refrigerated until ready to serve!
💭 COOKING TIPS
Chilling the dough and rolled balls is important for a few reasons. It helps to stop the dough from sticking to your hands when rolling the balls, it helps to counter the warmth from your hands are you shape the balls, and it keeps the balls firm so that they don’t lose shape when dipped into the melted chocolate.
Add ½-¾ cup of extra powdered sugar or heat treated flour to the peanut butter mixture if you prefer a firmer consistency. It’s likely to change the consistency and flavor of the mixture to that of a peanut butter cookie, but it’ll still work out and be delicious.
Consider adding in chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, toffee bits, Reese’s pieces, graham cracker crumbs, or even Rice Krispie cereal for extra flavor and texture.
The peanut butter added to the melted chocolate for the drizzle helps to thicken the drizzle so that it sets better – great for storage. You could simply drizzle these chocolate covered balls with melted peanut butter, if you prefer.
If you want to get extra fancy and top these chocolate covered peanut butter balls with chopped nuts, sprinkles, or sprinkling salt, make sure to do so while the chocolate coating is still wet so that they stick to the balls.
🥗 WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUT BUTTER BALLS
These peanut butter balls can be enjoyed as dessert or a sweet treat during the day. Here are some ideas of what you could pair them with:
DESSERT
Serve a couple of these chocolate covered peanut butter balls in a bowl of creamy vanilla ice cream or with a slice of this Butterfinger lush dessert or French silk brownies!
BEVERAGES
Enjoy these chocolate covered peanut butter balls with a tall glass of creamy milk, a thick and decadent milkshake, or a mug of hot chocolate.
🙋 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes, they are. There are no gluten ingredients in this recipe. Always check the list of ingredients listed on products bought from the store to be safe.
No. The chilling time of the peanut butter mixture for 20 minutes and then the rolled balls for an additional 20 minutes helps to firm up the balls so that they don’t lose shape when coated in the warm melted chocolate.
I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter when making these chocolate covered peanut butter balls as it has a more dry consistency which can cause the balls to fall apart.
🧊 STORING AND ♨️ REHEATING
FRIDGE
Store leftover chocolate covered peanut butter balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
FREEZER
These peanut butter balls can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper between stacked peanut butter balls and ensure that the chocolate coating is dry first to prevent them from sticking together.
Thaw these balls in the fridge before serving again.
👪 SERVING SIZE
This recipe yields 24 chocolate covered peanut butter balls. You can easily double or halve the recipe, depending on your needs.
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📋 RECIPE
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls
These chocolate covered peanut butter balls are a simple treat to make using just a handful of ingredients. They’re rich, decadent, and taste just like Reese’s peanut butter cups! You can mix in chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips inside, add colorful sprinkles on top, or coat it in colored candy melts.
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 ounce bag Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers
Optional Peanut Butter Drizzle
- ½ cup Ghirardelli vanilla melting wafers
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the peanut butter and softened butter together until smooth and well blended.
- Add in the vanilla extract and gradually add in the powdered sugar a little at a time, beat together until well combined. The mixture will be soft so place the bowl into the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes to firm it up.
- Once chilled, use a 1 ½” cookie scoop to scoop up even sized balls. Roll them individually in the palms of your hands and place them onto the prepared baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the peanut butter mixture and roll into balls. Then place the tray into the refrigerator to chill for an additional 20 minutes. The peanut butter balls soften quickly when rolling it in your hands so it’s important to chill it again before dipping in the melted chocolate.
- Prepare a double boiler over low heat to melt the dark chocolate melting wafers. Stir occasionally until fully melted and smooth. Do not overheat or melt on high heat as this will cause the melts to seize and thicken up. You can alternatively melt the melting wafers in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it on a low or defrost setting, stirring in 30 second intervals, until melted and smooth.
- Use a fork to dip each of the chilled peanut butter balls one at a time into the melted wafers. Lift the ball out using the fork and tap it against the side to shake off any excess coating.
- Place the coated ball back onto the prepared baking tray and finish coating the rest of the balls. Place the tray back into the refrigerator for the chocolate coating to finish setting, about 5 minutes.
Using a clean double boiler, melt the vanilla melting wafers and peanut butter together over low heat. Stir occasionally until fully melted and smooth. - Remove the tray of peanut butter balls from the refrigerator. Drizzle the melted peanut butter mixture over the coated balls using a fork or place the melted mixture into a piping bag, snip a small piece off the tip, and then drizzle over the coated balls that way. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat. Enjoy!
Notes
These peanut butter balls are sticky to roll so make sure to chill it long enough for it to firm up. It will be easier to handle but you should still work quickly.
Chill the balls again after rolling, as it will soften again from being in your hands. Chilling will allow it to firm back up so that it can keep its shape when dipping into the melted wafers.
If you want firmer peanut butter balls, you can mix in an extra ½-¾ cup of powdered sugar. Keep in mind that it will make it much sweeter. You can alternatively mix in ½-¾ cup of heat treated flour. This will change the flavor and consistency a little bit and make it closer to a cookie dough.
You can also mix in a little bit of chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, toffee bits, Reese’s pieces, graham cracker crumbs, or even rice krispies cereal for additional fun flavors and textures. Easily make this your own!
Instead of Ghirardelli melting wafers, you can use almond bark, candy melts, or a premium chocolate suited for melting.
For the drizzle, you do not need to mix the peanut butter with the vanilla melting wafers. You can simply melt only peanut butter if desired or even drizzle the tops with leftover dark chocolate melting wafers. I find that mixing the peanut butter with the melting wafers is better because it will allow it to harden, which makes storing leftovers much easier.
Top it with chopped nuts, sprinkles, or even finishing salt if desired. Make sure to top it immediately after dipping the balls in the melts and placing it onto the baking sheet, before the chocolate sets.
STORING
Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze them in a freezer safe airtight container for up to 3 months. Make sure the coating has set completely before putting them in a container together and freezing, otherwise they will get stuck together. You can also place a sheet of parchment paper between the layers. Simply thaw in the refrigerator before eating.
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 204Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 2mgSodium 78mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 2gSugar 17gProtein 3g
