This no-bake chocolate peanut butter balls recipe is easy to make with only 6 ingredients (including graham crackers)! They are always the first treat to disappear from my Christmas cookie tray! Decorate them with melted chocolate or festive holiday sprinkles!
You're probably already knee-deep into your holiday baking (we've already made cut-out sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, and oatmeal cookies), but let me beg you to add these no-bake peanut butter balls to your to-bake list!
This chocolate peanut butter balls recipe is easy to make with only 6 ingredients! They are always the first treat to disappear from my Christmas cookie tray, because no one can resist the chocolate peanut butter flavor combination!
They are creamy with a little crunch (from the graham crackers) and have a big peanut butter flavor! You can decorate them with melted chocolate or holiday sprinkles for a festive flare!
Peanut Butter Balls Recipe: Ingredients
Let's chat about the ingredients used in this recipe, and possible substitutions!
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter. For a dairy-free version, use vegan butter (Earth Balance) or ghee. Just be sure whatever you use is softened to room temperature.
- Peanut Butter: Make sure it's creamy and not too liquidy. I prefer a natural, no-stir variety so that the balls hold up better as they reach room temperature. If you choose to use a more runny peanut butter you will need to serve these cold or add more powdered sugar or graham cracker crumbs to make them roll easier (and make less of a mess).
- Powdered sugar: if you try to avoid refined sugar, make this easy Paleo Powdered Sugar and use it as a substitution.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: I just toss some grahams in my Vitamix or food processor and blend them up. If you have any dietary restrictions use a gluten-free/allergy friendly graham cracker variety!
- Chocolate Chips: Our favorite chocolate of choice is a semi-sweet variety. However I have used milk and dark chocolate with delicious results.
How to make Peanut Butter Balls
This chocolate covered peanut butter balls recipe has three main steps that we'll walk through together.
- Make the peanut butter ball filling and roll into balls
- Freeze the balls.
- Coat frozen peanut butter balls with chocolate
Make the Peanut Butter Ball Filling
If you watch the video you will see how easy it is! Simply mix up the wet ingredients in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until the mixture resembles a coarse meal that comes together easily when pinched. The balls should be easy to roll.
How to make homemade graham cracker crumbs:
- Place 10-11 graham crackers into a food processor fitted with the “S” blade or blender.
- Process/blend until mixture turns into a fine powder.
- Use in the recipe as directed.
Use a 1 TBS measuring spoon to measure out peanut butter ball mixture. Roll each 1 TBS portion into a smooth ball and place each ball on the lined baking sheet. (Note: if balls are not rolling smoothly add a touch more peanut butter to the mixture). Repeat until all the peanut butter ball mixture is used.
Freeze Peanut Butter Balls
Place peanut butter balls on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper and freeze until hardened (about 1 hour).
Make the chocolate peanut butter coating
Towards the end of the freezing time, make the chocolate peanut butter coating. Simply melt the chocolate and peanut butter together in the microwave or on a double boiler on the stovetop until glossy and smooth.
Transfer melted chocolate to a small bowl (you want the chocolate to be deep, not a shallow layer in a large bowl).
Coat Peanut Butter Balls in Chocolate
Remove the peanut butter balls from the freezer and dip each one individually into the chocolate mixture.
Shake off excess chocolate and place on the wax paper on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the balls are coated with chocolate.
Add sprinkles or other toppings
If desired, immediately sprinkle with sprinkles (before the chocolate hardens).
To drizzle with chocolate
- Wait until the peanut butter balls are hardened.
- Melt more chocolate, white chocolate, candy melts, etc. and drizzle on top! (for a perfect drizzle I use a decorators bag and pipe it on with a small round tip).
- Let set until hardened.
Let set
Since the peanut butter balls are frozen the chocolate will set up quickly. Let them set on the baking sheet until it has hardened. You can place them in the refrigerator or freezer to speed the process along.
Serve
These peanut butter balls are best when served at room temperature because the chocolate is soft enough to bite through without cracking!
Store/freeze
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw slowly at room temperature or in the refrigerator - do not warm in the microwave.
Recipe FAQS
Yes, you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
The chocolate peanut butter coating in this recipe hardens beautifully, and it's easy to make! The trick is using mostly chocolate, which is solid at room temperature. Adding just a touch of peanut butter makes it soft enough to bite through without cracking!
Yes, this recipe easily doubles to make enough to give as gifts or to feed a crowd.
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No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Balls:
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 1 ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs 10-11 full graham crackers-4piece sheets
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
For the chocolate coating:
- 12 oz (2 cups) chocolate chips
- 1 TBS peanut butter
Instructions
Make the peanut butter ball filling:
- In a large bowl, mix together powder sugar and graham cracker crumbs, set aside.
- In a mixer, beat butter and peanut butter together until creamy. Add vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add powdered sugar mixture and a pinch of salt and beat until combined.
- Line a large baking sheet with wax paper.
- Use a 1 TBS measuring spoon to measure out peanut butter ball mixture.
- Roll each 1 TBS portion into a smooth ball and place each ball on the lined baking sheet. (Note: if balls are not rolling smoothly add a touch more peanut butter to the mixture). Repeat until all the peanut butter ball mixture is used.
- Place peanut butter balls in the freezer for at least 1 hour (or until frozen).
Make the chocolate coating:
- After 1 hour, place chocolate chips and 1 TBS peanut butter in a microwave safe dish or in the bowl of a double boiler. Melt, stirring until smooth and glossy.
- Transfer melted chocolate to a small bowl (you want the chocolate to be deep, not a shallow layer in a large bowl).
Dip the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate:
- Remove peanut butter balls from the freezer and dip each one individually into the chocolate mixture.
- Shake off excess chocolate and place on the wax paper on the baking sheet.
- If desired, immediately sprinkle with sprinkles (before the chocolate hardens).
- Repeat until all the peanut butter balls are coated with chocolate.
- Let the peanut butter balls harden, either at room temperature or in the freezer (faster).
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature!
- Serve at room temperature!
Video
Notes
To make your own graham cracker crumbs:
- Place 10-11 graham crackers into a food processor fitted with the “S” blade or blender.
- Process/blend until mixture turns into a fine powder.
- Use in the recipe as directed.
- Wait until they are hardened.
- Melt more chocolate, white chocolate, candy melts, etc. and drizzle on top! (for a perfect drizzle I use a decorators bag and pipe it on with a small round tip).
Let set until hardened.
Store/freeze
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw slowly at room temperature or in the refrigerator - do not warm in the microwave.Ingredient Substitutions
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter. For a dairy-free version, use vegan butter (Earth Balance) or ghee.
- Peanut Butter: Make sure it's creamy and not too liquidy. I prefer a natural, no-stir variety so that the balls hold up better as they reach room temperature. If you choose to use a more runny peanut butter you will need to serve these cold or add more powdered sugar or graham cracker crumbs to make them roll easier (and make less of a mess).
- Powdered sugar: if you try to avoid refined sugar, make this easy Paleo Powdered Sugar and use it as a substitution.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: I just toss some grahams in my Vitamix or food processor and blend them up. If you have any dietary restrictions use a gluten-free/allergy friendly graham cracker variety!
- Chocolate Chips: Our favorite chocolate of choice is a semi-sweet variety. However I have used milk and dark chocolate with delicious results.
Nutrition
More chocolate peanut butter desserts
I have SO many chocolate peanut butter treats on my blog! Here are a few of my favorites:
- No-bake chocolate peanut butter bars are basically these balls, but in bar form.
- These gluten-free peanut butter blossoms are so fun to make for the holidays.
- I make these no-bake chocolate peanut butter oat bars all the time. They're SO good!
- What would YOU dip in this chocolate peanut butter fondue?
- Who can resist this dairy-free chocolate peanut butter ice cream (LOADED with peanut butter chunks)!?
- Make this Reindeer Food (Christmas Puppy Chow) for a delicious & festive treat.
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Emily Swanson
I love these Laura! I made them last week, and i think I might like them even more than buckeyes because of the crunchy bits inside the balls. I used cookies inside them, and they were delectable.