Peanut butter balls with rice crispies are delicious little candies that can easily be made in your own kitchen. This delicious candy is great for the holidays and cookie trays; it is truly a great combination of sweet and salty.
These cookies are always on my must-bake list during the holidays. They are so buttery and delicious that one might say they just melt in your mouth, but what I think my family likes most about them is that of all the holiday cookies, these really are not overly sweet, even with the dusting of icing sugar.
What are peanut butter balls?
Peanut butter balls have been around for so many years that they’re considered classic candy. They are a very simple no-bake candy recipe that consists of 5 ingredients: peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, rice crispies, and chocolate. They are soft and creamy with a little crunch from the rice crispies and a great chocolate shell that cracks when you bite into it.
What you will need to make peanut butter balls
- Peanut butter creamy or crunchy peanut butter will work for this recipe. Crunchy peanut butter adds additional texture its about your personal preference for peanut butter here
- Unsalted butter combines with peanut butter to create a really creamy filling.
- Powdered sugar to sweeten the filling
- Vanilla extract use pure vanilla if you have it but any vanilla will work
- Rice crispy cereal or any brand of Rice Krispy works in this recipe.
- Chocolate Candy coatings such as melting wafers or almond bark. If you use regular chocolate chips, the melted chocolate is too thick for coating, so make sure you get a melting wafer or almond bark.
How to make peanut butter balls
These candies are fun to make and hardly take any time to make. What is even better is that they don’t require any baking which is great for making large batches and yielding a lot of peanut butter balls.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Combine peanut butter and butter together in a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in the pure vanilla
- Gradually add in the powdered sugar, half a cup at a time
- Stir in crispy rice cereal
- Shape into 1-inch balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes
- Melt candy coating as per the direction on the package
- Dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate using a toothpick
- Transfer to the parchment paper and sprinkle with chopped peanuts or sprinkles.
- Let the candy sit until the chocolate is firm.
Tips and suggestions for making peanut butter balls
- you can use any nut butter for this recipe, almond butter, pumpkin butter, cashew butter, etc.
- Chill your peanut butter balls before dipping them
- I like to use a chocolate melting pot, but you can always melt it in a double boiler.
- Add any type of holiday sprinkles, chopped nuts, sea salt, or anything you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use natural peanut butter?
yes, you can but you might want to add a little more powdered sugar since there is no sweetness in natural peanut butter. I prefer to use a peanut butter life jif or kraft peanut butter that doesn’t require to be stirred.
Can I use another nut butter?
Yes, you can use an alternative, but I do suggest something like almond butter that is thick and creamy. If it’s runny, it might not set up like it should and won’t be able to form balls.
Can I freeze peanut butter balls?
Yes, peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate will freeze well in a freezer bag or airtight container for 3 months. Thaw overnight and serve!
How to make Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 2 cup peanut butter
- ½ cup butter softened
- 3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla
- 2 cup rice krispies
- 16 ounces melting chocolate wafers
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine peanut butter and butter together in a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add in the powdered sugar, half a cup at a time, until mixture is nice and smooth and you can easily form balls.
- Stir in crispy rice cereal and use your hands if necessary to thoroughly incorporate into the peanut butter mixture.
- Shape into 1 inch balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes on the prepared baking sheet. (You can also freeze for 20 minutes.)
- Melt candy coating following melting directions on package.
- Dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate using a toothpick or dipping tools.
- Transfer to the parchment paper and sprinkle chopped peanuts or sprinkles
- Let candy set up until the chocolate coating is firm.
This looks and sounds delicious!