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All foods we consume have some sort of food memory. Christmastime adds an entire extra level of nostalgic memory and these peanut butter balls are my favorite memory of my grandma. Grandma did not make endless amounts of Christmas candy, but she did spend time making peanut butter balls.
Any baked good or candy can become a Christmas staple when you remember it being made around the holidays. For me, these are still only made at Christmas in my house as a special homage to Grandma. I think we save things that take a little extra time at Christmas because it makes them all the more special.
What ingredients are in this recipe?
- Peanut butter. This is not a time to get all foodie and use artisan peanut butter. The traditional, smooth and creamy peanut butter works best here. Traditional peanut butters will have stabilizers and provide the best texture. Artisan varieties could separate and degrade.
- Butter. Since there are few ingredients in these, good quality butter goes a long way in making sure the flavor is present. The butter also keeps the candy at the correct consistency so it is always a perfect bite.
- Powdered sugar. Aside from sweetening the candy, powdered sugar is what binds all of the ingredients together for a firm but soft filling.
- Rice cereal. If you haven’t had rice cereal in peanut butter balls, this may be a unique addition. This ingredient adds a perfect, crackly crunch to the candy and a break from a dense heavy filling.
- Chocolate. Quality is also key when it comes to chocolate. Good bittersweet chocolate will offset the sweet filling and give an intense chocolate flavor without overpowering the filling.
What is a peanut butter ball?
Peanut butter balls are the original peanut butter-filled chocolate candy we all know and love. The best part is that this candy recipe has more flavor than store-bought varieties. There are two types of this candy:
- The first is more of a buckeye-style peanut butter ball, which is partially dipped in chocolate exposing some of the filling to look like a buckeye. The filling on this version is pretty dense.
- The second is a fully dipped peanut butter ball with a filling that could be either dense or made with rice cereal for added texture.
This recipe is made with rice cereal. And if you ask me, once you have these, you’ll want nothing else!
Watch how to make these peanut butter balls
Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 2 cups peanut butter
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
- 3 cups rice cereal
- 1 lb bittersweet chocolate
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter and melted butter. Stir until combined and smooth. Stir in the vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix until incorporated. Add in the rice cereal and combine until evenly mixed.2 cups peanut butter, 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, 3 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 cups rice cereal
- Using a 1 tbsp-size cookie scoop, make the balls. Roll in hands to create smooth, even balls and set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once all balls are made, set in the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes.
- While the balls are chilling, melt the chocolate with coconut oil in a bain-marie.1 lb bittersweet chocolate, 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Once the chocolate and coconut oil are melted, remove the peanut butter balls from the refrigerator. One at a time, roll the balls in the melted chocolate, allowing the excess chocolate to drip off. Set the dipped balls back on the parchment paper and sprinkle with flaky salt. Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- These can be stored in an airtight container and kept chilled for 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Merry Christmas I wanna tell you so much. How absolutely fantastic this recipe is. I have been searching and searching for a peanut butter ball recipe and could never find one that didn’t taste like nothing but powdered sugar. This recipe was absolutely fantastic and brings out the peanut butter so much and you barely taste the powdered sugar. Thank you again.
Sherry from Connecticut
I love these! The addition of the cereal gives them a little something extra. Thanks for another great recipe!