It's Time To Indulge In Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

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Homemade chocolate peanut butter balls are the first candy to disappear off holiday cookie trays, but why wait? For all of us with a sweet tooth, it's time to celebrate because June is National Candy Month!

What wonderful news! What a great excuse to indulge! Any day in June is the perfect time for these easy treats! You can stir up a batch in a jiffy! The taste of these yummy candies is very similar to a Reece's Peanut Butter Cup!

According to CandyStore.com, Reece's cups are the top-selling candy in America. We eat them by the ton! Research indicates over 39% of Americans call it their favorite candy. You can't go wrong with the timeless combination of peanut butter and chocolate.

It's a duo as delightful as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers! Or for you youngsters, as perfectly paired as Woody and Buzz!

Let The Kids Help Make These Tasty Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

They are so easy to make! Combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter, and crushed crisp rice cereal in a bowl. Roll into walnut-size balls, park them on a parchment-covered sheet pan, and chill.

When they are good and cold, dunk them in a bath of melted chocolate almond bark, or semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips. I do not have a double boiler, so I put an oven-proof glass bowl (make sure it is oven-proof) on top of a saucepan with some water. Please set the burner on low so the water barely simmers.

You don't need the water in the pan to touch the bottom of the bowl. As the water simmers, it generates enough gentle heat to melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips or almond bark with a little bit of shortening to a perfectly melty consistency.

You can also melt either one easily in your microwave. Break or cut the almond bark into smaller pieces, put it in a microwave-safe bowl, and place it in the microwave.

Melt it in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until it is smooth, melty, and dippable. A little bit of shortening will help the almond bark or chips achieve a perfectly melty consistency.

There are lots of nifty tools for candy dipping! I may buy one before the holidays, but this time, I used a skinny fork and a long toothpick to plop the ball into the melted chocolate, give it a roll, and set it back on the covered baking pan to harden. If you have any chocolate left, you can drizzle it lightly over the candies for added texture.

It might also be fun to melt a small amount of peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips to make a pretty drizzle! Sprinkles would be adorable, too! Garnishes always elevate the appearance of a special treat but believe me, these chocolate peanut butter balls taste fabulous, even unadorned!

I listed another option on the printable recipe card for a smoother center in peanut butter balls: using more powdered sugar and omitting the rice cereal. These goodies are so quick and easy to make that they'd be fun to do with your kids or grandkids!

Freeze Peanut Butter Balls For Gifts

These would be fun to make later on over the Thanksgiving break because they freeze beautifully and keep a month or more in the freezer! They would be so adorable in a tissue-lined tin and wrapped with a festive ribbon bow! Stack them in layers separated by waxed paper in a freezer container so you have some ready for cookie platters or gifts!

My family loves sweet and salty combinations, so I'm going to try adding crushed pretzels to the filling or sprinkling finely chopped salted party peanuts or smoked sea salt on top! If you want to combine the top two candies in America into one treat, why not put mini M and M's in the peanut butter mixture? Are you a Heath fan? Try some brickle bits!

Almond butter or cashew butter would be delicious options. You can use any nut butter inside these beauties! Make sure you chill the candy centers thoroughly before dipping them in chocolate.

What's your favorite peanut butter and chocolate combination? Is there a recipe you'd be willing to share? Wait. Are you saying you don't like peanut butter at all? You're kidding. Well, maybe you'll love these instead: Chocolate Covered Coconut Balls.

Yield: 30 candies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Print

Here is a recipe for an easy-to-make treat with just four ingredients. They are always the first candy to disappear from the candy tray.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (or use chunky peanut butter if you like!)
• 1/4 cup butter softened to room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups coarsely crushed rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
• 2 cups of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp regular shortening (like Crisco)

Instructions

1. Mix peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter until well blended.
2. Stir in the crushed rice cereal until it is evenly distributed.
3. Roll in thirty balls, about one tablespoon each. They will be about one inch in size.
4. Place on a rimmed baking pan covered with wax paper or parchment paper.
5. Chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight. If the peanut butter balls are really cold, they will be easier to handle, and the chocolate coating will harden more quickly.
6. Melt the chocolate chips and shortening over a double boiler or melt in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl in twenty-second increments, stirring after every stop.
7. Dunk peanut butter balls in melted chocolate and set them back on the baking sheet until they are completely covered.
8. Chill until the chocolate sets up (hardens) completely.
9. Store in an airtight container either on the counter or in the refrigerator.

Notes

If you prefer a smoother peanut butter filling, you can omit the rice cereal and use these ingredients instead. The instructions are just the same.

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 6 Tbsp salted butter softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Two cups of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips. You could even use white chocolate chips for dipping!
• 2 Tbsp vegetable shortening

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

30

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 153Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 72mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 3g

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Love, GB (Betty Streff)

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