Peanut Butter Balls

These easy 4-ingredient Peanut Butter Balls are an old fashioned holiday classic. The sweet peanut butter filling encased in a milk chocolate coating will make a decadent addition to your special occasion confections.

Peanut Butter Balls Recipe

Old fashioned peanut butter balls were often made using food grade paraffin wax. It’s located on the baking aisle or with the canning jars and supplies in grocery stores and places like Walmart and Target. The paraffin wax assures that the chocolate is smooth and will shine and set beautifully. It doesn’t add to the taste nor does it take away from the taste, it’s all about the chocolate coating. Edible paraffin wax is the same kind of wax used to seal cheese. You can use it or solid vegetable shortening in this recipe. How to make simple Peanut Butter Balls no bake:

• Peanut Butter – Creamy peanut butter.
• Butter – Unsalted butter.
• Flavorings – Pure vanilla extract.
• Sugar – Powdered sugar.
• Chocolate – Milk chocolate melting wafers OR semi sweet chocolate melting wafers (i.e. Ghiradelli).
• Vegetable shortening. 

How to Make the Best Peanut Butter Balls

• Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Peanut Butter Balls: Creamy peanut butter i.e. Jif or similar, unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, chocolate melting wafers i.e. Ghiradelli or milk chocolate chips and solid vegetable shortening.
• Kitchen gadgets you’ll need: A large sheet pan, mixing bowl, hand mixer or stand mixer, measuring cups and spoons, wax paper, a double boiler or microwave safe bowl for melting the chocolate, a candy fork, regular fork or toothpicks for dipping into the chocolate.
• The purpose of vegetable shortening is to thin the chocolate making it easier to dip the peanut butter balls. It’s also room temperature stable and will add shine to the chocolate when it dries.
• You can make chocolate peanut butter balls with Skippy peanut butter, Jif peanut butter, Peter Pan peanut butter or any private label store brand that you enjoy.
• I prefer using chocolate melting wafers for the coating in place of chocolate chips. Chocolate baking chips have stabilizers in them to help them hold their shape when baking in cookies, cakes and breads etc. so they don’t always melt completely smooth. Chocolate wafers will melt silky smooth.
• Old school candies were made using Paraffin wax in the coating. It was used in many food applications to preserve and lend shine to the finished product and plus it’s stable at room temperature. Should you choose, you could use paraffin in the coating. It’s found on the baking aisle of most grocery stores. You would need 1/3 cup grated on a box grater added to the chocolate to melt.
• You can also use a candy coating such as Almond Bark or Candiquik for these peanut butter balls. When doing so omit the vegetable shortening or paraffin and melt per the package instructions.
• If you don’t have a double boiler, you can make one with a heat safe bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. It’s important that you don’t allow the water to touch the bottom of the bowl.
• A double boiler is ideal as it keep the chocolate warm while you work. If you choose to melt the chocolate in the microwave you may need to stop and melt it again if it cools down while dipping.
• To make Crispy Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies: Follow the recipe for the peanut butter mixture per the recipe. By hand, mix in 1 cup of crispy rice cereal i.e. Rice Krispies then roll into balls and chill prior to dipping in warm chocolate.
• You may also like to add chopped peanuts or mini chocolate chips to the filling.
• Store Peanut Butter Balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze them for up to 2 months.

More Southern Style Holiday Candies to Make

• These Bourbon Balls can be dipped in chocolate, rolled in chopped nuts or powdered sugar.
• Fluffy Southern Divinity Candy.
• Brown Sugar Walnut Fudge is a party favorite.
• These Easy Toffee Peanut Clusters never last long.
• You’ll melt everything together in a slow cooker to make this Sweet and Salty Crockpot Candy.
• Chocolate dipped Pecan Balls are a cinch to make.
• Easy Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Cashew Clusters.
• Cinnamon Hard Candy from Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons.

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Helpful Kitchen Items: 

• Sheet Pans
• Double Boiler
• Candy Dipping Fork
• Adjustable Measuring Cup