These Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls are simple to make, require only 4 ingredients, and can easily be made peanut-free! They can be whipped together with minimal effort and are perfect for the holiday season.
Before I was diagnosed with a peanut allergy, I made these chocolate peanut butter balls with creamy peanut butter all the time! Even after my diagnosis, I have loved making these with SunButter (sunflower seed butter).
If you can eat peanuts, make the recipe as written. If you want a peanut-free option, use SunButter or almond butter.
(And, if you’re looking for more recipes that use SunButter, check out these scotcheroos and these no-bake sunflower seed chocolate bars.)
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Creamy, chocolatey, and full of flavor.
- Easy to make.
- Perfect for holiday parties.
- Stores well at room temp or in the fridge.
- Freezer-friendly.
- Can be made allergy-friendly (peanut-free and tree nut-free).
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make these chocolate peanut butter balls
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Mix together peanut butter (or, for peanut-free, SunButter or almond butter) and melted butter then, in small batches, mix in powdered sweetener.
- Chill the mixture in the freezer before scooping some out, forming it into balls, and placing each ball on top of a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer to chill until they have firmed up.
- With about 5 minutes left of the balls chilling in the freezer, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave.
- Using a fork, carefully dip the chilled peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate then return them to the baking sheet. Optionally, use any remaining melted chocolate to drizzle atop chocolate-covered balls.
- Return the baking sheet back to the freezer until the chocolate has solidified.
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
- Unsweetened Peanut Butter: I use No-Sugar-Added SunButter here (due to my allergies) and it works great. Unsweetened almond butter or cashew butter will also work.
- Unsalted Butter: Ghee or coconut oil will work at a 1:1 substitution ratio.
- Powdered Sweetener: If you want to keep the carb content low, I would use powdered monk fruit sweetener. You can also use Classic Monk Fruit Sweetener, Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener, or erythritol here, but you will need to powder it in a blender or food processor before mixing it in with the other ingredients. If carbohydrates aren’t a concern, use powdered sugar.
- Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips: A sugar-free chocolate bar will work here (I like Lily’s). You can also use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I would suggest slightly decreasing the amount of powdered sweetener you add.
✨ Variations
- Use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth peanut butter for some added texture.
- Sprinkle flakey sea salt on top of each of the balls.
- Sprinkle on chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or sunflower seeds.
- Sprinkle on colorful sprinkles – you can coordinate the sprinkle colors with whatever holiday you’re serving them at (like red, green, and white for Christmas or orange and white for Halloween!).
💬 FAQs
Do I have to use a hand mixer?
No, you can use a stand mixer or just mix everything together with your hands.
Why is my peanut butter mixture not solid enough after freezing?
This could be for a variety of reasons (your freezer is a little warmer, the peanut butter was warmer, the peanut butter had more oil in it, the peanut butter was newer, etc.). To firm the mixture up more, return it to the freezer for additional time.
Can these be stored at room temperature?
Yes, you can store these at room temperature in an airight container for up to 3 days.
How should these be stored in the refrigerator?
Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Can you freeze peanut butter balls?
Yes, you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw in the refrigerator before enjoying.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls (Peanut-Free Option)
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup 171g unsweetened peanut butter (use No-Sugar-Added SunButter or unsweetened almond butter to keep the recipe peanut-free)
- ¼ cup 2 oz unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup 60g powdered sweetener (I use powdered monk fruit sweetener)
- ⅔ cup 149g sugar-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, mix together peanut butter and melted butter. In small batches, mix in powdered sweetener. Transfer bowl to freezer to chill for 15 minutes.
- After chilling, remove bowl from freezer and, using a spoon, scoop out portion of mixture, form into 1-inch balls using hands, and place atop prepared baking sheet until 16 balls are made. Transfer baking sheet to freezer to chill until balls have firmed, about 20 minutes.
- With about 5 minutes left of balls chilling, melt chocolate chips in microwave in 30-second increments.
- Remove baking sheet from freezer and, one by one, using a fork, carefully dip balls into melted chocolate, allow excess chocolate to drip off, then return balls to baking sheet. Optionally, use any remaining melted chocolate to drizzle atop chocolate-covered balls.
- Return baking sheet to freezer to chill until chocolate has solidified, about 5 minutes.
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