These chocolate peanut butter balls take four ingredients: peanut butter, melted butter, powdered sweetener, and sugar-free chocolate chips. I beat the filling together, chill it, roll it into 16 balls, and dip each one in melted chocolate. There is no baking at all. The centers are soft and creamy under a firm chocolate shell. Most of the hour they take is freezer time. They keep for a week in the fridge or three months in the freezer, which makes them easy to have ready for holiday trays.
Before I was diagnosed with a peanut allergy, I made these chocolate peanut butter balls with creamy peanut butter all the time. Since my diagnosis, I make them 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.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Creamy, chocolatey, and full of flavor.
- Easy to make.
- Easy to make ahead for holiday parties.
- Stores well at room temperature 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
👉 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: I 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. Regular powdered sugar works too.
- Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips: A chopped 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 flaky sea salt on top of each of the balls.
- Sprinkle on chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or sunflower seeds.
- Sprinkle on colorful sprinkles. Match the colors to the holiday you are serving them for, 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 airtight 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 unsweetened peanut butter (use No-Sugar-Added SunButter or unsweetened almond butter to keep the recipe peanut-free)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup powdered sweetener
- ⅔ cup 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 until smooth. 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 about 1¼-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 a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until smooth.
- Remove baking sheet from freezer and, one by one, using a fork or a toothpick, 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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