These Peanut Butter Balls are quick and easy to mix up and no baking is required. Once you roll them into balls, the fun part is deciding how to finish them. The hard part is giving them away.
I’ve been making Peanut Butter Balls with the same recipe for years. Ditto for my mom. There are so few ingredients, it’s almost embarrassing to call this a recipe. Peanut butter, peanuts, icing sugar and crispy rice cereal. You know the kind I mean. Rice Krispies or a store brand of the same thing. You can even make these easier by using crunchy peanut butter to save adding nuts. So simple.
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The rice cereal is the key to this recipe. It adds a nice crunchy texture and lightens up the filling so it’s not a big heavy lump of peanut butter. And yes, they stay crunchy for days. Try not to break up the cereal too much while stirring the mixture.
Once you’ve combined the ingredients, let the mixture chill for about 30 minutes which will make rolling easier. You can even refrigerate over night if you like. Then roll into balls, keeping them as similar in size as possible. Place them on a parchment paper lined tray to prevent sticking.
Now the fun part. You need to coat the Peanut Butter Balls with something so they aren’t sticky when you pick them up. A light dusting of icing sugar is a quick way to top lots at a time. Or, you can coarsely chop some of the extra cereal or nuts and roll the balls around until entirely coated.
If you like chocolate with your peanut butter (who doesn’t??), melt a few squares of semi sweet chocolate gently over simmering water. Dip each ball in the chocolate to give it a little chocolate cap. You can go totally crazy and then dip into some chopped cereal while the chocolate is still soft. Or chopped peanuts if you’ve used them in the mixture. I used to melt lots of chocolate and roll the entire balls in chocolate. But, to be honest, in my opinion it’s too much chocolate. And I don’t think they look very good. You decide.
Store the Peanut Butter Balls in the fridge. They even freeze well so you can make a big batch. People love getting sweet treats as gifts. Share some with friends if you can part with them. Or not. This recipe makes about 4 dozen so you’ll have lots.
Seasons eatings would not be complete without mention of the very popular skit on Saturday Night Live – Schweddy Balls. If you haven’t seen it, follow the link for a great laugh. The silly girl in me always thinks of this skit when I’m making Peanut Butter Balls. And Rum Balls.
If you make Peanut Butter Balls, consider leaving a comment or rating below. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 cups peanut butter approx 500 g or 18 oz jar
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal such as Rice Krispies
- ½ cup chopped peanuts or use chunky peanut butter
Toppings
- extra icing sugar for dusting
- extra rice cereal, finely chopped
- extra peanuts, finely chopped
- melted semi sweet chocolate
Instructions
- Combine peanut butter, icing sugar, cereal and peanuts if using. Alternatively, use chunky peanut butter instead of adding peanuts. Chill at least 30 minutes.
- Roll into similar sized balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
- To finish, dust with icing sugar or roll in cereal or peanuts. Or, dip or roll in chocolate. Or any combination of your choice.
- Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to one week. Freeze if storing longer. Makes about 4 dozen Peanut Butter Balls.