This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through those links (at no extra cost to you).
With just 5 ingredients, learn how to make No Bake Peanut Butter Balls that will fly off the platter or make a stellar food gift idea. This easy homemade candy recipe is a winner at any holiday party (or on any day you want to taste like a holiday!).
I love a 5-ingredient, no bake treat at the holidays. As a classically-trained chef with some serious candy-making under my belt, I was excited to tweak this old-fashioned recipe until it was absolutely perfect.
The secret to these delicious peanut butter balls is the graham cracker crumbs in the filling. They add a much-needed texture that is pleasant to bite into without a hint of grittiness. I also love to use semi-sweet chocolate chips which balances perfectly with the peanut butter filling, but you’re welcome to substitute milk chocolate if you prefer that.
Add these scrumptious peanut butter balls to your next cookie plate or package them up to give as a homemade food gift. If you live in a cold climate, you should definitely do that one trick where you store holiday candy on your patio or in the garage. I love that about the Midwest!
Table of Contents
Easy Peanut Butter Balls Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Graham crackers: If classic graham crackers aren’t available in your area, feel free to use the same amount of crushed digestive biscuits, or any slightly sweet, non-shortbread style cookie or tea biscuit. Or try 1 cup of crushed Rice Krispies cereal or 1 cup of rolled oats; you can’t go wrong with any of the above.
- Peanut butter: Homemade or store-bought, creamy or chunky; it’s up to you. Almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or your top peanut butter substitute should also work as long as it’s not too drippy.
- Semi-sweet baking chocolate: For dipping. You can also use chocolate flavored melting wafers if desired.
- Powdered Sugar
- Butter
How to make Peanut Butter Balls
- In a large bowl, add graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter. Stir until uniformly combined and smooth.
- Shape into teaspoon-sized balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Chill at least 30 minutes.
- Set chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water (double-boiler method) or melt in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments (stirring well after each increment). Using two spoons, dip peanut butter balls into melted chocolate and transfer to prepared baking sheet.
- Chill at least 30 minutes to set chocolate. Store covered in the refrigerator (or in your cold garage).
Peanut Butter Ball Recipe Tips and Variations
- Yield: My No Bake Peanut Butter Ball recipe makes 30 bite-sized (okay, probably more like two-bite) servings. This dessert is a breeze to make and multiplies easily, so I suggest whipping up a double batch.
- Storage: Transfer extra No Bake Peanut Butter Balls to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
- Freezer: Freeze dipped or undipped Peanut Butter Balls in a freezer-safe zip-top bag for up to three months.
- No Bake Peanut Butter Ball mix-ins: Boost flavor or texture by adding shredded coconut, chopped dried fruit, sprinkles/jimmies, or mini chocolate chips.
Peanut Butter Ball Recipe FAQs
The best way to melt chocolate is either using a double boiler on the stove or in the microwave. Before you start, make sure your bowl and utensils (and anything else that touches the chocolate) is very, very dry. Even just a little water could make the melted chocolate seize up.
Melting chocolate in the microwave: Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals at 50% power, stirring between each, until smooth and melted.
Melting chocolate on the stove: Place chocolate in the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over (but not in) a saucepan of simmering water; cook, stirring occasionally, until melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Your peanut butter balls could be dry because you didn’t grind your graham cracker crumbs finely enough to properly blend with the butter and sugar mixture. Also, if you use natural peanut butter instead of the highly-processed, full-sugar kind, your might wind up with dry peanut butter balls due to a lower amount of oil in the nut butter. Finally, if you added too much powdered sugar and not enough butter, your ratio might be off leading to dry PB balls.
You need something to bind the peanut butter mixture, but it doesn’t have to be butter. You can substitute coconut oil, honey, maple syrup, or vegan butter. If you substitute a sweetener such as honey or maple syrup, you will need to reduce or omit the added sugar in your recipe.
Christmas Crack
You’ll love this salty, sweet, crunchy, chewy saltine cracker candy, sometimes known as Christmas Crack, and you can make it in 15 minutes with just 5 ingredients! I grew up eating Saltine Cracker Candy every…
View Recipe
More homemade candy ideas
Join Us
Peanut Butter Balls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup crushed graham crackers ( 1 sleeve or 9 crackers, see note 1)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (see note 2)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup butter softened (½ stick)
- 8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate (see note 3)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter. Stir until uniformly combined and smooth.
- Shape into teaspoon-sized balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Chill at least 30 minutes.
- Set chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water (double-boiler method) or melt in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments (stirring well after each increment). Using two spoons, dip peanut butter balls into melted chocolate and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Chill at least 30 minutes to set chocolate.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Graham crackers: If classic graham crackers aren’t available in your area, feel free to use the same amount of crushed digestive biscuits, or any slightly sweet, non-shortbread style cookie or tea biscuit. Or try 1 cup of crushed Rice Krispies cereal or 1 cup of rolled oats; you can’t go wrong with any of the above.
- Peanut butter: Homemade or store-bought, creamy or chunky; it’s up to you. Almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or your top peanut butter substitute should also work as long as it’s not too drippy.
- Semi-sweet baking chocolate: For dipping. You can also use chocolate flavored melting wafers if desired.
- Yield: My No Bake Peanut Butter Ball recipe makes 30 bite-sized (okay, probably more like two-bite) servings. This dessert is a breeze to make and multiplies easily, so I suggest whipping up a double batch.
- Storage: Transfer extra No Bake Peanut Butter Balls to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
- Freezer: Freeze dipped or undipped Peanut Butter Balls in a freezer-safe zip-top bag for up to three months.
This is a wonderful easy recipe. The only problem is you have to freeze them quick so you don’t eat them all. Thank you this is third time I have made.
You’re so welcome, Susan! (I understand!) Take care! – Meggan
This is such an easy recipe to follow, multiply (you almost HAVE to multiply with these delicious treats!!)and modify! I used the cereal Golden Grahams- I put them in 2 separate gallon sized bags and used a rolling pin to really crush them up. It ended up being 3/4+ of the box to get 2 cups. And see I said 2 cups because you have to, at the very least, make a double batch!!! Soo delicious!! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Cassy! I’m so glad you love them! – Meggan
Can I use the bag of graham cracker , that I use to make crusts out of ?
Hi Ashley, yes! I hope you love them. – Meggan
I love baking and these peanut butter balls are great , I use crushed cheerios
I love hearing all the changes people make to my recipes! You never know who, in the future, might just try cheerios in their Peanut Butter Balls too! Thanks for sharing, Lorraine 🙂 – Meggan
These turned out great! Thank you for this recipe!
You’re welcome, Andrea! I’m so happy you loved them! – Meggan
Just made this recipe. The chocolate does not stick to the peanut butter balls very well at all. Bit disappointed there but they tasted amazing . Just wanted more coverage and the hardening of the chocolate after chilling the hour total was hoping for a better outcome.
Hi T W, I’m happy to hear they tasted amazing, but I understand about chocolate not adhering well to the peanut butter balls. Sorry about that. If it’s warm in my house, I will chill the peanut butter balls longer or freeze them for a bit before dipping in the chocolate, so they set properly. I’m sorry again, I hope the next batch is amazing. – Meggan
These were super good and easy to make!!
I’m so happy you loved them, Raven! – Meggan
You have a comment to not use shortbread cookies. I am wondering why? I was going to try this with shortbread/butter cookies until I saw this comment. Any thoughts would be appreciated!