This recipe for peanut butter balls with Rice Krispies results in indulgent treats you’ll want to make all the time.
When it comes to easy Christmas candies, you can’t beat this recipe. It’s delicious, simple to make, and has a wonderful texture.
After all, you can never go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate. Throw Rice Krispies into the mix, and you’ll have the most phenomenal dessert!
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Balls
These Rice Krispie balls are impossible to resist. One bite is all it takes to fall in love.
In fact, you might want to double the recipe right away. They’re really THAT good.
They’re just like you’d imagine: tasty little chocolate balls made with crisp and crunchy Rice Krispies and thick, creamy peanut butter.
The chocolate and peanut butter melts in your mouth, but then you get pops of crispy cereal. How fun is that?
In short, they’re bite-sized balls of delight that require ZERO baking. What’s not to love?!
Ingredients
Despite how decadent and tasty these peanut butter Rice Krispie balls are, they aren’t difficult to make. You’ll need just five ingredients:
- Peanut butter. Use regular peanut butter instead of natural. Natural peanut butter tends to be greasy, which is not easy to coat in chocolate.
- Butter. For a richer flavor.
- Powdered sugar. To sweeten and thicken the peanut butter, making it easier to shape. Do not use granulated sugar in place of powdered sugar to avoid grainy balls.
- Rice Krispies. For that wonderful crunch! Regular or Cocoa Krispies both work.
- Chocolate chips. Pick ones that are good for melting, such as Ghirardelli wafers. Real, high-quality chocolate works best.
Can I Use White Chocolate?
You can absolutely use white chocolate instead of semi-sweet chocolate! You can even tint the white chocolate with food coloring for a twist!
Dark chocolate or milk chocolate work, too. You can even try chocolate almond bark.
How to Make Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies
Follow these simple steps to make these easy peanut butter balls:
1. Combine the peanut butter and butter. Melt them over low heat, stirring until they’re completely melted.
2. Mix the Rice Krispies and sugar. Combine them in a large bowl, stirring until everything is well mixed.
3. Add the peanut butter. Pour the melted peanut butter-butter mixture into the cereal-sugar mixture. Mix well.
4. Shape. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls.
5. Chill. Place the balls on lined cookie sheets and refrigerate overnight or until the balls are firm.
6. Dip in chocolate. Dip the chilled balls in melted chocolate. Roll them until they are fully coated. Return them to the lined baking sheets.
7. Chill, serve, and enjoy! Chill the balls until they are completely firm, and the chocolate is set. Then, serve and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Peanut Butter Balls
My top tip is to work in batches when coating them in chocolate. That way, the last ones won’t go warm sitting on the counter.
Other than that, keep these tips in mind when making your peanut butter balls:
- Use toothpicks for dipping. Stick a toothpick in each Rice Krispie ball for easier dipping. Remove the toothpicks once you’ve placed them on a cookie sheet.
- Keep the mess to a minimum. Line the cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper so the chocolate doesn’t stick to it.
- Chill. Refrigerate the balls for 30 minutes or freeze for 10 before dipping them in chocolate. This will prevent them from melting into the chocolate.
- Use high-quality chocolate that melts well. The flavor of this confection relies heavily on the chocolate, so use one you like a lot. Also, pick one that melts well. I prefer Ghirardelli wafers because they’re smooth and silky when melted.
- Place the chocolate in a deep bowl. Better yet, put it in a glass! This will make it easier to dip the balls in.
- Customize them! Don’t be afraid to vary the ingredients to suit your tastes. Use crunchy peanut butter for more texture or Cocoa Krispies for a richer chocolate flavor. Experiment with different chocolates – dark or semi-sweet, for example.
- Make them look nice. Dress the balls with sprinkles or mini-chocolate chips for more crunch, flavor, and color. You can also shape them into squares or bars instead of balls if you prefer.
How to Melt Chocolate
This recipe calls for melting the chocolate in a double boiler. Here’s how to do that:
- Fill a pot about 1/3 of the way with water.
- Heat the water on the stove over medium-low heat.
- Bring the water to a low boil.
- Finely chop the chocolate.
- Place it in a heat-safe glass bowl that’s large enough to completely cover the pot’s opening.
- Gently wedge the bowl into the pot’s opening so the steam from the boiling water slowly melts the chocolate.
- Stir the chocolate until it’s completely melted, then carefully remove the bowl from the pot.
The key here is to have the water simmering, not boiling. Also, don’t let the botoom of the bowl touch the water.
This method ensures your chocolate doesn’t burn, which can happen if you melt it directly in the pan.
The other option is to melt the chocolate in the microwave. Here’s how:
- Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat the chocolate in the microwave on medium power for 30 seconds.
- Stir the chocolate and heat for another 30 seconds.
- Continue heating in 30-second intervals and stirring until the chocolate is fully melted.
I like the double boiler method but you can use whichever method works best for you!
How to Store Rice Krispie Peanut Butter Balls
Storing these yummy Christmas candies is a breeze. That also makes them an excellent make-ahead dessert for the holidays.
Here are tips on storing, freezing, and thawing these little guys:
To Store. Set the chocolate in the fridge, uncovered. Then, pop them in a Ziploc bag or air-tight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 7 days.
To Freeze. Set the balls in the fridge, uncovered. Then, freeze on a tray until solid. Finally, store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 6 months.
To Thaw. Thaw the balls in the fridge overnight and uncovered. This way, the moisture won’t stick to the chocolate.
More Christmas Treats You’ll Love
Oreo Cookie Balls
Christmas Crack
Christmas Cookie Fudge
Rum Balls
Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies
24
servings2
hours30
minutes25
minutes331
kcalThese peanut butter Rice Krispie balls are so irresistible! Made with chocolate chips, peanut butter, Rice Krispies, and powdered sugar, they’re a sweet treat you’ll make again and again!
Ingredients
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
3 cups Rice Krispies
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place the peanut butter and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until melted.
- In a large bowl, mix the Rice Krispies and powdered sugar until combined.
- Pour the melted peanut butter and butter over the cereal-sugar mixture and mix until combined.
- Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheets. Refrigerate until the balls are firm.
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir until smooth.
- Dip the chilled balls in the chocolate and gently roll with a spoon until completely coated. Place the dipped balls on cookie sheets.
- Chill the balls until the chocolate is firm. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use toothpicks to make dipping the balls in the chocolate easier.
- Do NOT substitute granulated sugar for powdered sugar. Doing so will result in a grainy finish.
Nutrition
- Calories: 331kcal
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Protein: 7g
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Cholesterol: 11mg
- Sodium: 162mg
- Potassium: 145mg
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 27g
- Calcium: 6mg
- Iron: 2mg
