Classic Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut butter balls made with dry milk, rice krispies, vanilla and honey dipped in chocolate make the best bite sized desserts!

There are several delicious variations of this recipe, but our absolute favorite is making Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies.

Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies Recipe

These chocolate-dipped peanut butter dessert balls are homemade candy at its finest! The nonfat dry milk used in this recipe provides a rich flavor and extra protein. The dry milk is also a healthier option to substitute in this dessert for confectioners sugar!

Classic peanut butter balls with Rice Krispies make wonderful homemade gifts to share with loved ones at the holidays.

Perfectly portioned peanut butter and Rice Krispie balls dipped in chocolate make the best bite-sized no-bake dessert for Christmas, Valentine’s day or any time of the year! Just like our Crock Pot Peanut Clusters, you can add some fun sprinkles on top that match the color of the occasion.

Peanut butter and chocolate is one of our favorite combinations for desserts. So our Peanut Butter & Chocolate Fudge and Flat Buckeyes are more candy like recipes that are an absolute delight!

Variation to Make Buckeye Candy with Rice Krispies

When dipping the peanut butter balls leave a circular opening on top that shows some of the peanut butter filling to create and edible buckeye treat.

These are perfect for tailgating and OSU football season! At the holidays we like to use the same recipe and fully coat with chocolate.

Buckeye balls with powdered milk have a higher amount of protein and richer flavor while the rice crispy cereal adds a nice crunch!

Our daughter has won blue ribbons at our county fair with these Buckeyes as well as our Banana Cream Pudding and Smores Cake.

Ingredients Needed

• We prefer smooth peanut butter, but chunky can be used.
• Dry powdered milk
• Crispy rice cereal – the store brand works just as well as the well known Rice Krispie cereal.
• Honey – love this choice instead of butter or vegetable shortening
• Vanilla extract
• Chocolate – I find melting chocolate easiest to use. Milk chocolate and dark chocolate are both great in this recipe. If you have chocolate chips, melt them with a teaspoon of vegetable oil to keep the chocolate smooth and make dipping easier.

How to Make Peanut Butter Balls

Put Rice Krispie cereal In a small plastic bag and crush with the palm of your hand or a rolling pin.

In a medium sized mixing bowl mix together peanut butter, dry milk powder, honey and vanilla.  Mix well.

Use a small cookie dough scoop to make balls. Place balls on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or parchment paper.

Melt chocolate using a microwave safe dish. Stir chocolate every 20 seconds to prevent burning.

I like to use one or two forks to roll the balls around in melted chocolate. The balls can be lifted out on the fork and tapped on the side of the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off.

I personally enjoy the taste of all of that excess chocolate to be left on the peanut butter balls, but they do look best when evenly coated with a more uniform layer of chocolate.

If desired add sprinkles quickly before the chocolate sets.

Wrap in a festive holiday gift bag or seasonal self sealing bag to make great homemade gifts that neighbors and friends can enjoy this holiday season!

More Peanut Butter Balls Variations:

• Rice Krispie cereal can be substituted with quick oats to make chewy peanut butter balls.
• The amount of honey can be increased a bit to help hold all of the ingredients together.
• Carob powder can be used in place of crispy rice cereal for fudgy peanut butter balls.
• Use 1/2 cup carob powder along with your peanut butter, milk powder, honey and vanilla to create a fudge peanut butter ball.
• Peanut butter balls with any type of filling can be rolled in mini chocolate chips instead of dipped in chocolate for another easy way to add chocolate flavor.

Can the Balls Be Dipped in White Chocolate?

Yes! These peanut butter balls pair well with white melting chocolate or white almond bard. Simply melt the type of chocolate that you prefer and coat each ball.

Our White Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are always popular among the crowd that enjoys white chocolate!

Tips for Making Peanut Butter Balls

• Smaller peanut butter balls mean a higher chocolate to peanut butter ratio
• Sprinkles need to be added quickly to freshly dipped balls before the sprinkles set
• Measure crispy rice cereal before crushing
• Amounts of ingredients are adjustable in this recipe. Use 1 to 1 1/2 cups Rice Krispie cereal, 1/2 to 3/4 cup of honey and vanilla can be omitted if desired
• Rice Krispie cereal makes crunchy peanut butter balls, but chopped nuts can be added to make the balls more crunchy as well
• Chilling balls before dipping in chocolate is optional, I think it makes the dipping chocolate difficult to use as it makes the entire bowl firm up more quickly

Other Delicious Recipes to Share As a Gift:

• Easy Farmhouse Fudge is the main gift that my grandma shared at Christmas. So rich, delicious and easy to make.
• Candy Pizza is perfect to snack on at a holiday or birthday party.
• Cake Bites are like cake batter cookie dough dipped in white chocolate and decorated with sprinkles.
• Cinnamon Cream Cheese Bars are one of our most popular desserts and you’ll know why once you try them!

Recipe originally shared on December 1, 2020 with updates made on September 3, 2024.