Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Balls are scrumptious. Anyone who likes peanut butter and chocolate is sure to love them. They taste a lot like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Balls
Did you know that November 4 is National Candy Day? That's strange since it's after Halloween trick-or-treating with all that candy. Maybe they should move that day to early in October?
I do love my sweets, especially chocolates, and the holidays are right around the corner. The only time I make the peanut butter balls is for Christmas. The recipe comes from one of my husband's relatives.
Optional Ingredient
Now don't get overly concerned when you read the Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls recipe. It calls for one block of paraffin (optional). That's right.......wax. I guess this is the old time way to do it because I have always used parrafin.
You can paraffin in the canning supplies at the grocery store. It is tasteless, odorless, and edible (though nondigestible, passing right through your body). Paraffin is often added to candy to provide a shiny coat. Read the labels of your candy bars. I bet they include paraffin.
If you want to leave it out, that's fine. Your candy will be delicious (but less shiny) without it. And it will melt a little easier. I included it in my first batch of Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls (but not in the second batch), and it does make the candy look appealing. See the difference here (the shiny version has the paraffin in it):
Modified Recipe
I made these Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls twice, modifying the recipe the second go around. The original recipe is super sweet, calling for only 1 cup of peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) and 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar. In my revised recipe I added more peanut butter and cut down on the sugar and the candy is creamier, more like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
What You Need
You need an electric mixer, mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, and a cookie sheet. Candy molds or papers are helpful, too.
Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Balls Candy Recipe
I'm giving you my modified version of the recipe since everyone liked it better. If you want the candy to be sweeter, cut down on the peanut butter and add a bit more powdered sugar. Also, I personally like them better with dark chocolate rather than semi-sweet and I like crunchy peanut butter. You decide.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups creamy or crunchy Peanut Butter
- ½ pound butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- 1¼ cups Powdered Confectioner's Sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 block Gulf Wax Household Paraffin Wax optional
- 20 ounces Nestle Toll House Dark Chocolate Morsels or Semi-Sweet
Directions:
Mix
-
Cream the butter and peanut butter.
-
Add the vanilla.
-
Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until it is thoroughly mixed and the mixture is fluffy.
-
Pinch off a little dough and roll it into 1" balls (or smaller, if you prefer).
Dip (Option 1)
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Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave. The time varies, depending on your microwave. Start with 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until the chocolate is melted. Be careful, as chocolate burns quickly in the microwave and you cannot see it melting or burning until it's too late! Or you can use a double boiler to melt the chocolate.
-
Drop the balls a few at a time into the chocolate mixture. Dip them out with a teaspoon, trying not to get extra chocolate dripping around them. You can also stick a toothpick into the ball and dip it into the chocolate.
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Cool the balls on a sheet of wax paper.
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Another way to form the candy is with mini cupcake papers. Pour some chocolate into the cupcake paper. Drop in a ball of dough and pour some more chocolate over the top, similar to the way Reese's Peanut Butter Cups look. (This way is MUCH easier.)
Dip (Option 2, for a Shinier Candy)
-
If using, melt the paraffin in a double boiler over boiling water or in a bowl in the microwave. The microwave takes about 3-4 minutes, but watch it and take it out as soon as it is melted.
-
Add the chocolate chips to the paraffin and melt them, watching the mixture carefully and stirring to combine.
-
Drop the balls a few at a time into the chocolate mixture. Dip them out with a teaspoon, trying not to get extra chocolate dripping around them. Or use a toothpick as described above.
-
Cool the balls on a sheet of wax paper.
-
Or, you can use mini cupcake papers instead of the dipping method. Pour some chocolate into the cupcake paper. Drop in a ball of dough and pour some more chocolate over the top, similar to the way Reese's Peanut Butter Cups look. (This way is MUCH easier.)
-
Let the candies cool until set.
I like the candy shaped small, like a ball, instead of being molded in a paper candy wrapper. The larger "small cupcake" size was far too rich for me. However, the ones in the candy papers are MUCH easier to make.
Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Balls Candy
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Ingredients
- 2 cups creamy Peanut Butter
- ½ pound butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- 1¼ cups Powdered Confectioner's Sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 block Gulf Wax Household Paraffin Wax optional
- 20 ounces Nestle Toll House Dark Chocolate Morsels or Semi-Sweet
Instructions
Mix
- Cream the butter and peanut butter.
- Add the vanilla.
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, incorporating it until it is thoroughly mixed and the mixture is fluffy.
- Pinch off a little dough and roll it into 1" balls (or smaller, if you prefer).
Dip (Option 1)
- Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave. The time varies, depending on your microwave. Start with 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until the chocolate is melted. Be careful, as chocolate burns easily in the microwave and you cannot see that it is melted or burning until too late!
- Drop the balls a few at a time into the chocolate mixture. Dip them out with a teaspoon, trying not to get extra chocolate dripping around them. (Or stick a toothpick into the ball and dip the ball into the chocolate.)
- Cool the balls on a sheet of wax paper.
- Or, you can use mini cupcake papers instead of the dipping method. Pour some chocolate into the cupcake paper. Drop in a ball of dough and pour some more chocolate over the top, similar to the way Reese's Peanut Butter Cups look. (This way is MUCH easier.)
Dip (Option 2, for a Shinier Candy)
- If using, melt the paraffin either in a double boiler over boiling water or in a bowl in the microwave. For the microwave, it takes about 3-4 minutes, but watch it and take it out as soon as it is melted.
- Add the chocolate chips to the paraffin and melt them, watching the mixture carefully and stirring to combine.
- Drop the balls a few at a time into the chocolate mixture. Dip them out with a teaspoon, trying not to get extra chocolate dripping around them. Or use a toothpick as described above.
- Cool the balls on a sheet of wax paper.
- Or, you can use mini cupcake papers instead of the dipping method. Pour some chocolate into the cupcake paper. Drop in a ball of dough and pour some more chocolate over the top, similar to the way Reese's Peanut Butter Cups look. (This way is MUCH easier.)
- Let the candies cool until set.
More sweets for you:
- Chocolate Fudge
- Rocky Road Fudge
- Walnut Joy Candy
- Chocolate Cherry Squares Cookies (Candy)
- Don's Homemade Caramels
- Easy Chocolate Toffee Candy
- Donna's Sea Foam
Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.
