If you’re like me and are a die-hard fan of the classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, then you’re in luck. These peanut butter chocolate balls are just like Reese’s without all the preservatives and palm oil. In my opinion they taste even better than Reese’s because they’re richer and less processed. These chocolate peanut butter balls are also a part of my Lazy Girl Series, which means that they’re incredibly easy to make and consist of only five ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
All you need for this recipe is smooth peanut butter, icing sugar, salt, butter, and chocolate chips! The steps are as follows: mix the first four ingredients together, roll the mixture into one-inch balls and dip in melted chocolate. No need to bake anything and the clean-up is minimal since there are so few ingredients and equipment involved.
I took the extra step of sprinkling flaky salt on top of the chocolate while it was still drying to add a bit of a sweet and salty effect. This extra step elevated the flavour of the dessert and changed them to just “meh” looking to “holy moly these are gourmet” looking. In fact, they were so pretty that I gifted some to people at the office!
If you are looking to bake something easy just for fun or wanting to make a thoughtful gift without committing an entire day in the kitchen, these chocolate peanut butter balls are the recipe is for you. I personally made these in 20 minutes and proceeded to binge Netflix while inhaling a plate of them like popcorn. Probably not the healthiest lifestyle but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.
Here’s the recipe!
5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 2 cups icing sugar sifted
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 6 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- flaky salt or kosher salt optional, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Cream together the peanut butter and unsalted butter. Stir in the salt and icing sugar and mix until combined. If the mixture is too dry and you are unable to form it into balls, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until it starts sticking together (be careful not to add too much water and stop once you’re able to firmly press the mixture into tiny balls).
- Use your hands to firmly press and roll the peanut butter mixture into 24 one-inch balls and set aside.
- Using a microwave safe container, melt 2 cups of the chocolate chips on 50% power for 30 second intervals, stirring between each one until fully melted. Once the chocolate is melted, add in the remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips, and stir until fully melted. If the added chocolate doesn’t fully melt, stick in the microwave at half power for about 10 more seconds and stir until melted, repeating if necessary.
- Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Pick up a peanut butter ball by sticking a toothpick into it and dip the ball into the melted chocolate. Spoon more chocolate onto it to make sure the peanut butter mixture is fully covered. Place the now chocolate-covered peanut butter ball onto the baking sheet and repeat for the rest of the balls.
- Before the chocolate dries, you can sprinkle a little bit of flaky salt on top of the balls to make them a little more ~gourmet~. Let the chocolate set for about an hour at room temperature or speed up the process by sticking them in the fridge. This dessert tastes best at room temperature so make sure you bring them down to room temp before enjoying (or suffer very hard and cold chocolate!). Enjoy!
Notes
- Will keep in the fridge for a week or at room temp for a couple days
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