No Bake Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies
You only need 5 ingredients to make no bake peanut butter balls. The bite-sized treats are perfect for gifting this holiday season. This family favorite recipe is quick and easy!
The 25 Days of Christmas Baking continues with Day 17. Peanut butter balls are one of the easiest treats to make. My mom makes dozens of them every Christmas and gifts them to neighbors and friends. They always seem to disappear within days. If that is any indication of how good they are, then I highly recommend making them for Christmas! Don’t forget to save a handful for yourself. Trust me, you will want them.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No oven required. You can make this treat quickly since it requires no baking!
- Only 5 ingredients plus optional sprinkles. You probably have the ingredients in your pantry already!
- Dynamic duo. Peanut butter and chocolate is irresistible, especially with the sweet and salty combination going on.
- Extra texture. The Rice Krispies add a crispy texture while the hardened chocolate shell is oh-to-satisfying to bite into.
- Perfect for sharing. The recipe is no bake and yields plenty to share.
- Easy Christmas gift. Make a big batch and gift them to your friends and co-workers this holiday season!
Ingredient Notes
- Peanut butter: Use a creamy peanut butter that is no-stir. I prefer Skippy All Natural.
- Rice Krispies: This cereal adds a crispy crunch to every bite!
- Butter: To add some richness and offset the salt, use unsalted butter at room temperature.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, this adds sweetness to the dough while keeping it smooth.
- Chocolate: Use a good quality chocolate for melting. I prefer Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips or melting wafers.
- Sprinkles: For a festive touch, add your favorite holiday sprinkles!
Refer to the recipe card for ingredient details and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Use crunchy peanut butter. This will add a lot more texture to each bite! Keep in mind, the balls won’t form a perfect sphere.
Try a different cereal. Rice Kripsies are my go-to, but Cocoa Pebbles or roughly chopped Corn Flakes also work. I’ve also seen similar recipes use graham crackers or crushed pretzels.
Dip in white chocolate or almond bark. For a different flavor combo, try white chocolate (I use it for my gingerbread truffles and it has a beautiful finish). You can also use almond bark or candy bark for some extra color!
Add some toppings. I like Christmas nonpareils, but some chopped peanuts, Rice Krispies or a sprinkle of sea salt are also good garnishes!
How to Make No Bake Peanut Butter Balls
- Make the dough. Mix the peanut butter and butter first, then beat in the confectioner’s sugar until smooth and finish off by stirring in the Rice Krispies by hand.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This will make the dough easier to roll into balls without becoming sticky.
- Make and chill the balls. Scoop the mixture into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator for 1 hour or the freezer for 15 minutes. This will help the balls keep their round shape.
- Melt the chocolate. Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat it at 50% power level for 1 minute and stir. Then continue microwaving on 50% power level, sopping every 15 seconds to stir until melted.
- Dip the chilled peanut butter balls in melted chocolate. Gently tap any excess chocolate off.
- Transfer to a plate lined with wax paper or parchment paper. Add sprinkles immediately and allow chocolate to harden before serving.
Expert Tips
Chill the balls before dipping. You can either put them in the freezer for 15 minutes or the refrigerator for an hour. This makes the balls more firm, which helps them keep their shape when dipped in the warm chocolate.
Use good quality chocolate (I like Ghirardelli). You can use chocolate melts or chocolate chips. For tips, check out my post for how to melt chocolate, which includes how to use a makeshift double boiler.
Remove excess chocolate by tapping the dipping tool on the side of the bowl. I like use a toothpick or knife to remove excess on the bottom. The toothpick/knife also helps cleanly transfer the peanut butter back to the baking sheet.
Keep the chocolate warm. If it starts to cool or thicken as you are working, simply reheat it in the microwave for 15 seconds on 50% power level.
Add shortening to thin out the chocolate if it’s too thick or goopy (1 Tablespoon per cup of chocolate). You can also add paraffin wax when melting the chocolate for a shiny, smooth finish (1 1/2 Tablespoons per cup).
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Make ahead the dough and keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or until soft enough to scoop.
Store in an airtight container or holiday tin at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. I suggest putting wax paper or parchment paper between layers so the balls don’t stick together.
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Alternatively, you can freeze the dough before rolling it into balls (also for 3 months). Defrost in the refrigerator.
Recipe FAQ
Creamy peanut butter is the way to go. Avoid any peanut butter that is separated in the jar (where the oil is on top). Opt for a peanut butter that is “no-stir.” I typically use Skippy All Natural.
In my opinion, Rice Krispies is what makes these peanut butter balls better than most. They add a crisp texture to each bite and makes the peanut butter slightly less overwhelming. However, if you don’t like the texture, you can leave them out.
If you used natural peanut butter with oil, it can make the dough sticky and prevent the balls from holding their shape. It’s also important to use the full amount of confectioners’ sugar, which helps bind the ingredients.
The dough will be a little dry after adding the Rice Krispies, but keep mixing (it will come together!) If the dough isn’t binding when rolled into balls, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk to the dough.
They are very similar, but they are completely coated in chocolate whereas buckeyes leave a circle of peanut butter visible. This is to resemble the nut from the buckeye tree.
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Get the Recipe: No Bake Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (400 g) no-stir creamy peanut butter, (one 15 ounce jar)
- 3 cups (360 g) confectioners' sugar
- ½ cup (113 g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (50 g) Rice Krispies
- 2 cups (350 g) dark or semisweet chocolate chips, for dipping
- ¼ cup sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine peanut butter and butter. Slowly add confectioner's sugar and then Rice Krispies. Mix until combined.
- Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour. This will firm up the dough and make it less sticky when rolling into balls.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Place in freezer for at least 15 minutes so the balls will hold their shape when dipped in chocolate.
- When ready to dip, place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave on 50% power level. Start with 1 minute, stir the chips. Comtinue microwaving on 50% power level, stirring every 15 seconds, until smooth.
- Dip balls in melted chocolate and transfer to lined baking sheet. Immediately add sprinkles if desired. Let the chocolate harden before serving or storing in an airtight container for later.
50 Comments on “No Bake Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies”
That’s one of my favorite SNL skits; great recipe Haley 🙂
Hello! I am happy to discover your blog tonight! These balls look so delicious!
Thank you for following along, Catherine!
These look so good!! Good addition to rum balls
Thanks ELP! I’m thinking about making some rum balls too!
I love everything with peanutbutter and these peanut butter balls looks delicious!
Thank you! They are quite good if I do say so myself!
Hi! I absolutely love these! The only problem is that I definitely can’t pack them in my kids lunches, because of peanut allergies. *SIGH*….
Are these able to be left out on the counter? Or do they have to stay refrigerated?
They can stay out on the counter, but if you would like them to stay fresh longer I suggest refrigerating them!
Does anyone happen to know how much 1lb of confectioners sugar is in cups?
It’s about 4 1/2 cups!
The description talks about the smooth chocolate mixing with salty peanuts…do you put peanuts in this too?
The center is a peanut butter and rice krispie mixture, the coating is chocolate.
Can you freeze these?
Absolutely! I suggest putting them in a freezer glad bag after the chocolate has hardened.
What kind of chic chips semi sweet or milk chocolate. These loom divine! !
Semi-sweet, thanks!
What could be alternatives to rice krispies ? Since we don’t have them where I live ;/
Any type of rice cereal should do
Is the mixture suppose to be crumbly before I put it into the fridge? When I take it out from the fridge will the mixture form a ball? I tried to do a quick roll but it almost all fell apart (before I put it into the fridge)
It will be a little crumbly. Double check the recipe and if it still giving you trouble after it sets in the fridge, add a quarter cup more peanut butter, mix well, and set back in the fridge again.
if they sit in the fridge longer than 45 minutes, is that okay?
Yes, I’ve kept them in there for a couple days.
Planning on making these today but I don’t have a paddle attachment. Will it make that much difference? Thanks! These look delicious!
Hi Stephanie, it will not make a huge difference A hand mixer will do just fine!
Confectioner’s sugar sifted or no? My conversion say’s 1 lb of confectioner’s sugar is:
1 lb. sifted powdered sugar = 4-3/4 cups
1 lb. unsifted powdered sugar = about 4-1/4 cups
Thank You loved making these as a child! 🙂
Hi Giuelne, Thanks for stopping by and trying out my recipe! Unsifted powdered sugar works just fine. I use about 4 cups. Happy baking!
The last instruction says to sprinkle immediately. What do I sprinkle with?
Oops! That was a typo. Although, sprinkling with crushed rice crispies or crushed peanuts would be a pretty garnish. Thanks for pointing that out, Linda!
“I can’t help but notice, your balls are slightly misshapen Pete” – one of the best SNL clips E V E R!!! Thank you for the Christmas chuckles (and the delish recipe), merry Christmas, xo
Thanks, Christine! I get a good laugh every time I watch that skit too!
Follow your recipe. It turns out lot crumbles, not able into dough. Is that correct recipes you wrote?? Mmm
Yup! I use this exact recipe every year and never have any trouble. You can add more peanut butter to create a thicker dough.
So easy & so tasty and I don’t have to wait for them to bake? Yep, this is my favorite thing today!!
I love peanut butter in everything and these look so delicious and easy! I can’t wait to try this!
These look so delicious – and cute!! Definitely making them for Christmas this year!
Oh yum! I love peanut butter and am all over this recipe. Your festive touch with the pops of colour through sprinkles is spot on.
We love snacks like this, and I just love the festive twist on this.
I made these for Christmas and they were super easy to prepare. The end result- Everyone at the table asked for the recipe. Happiness all around!
Anyone tried this recipe with Nutella? Peanut allergies in the family😌
So delicious thank you for the awesome recipe! I also used white chocolate for some of them and they were also amazing!🥰
These are fantastic but I wrapped them in Carmel before dipping and they were even better
These are so good! Fun to make too. My 4 year old thinks these are the best! Thank you for sharing!
I make these also. I melt semi choco chips and a Giant Hershey bar together and then dip them . Yummy
Can I make this with sun butter where my grandchild has a peanut allergy?
Yes, it should work!
My grandchildren love these I make 2 batches. Every week one chocolate and I add coconut to the other using. White chocolate. And coconut flakes for garnish
Do You think Rice Chex work instead of rice crispies?
Yes, I do think they would work!