CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

The recipe for these peanut butter balls was shared by my 96-year-old neighbor, Mrs. Lucille Savage. She still makes them at Christmas and now I do too. Peanut butter balls are always a crowd-favorite with a hardened chocolate coating and a smooth, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter filling. This recipe delivers an unexpected, but delightful crunch, thanks to the addition of crisp rice cereal. Decorate your peanut butter balls with sprinkles or other candy coatings just after dipping, or drizzle melted chocolate over top.

Peanut Butter Balls with rice krispies have always been my favorite candy – to make and to eat. I grew up making them with my Nana and they were one of the first recipes I ever learned to make on my own. With just a handful of ingredients, these easy chocolate peanut butter balls are the first candy recipe I make during the holiday season and we make a batch about once a week until it ends.

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups creamy peanut butter

½ cup butter

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 cups crisp rice cereal

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Melt peanut butter and butter in saucepan over low heat, stirring often.

Mix crisp rice cereal and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl until all well combined. Pour melted peanut butter mixture over top and stir until thoroughly blended; mixture will still appear crumbly but will easily form into balls.

Form into 1-inch diameter (or smaller) balls and place onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 3 hours to overnight.

When ready to coat the balls, melt chocolate chips in double boiler. Keep over the lowest heat to keep melted.

Place a peanut butter ball into the melted chocolate. Use two forks to roll it around until fully coated. Carefully remove it, letting any excess chocolate drip back into the pot, and place it on a wire rack set over a piece of parchment paper. Repeat to coat remaining balls.

Refrigerate coated peanut butter balls until completely firm before serving.