Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies

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Classic Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies for extra texture and crunch. A quick and easy candy recipe.

Rice Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

What do you get when you combine peanut butter, chocolate, and Rice Krispies in a simple no-bake dessert recipe? You get one happy family of taste testers.

I’ve shared my family’s Peanut Butter Balls (aka Buckeyes) recipe here before (and it’s one of my most popular recipes).

Once you’ve made them, you’ll understand our love for those chocolate peanut butter treats. And then you may find yourself making all of these variations:

Peanut Butter Pretzel Buckeyes

Peanut Butter Balls with Graham Crackers

Chocolate Peanut Butter Acorns

All of these recipes make terrific Christmas Candies for gifting or for snacking. It’s a tradition in our family to make these each year.

These Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies have become another friend and family favorite over the years.

Buckeyes with Rice Krispies

I fondly remember enjoying Peanut Butter Balls with my family as a child.  It brings back happy childhood memories every time I bite into one.

I’m delighted to share this recipe with you here so you can experience the same joy with your family!

How to Make Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies

Cooking Tools You’ll Need

  • Parchment paper or wax paper to prevent your cookies from sticking to the baking sheet
  • A large mixing bowl to combine your ingredients
  • Your microwave or a double boiler to melt your chocolate
Rice Krispy Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients

  • Peanut butter: You have options with your peanut butter choice depending on your preference. You can opt for creamy or crunchy peanut butter for this recipe.
  • Butter: This is another essential ingredient for your recipe. It should be soft, but not completely melted.
  • Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar will add a lot of flavor and sweetness to your Peanut Butter Balls.
  • Rice Krispies cereal: The cereal will provide amazing texture to your buckeyes. You want to crush them slightly, so they’re somewhere between their original texture and a fine dust. Also, you don’t have to use the Rice Krispies brand, you can opt for an off-brand as well.
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips: You can pick the chocolate chips of your choice.
  • Vegetable shortening: This recipe works best with soft vegetable shortening
Rice Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

Rice Krispy Peanut Butter Balls

You want to start by lining your cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper to prevent your balls from sticking to the cookie sheet.

Then, combine your peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl until you have a smooth and creamy mixture. A heavy-duty stand mixer makes this easy

Now it’s time to add the cereal. You will add it to your peanut butter mix until everything is combined well.

Next, you will use your mixture to create your peanut butter balls and place them on a cookie sheet. Then, put them in the refrigerator and allow them to chill for at least 30 minutes.

After your peanut butter balls chill for 30 minutes, you want to prepare the chocolate chip coating.

Chocolate Covered Rice Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

How To Melt Chocolate For Peanut Butter Balls

You have two options for melting your chocolate chips. You can place them in a microwave for 1 minute and stir, then continue heating them for 20-30 seconds. Continue to do this until your chocolate is melted.

An alternative is to use a double boiler. To do this, you boil a pot of water.  Then place a heat-safe bowl containing your chocolate chips on top of the pot.

The heat will melt your chocolate chips. Be sure to monitor your mixture closely and stir it regularly.

To avoid the white film forming on the chocolate, you’ll need to temper your chocolate which can be a little more involved. I usually skip this step, but here is a great tutorial.

After your chocolate melts, it’s time for the fun part. You want to dip your Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies into your chocolate mixture and place them on a cookie sheet until they’re firm.

Chocolate PB Balls with Rice Crispies

How to store Peanut Butter Balls

If you’re going to eat them within a few days, you should place any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.

Alternatively, they freeze well in an airtight container for several weeks. These are a great make-ahead Christmas candy for the holidays.

If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it. Leave me a comment below or give it a rating in the recipe card. Happy Baking – or No Baking!

If you need a chocolate and peanut butter snack for one, Puppy Chow for One satisfies the craving perfectly, because resisting the temptation to gorge the entire massive bowl is a struggle!

Chocolate PB Balls with Rice Crispies

Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies

4.64 from 30 votes
Classic Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies for extra texture and crunch. A quick and easy Christmas candy recipe.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 36 peanut butter balls

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup peanut butter creamy or crunchy
  • ¼ cup butter softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal slightly crushed
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Instructions

  • Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. In a large bowl, cream together peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar. Stir in cereal until well combined.
  • Shape into balls, place on a cookie sheet, and chill for at least 30 minutes. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate chips and shortening.
  • Heat for 1 minute and stir, then continue heating for 20-30 seconds and stirring after each interval until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until completely smooth. Dip balls into chocolate and place on a cookie sheet until firm.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for several weeks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g · Calories: 124kcal · Carbohydrates: 12g · Protein: 2g · Fat: 8g · Saturated Fat: 4g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g · Cholesterol: 4mg · Sodium: 53mg · Fiber: 1g · Sugar: 9g
Tried this recipe?Mention @chocolatewithgrace or tag #chocolatewithgrace!

{originally published 8/21/19 – recipes notes and photos updated 6/22/21}

Rice Crispy Peanut Butter Balls are a hit!

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    • Heather stocklin says

      I just made these but without the butter and shortening bc it didn’t say why to use those, or I just scrolled past them. But they turnt out to be delicious anyways.. definitely a keeper for sure. Thank you

      • Mary berkenstock says

        4 stars
        Heather I agree I used the butter, but it never mentioned where you use the vegetable shortening read recipe 3 times never mentioned when to use so I made mine without the shortening and they where good but I wish the recipe would tell you where to use the shortening

          • Mary says

            Look at the recipe you have at top of your page, it doesn’t list butter but your recipe at the bottom of all the commentary does.

          • Mary says

            That’s simply a graphic with the key flavor ingredients, it isn’t the full recipe, as you’d need the instructions too. Butter and shortening aren’t included there, but they’re included with amounts to be used in the printable recipe card and throughout the writing of this post.

  1. Kelly says

    5 stars
    How on earth have l never had these in 60+ years? Thanks you for postIng an easy to make, ridiculously delicious recipe. This is a keeper and now l have lots of lost time to make up! Thank you from Canada.

  2. Kate Nadeau says

    5 stars
    I chose this recipe because way less powdered sugar than others and I used Cocoa Krispies cereal. Super happy how they turned out.

  3. Michele J ROSS says

    Can you use Splenda instead of powered sugar for diabetics ??
    Please let me know , Thank you 😊

    • Mary says

      Hi Elena! The shortening is melted with the chocolate chips in the microwave. It is part of step 2 in the recipe instructions. Enjoy!

  4. Ashley Leiker says

    Will this recipe work without the vegetable shortening. I have all the ingredients except for that and I really want to make these.

  5. cathy conners says

    5 stars
    I don’t know how they will turn out, I just finished rolling out the balls. My question is how can you get them not to stick to your hands when rolling? My goodness what a mess. LOL can’t wait to see how they turn out.

    • Krista says

      Stick the batter in the freezer for a while before rolling the balls. Put the rolled balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Then stick them in the freezer for awhile one more time before dipping. Makes it all so much easier.

    • Jeanette says

      5 stars
      I first made a square of the dough and chilled it. Then I cut the dough into
      squares (like fudge) and then I rolled the squares into balls. Faster and less sticking.

  6. ChyAnn Stroh says

    Hi, I haven’t made this recipe yet. Hoping to this weekend. If you don’t use the chocolate in the peanut butter balls do you still need the vegetable shortening?

  7. Amy says

    5 stars
    This is my moms exact recipie, except she would put bakers wax in the chocolate to melt instead of shortening … it’s for the sheen on the chocolate balls and worth adding! Thanks for posting!

  8. Sandii Nauss says

    3 stars
    I found that I had to use more icing sugar to make the peanut butter “batter” stiffer and even then they didn’t form/roll as nicely as they should have…

  9. Jen says

    I have a family recipe for these kind of bon bons. However the butter is melted. The chocolate is Hershey bars and parrafin wax. It’s a family favorite!

  10. Ann Boles says

    5 stars
    I went with a half recipe and it made 12 versus 18. Then chilled my cookie tray and scoop while making the balls. I also chilled the scooped out mixture prior to rolling into balls. Helped a bit but probably not by much. Excited to have our family try them as a special treat!!

  11. Erin says

    3 stars
    These needed a lot more krispies, the consistency is very soft and sticky. I expected them to harden after chilling and I even chilled them for longer, but they didn’t. The flavor is good, but they were hard to form and hard to coat.

    • Mary says

      You can certainly add more rice krispies to your preference, Erin. We like them soft with just a bit of crunch. They should’ve firmed up a bit in the fridge too.

  12. Mom of boys says

    5 stars
    This is the recipe I have been searching for!!! Chocolatey and crispy with peanut butter goodness! It is a new fave with my boys! They are requesting them for the weekend they’ll be away for wrestling. Thank you so much for sharing!!! They are amazing!!!❤️

  13. Colleen says

    5 stars
    Have received nothing but rave reviews on these! I’m a sucker for peanut butter and chocolate. Sooooo tasty!

    • Mary says

      Lisa – Thank you for asking. In step 2 of the instructions, you melt the shortening with the chocolate chips.

  14. Lynn says

    I think I am going to try making them as a bar cookie. Press them into a baking sheet lined with parchment like with rice krispie treats. Don’t want to take the time to make balls.

  15. Wendy says

    If you melt the chocolate chips at 30 second intervals in your microwave at 50 percent power and stir each time until melted, you don’t need to add anything to the chocolate. Works every time! The key is low heat and stirring often.

  16. Jenifer Talbott says

    5 stars
    These are delicious and a crowd pleaser! I use a different method to melt chocolate. I have 2- 1 Qt small crockpots (dippers) makes dipping a breeze.

  17. Paula says

    I have been making these for years, but some reason when rolling it into a ball it crumbles. Maybe I didn’t measure something correctly. I just can not figure which one I did wrong.
    This has been the family favorite for the holidays

    • Mary says

      Some days in the kitchen are like that, Paula. It is hard to say where you went wrong without being there in your kitchen. My guess is you are right and you measured something incorrectly. Just try another batch.

  18. Gail Marcou says

    I thought these needed more powdered sugar. They were so sticky to roll so I added a couple more tbs of powered sugar which did help .After they were done I decided they could have used more powdered sugar because they were quite soft when eaten. The recipe made 26 balls and I used a small ice cream scoop.. I think with more powdered sugar these would be very good,

  19. Erin Jean McFarland says

    1 star
    This recipe could do without the butter, even after freezing the balls which were still a mess making, they got too melty when dipping.

  20. Anna says

    5 stars
    Alright ladies – I did it!! I solved the messy hand peanut butter ball conundrum. (It’s easiest if you have a partner to scoop but not necessary) I used a square piece of plastic wrap!!! Put a scoop in the middle and used the wrap to shape it. Then you unwrap it and plop it down on the cookie sheet . Sooooooooo easy and you can make them super round once you get the hang of it . Hope this helps!

    • Mary says

      You can do a couple of things, chill the peanut butter mixture, lightly spray your hands with cooking spray, you can also try wetting your hands with a bit of cold water. I hope that helps.

  21. Val Bristow says

    I have “Merkins” chocolate melting wafers, will that work or be too hard? I want to make these, like yesterday, but out of chocolate chips and we are in the middle of a blizzard out here. Thanks for any
    help.

    • Mary says

      We’re in the midst of a blizzard as well, so I definitely understand! The chocolate wafers will work perfectly for this. You shouldn’t need to add the shortening to the chocolate, just melt slowly.

  22. Autumn says

    4 stars
    I made these as the recipe stated, but the peanut butter mixture was so sticky and hard to roll. I ended up adding more powdered sugar and rice krispies to the mixture, which made it easier to roll. Any ideas on what happened?

    Otherwise they were really delicious! My family ate them up for Christmas!

  23. Allyson Harney says

    I wish it was clear what to do with shortening. I read the reviews for the answer after I made the mix. This should be clarified

  24. Mark Scott says

    4 stars
    When I click on Print Recipe, the page just opens a new tab. I really like this recipe. My sister made it for the holiday and I’m going to the grocery store for the ingredients now that I’m back home.

    • Mary says

      Hmm . . . it prints just fine on this end, Mark. Often people struggle with the print option if they have pop-ups blocked or other tighter security features turned on and ads disabled. You might check those settings.

  25. marianne McEvoy says

    5 stars
    A friend made these and shared six of them in a Santa Box. I ate them all! So very delicious! Being a peanut butter fan I’m not sure why I never had any before.

  26. Judy Nachtigal says

    5 stars
    I love this recipe. So easy to make, delicious, and stores well in the refrigerator. Actually I think these need to be kept cold, or they get soft (though I have one friend who likes them that way, lol.) I’ve made them with creamy and with chunky peanut butter, and I prefer the creamy, so I use that if I have it. I think creamy makes the rice krispies more evident. I use a fork to dip the balls in the chocolate and it works well.
    Thanks for this recipe!

  27. Tina says

    5 stars
    everyone love them I did however add more Rice Krispies cuz it was a little on the soft side added some Heath bits to it also they disappeared delish

  28. Shawnee Turek says

    5 stars
    My Aunt used make these for Easter. I absolutely love them! I am so glad to have found a recipe for them. THANK YOU!

  29. Jada says

    5 stars
    this is the best and easiest recipe I have found have made these numerous times my go to for sure I do mush the crispies as im adding them and only use about a cup and half we like less crunch and more peanut butter thanks for sharing