Easy Rice Krispie Peanut Butter Balls

5 from 44 votes

Easy Rice Krispie Peanut Butter Balls

These delightful Rice Krispie Peanut Butter Balls are perfect for the holidays! Made without corn syrup, you can feel good about indulging in a peanut butter ball or two. Each pb ball has a crunchy Rice Krispie center and melted chocolate coating for the ultimate sweet treat.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Chill Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: balls

Calories: 220kcal

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons (57 g) salted butter
¾ cup (190 g) creamy or chunky peanut butter*
3 cups (150 g) mini marshmallows
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups (80 g) crispy rice cereal
1 ½ Tablespoons coconut oil*
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate*
sprinkles or candy decorations, optional*

Instructions

In a large skillet, melt the butter over low heat.
4 Tablespoons (57 g) salted butter
Stir in the peanut butter until completely combined.
¾ cup (190 g) creamy or chunky peanut butter*
Add the marshmallows and stir continuously until they have melted and dissolved into the peanut butter mixture.
3 cups (150 g) mini marshmallows
Turn the heat off and stir in the vanilla.
1 teaspoon vanilla
Fold in the rice krispie cereal until completely coated.
2 cups (80 g) crispy rice cereal
Let the mixture cool enough so you can touch it. Use a 1.7 Tablespoon cookie scoop or large spoon to scoop the mixture. Roll it into a ball with your hands. Place on a plate or small baking sheet lined with parchment.
Repeat with the remaining Rice Krispie mixture. Space the balls so they are not touching. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
While the peanut butter balls chill, in a small pan, melt the coconut oil over low heat.
1 ½ Tablespoons coconut oil*
Add the chocolate and continue to stir until melted.
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate*
Dip each ball into the chocolate and place back on the parchment paper so they are not touching. Store in the fridge. Once hardened, transfer to an airtight container or bag.
sprinkles or candy decorations, optional*

Notes

Peanut Butter: Either creamy peanut butter or crunchy peanut butter will work for this recipe. You can also combine peanut butter, so it's part crunchy part creamy.
Chocolate: Use high-quality baking wafers or chopped chocolate bars instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips. These melt better for the chocolate coating. I prefer using Guittard when making this recipe. If you enjoy sweeter chocolate, use milk chocolate or white chocolate instead. I do not recommend almond bark since it does not have nearly as good of a flavor as chocolate.
Coconut Oil: I like the flavor coconut oil adds to these Rice Krispie peanut butter balls, but you can also use shortening or butter.
Decorations: I used these red & green Christmas Sprinkles on top to make the Rice Krispie balls more festive. I also used pretzels, red M&Ms, and these Small Candy Eyes to make the reindeer. These toppings/decorations are totally optional. There should also be enough chocolate to drizzle the pb balls. If adding a drizzle, dip and chill the pb balls in the freezer for about 5 minutes and then drizzle. This will make the drizzle pattern more prominent.
Melt everything low and slow. Marshmallows can be finicky to work with. If you heat them too quickly, they can become a sticky mess. For the best results, melt the ingredients in the pot low and slow while stirring consistently.
Use a cookie scoop. The key to creating uniform Rice Krispie peanut butter balls is using a cookie scoop to form the balls. This way, each ball should be the same size.
Refrigerate before adding chocolate. Putting the peanut butter balls in the fridge before dipping them in chocolate helps them firm up. This method makes it easier to handle and dip the PB balls.

Nutrition