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It’s the middle of November and for me, that means the beginning of some serious holiday baking and candy makin’! The smells, the textures, the colors and tastes…it’s an art form I tell you! My most favorite thing to make is chocolate covered peanut butter balls. One, because it’s the most requested thing from my extended family and two, because – well – I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that they’re just the best things EVER! I always end up making a couple of batches for both sides of the family and there’s never any left over.
I made up a quick shopping list and ran to Walmart to gather my goodies. When I do my baking and candy making, I always ALWAYS use real Land O’ Lakes stick butter. It’s just the creamiest and the dreamiest! Now they make packages with Land O’ Lakes Half Sticks which are 1/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup. That’s really convenient this time of year!! I double checked my list twice to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything else.
The process of making the peanut butter balls is a fun one. From making the dough to dipping them in the warm melted chocolate…yum. I thought it would be pretty cool to do something a little different this year and make peanut butter ball pops! Everything is tastier when it’s on a stick, right?!
These are just so much fun that I wanted to share the recipe with you!! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Please leave us a comment and let us know what you and yours thought!! This recipe makes about 5 and 1/2 dozen give or take, depending on how big or small you roll the balls.
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup cold Land O' Lakes butter, cubed
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla flavoring or extract
- 4 cups (24 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup shortening
- paper straws or skewers
- Peanut Butter Ball Dough instructions:
- Combine powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla into a uniform dough. It's easier to mix with your hands. *If it's too dry, add more butter. If it's too wet, add a bit more powdered sugar. You want the consistency of dry fudge so it holds together well when you roll into balls.
- Place bowl of dough into the freezer until it's firm enough to roll into balls.
- After it's firmed up, begin rolling the dough into 1 inch balls (give or take) and place each one on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or foil. Place a straw/skewer into each one.
- After all the balls are formed, place back into the freezer to chill again.
- Chocolate Dipping Instructions:
- Melt the chocolate chips either in the microwave as per the instructions on the bag or use a double boiler. Make sure to use microwaving instructions on the bag because chocolate tends to get too hot very fast and will clump into a mess if you're not careful.
- After chocolate has melted, add the shortening to keep thinned out. Stir until combined.
- Once chocolate is thin enough, pick each one up by the straw/skewer and dip the peanut butter balls. Let the excess chocolate drip off and place each one back onto the baking sheet to dry.
- Allow them to sit in room temperature to dry thoroughly or you can place them in the refrigerator until set.
Make sure to follow Land O’ Lakes for fun Holiday goodies @landolakesktchn on Twitter and also, be sure to check out their Holiday Gift Giving brochure. It’s full of yummy buttery recipes!!
Jenni
Jenni here! I'm the owner and primary blogger here at Sweet Pennies from Heaven. Married to my better half for 17 years and mom to one awesome little boy. We have 2 dogs, Pepper and Izzy. My favorite thing to do is nap. I love sweets and coffee. Sweet coffee.
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the chick behind this blog! I'm your ordinary, everyday wife and mom to an incredible pair of stinky guys! I am a self diagnosed coffee addict with a ginormous sweet tooth, preferably baked goods!! My hope is to help you, teach you, and entertain you on your way to a more thrifty and frugal lifestyle! Along the way, you'll find awesome recipes, great tips, and tons of randomness! We have loads of fun, so ya'll come back now, ya hear?!
Oh my goodness! I need some of these now, they look so amazing!
What a great holiday baking idea! I agree, there is nothing like real butter in baking.
Those look so good and fun for the kids to help with too! #client
This is awesome- thanks for sharing!! 🙂
These look so yummy and very cute!
These would make such a cute gift for a teacher or neighbor! I love it!
Should the butter be softened first or will it work cold?
I always make it with the butter cold, right out of the fridge. It cubes up better and makes a better dough consistency for the balls. Hope you enjoy them! 🙂
I actually updated the recipe with *cold butter. I’m glad you asked. 🙂
They look so delicious and easy. Trying them now!
These look so good! Do you store them at room temp?
Hi Michele! You can store them at room temperature if you can get them to set all the way. Otherwise, they’ll be a little “melty” when you handle them. We usually can’t wait long enough for them to set 100%…LOL!! I personally stick mine in the fridge to keep. If I could keep my family OUT of them long enough for them to set up, I’d love it cause I prefer them at room temperature!
these look so good! I am going to try this recipe for sure…thank you for sharing
These look delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe.