Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls are a classic for my family during the holiday seasons. Upgrade this classic treat by stuffing it with a bit of caramel and watch your family be in awe!
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Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls with Caramel Ingredients
You only need 5 ingredients for these simple Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls!
- Powdered Sugar– ensure this is fresh and soft
- Peanut Butter– this is the perfect time to use a brand such as Jif or Skippy
- Butter– Use unsalted, unless your peanut butter is unsalted
- Chocolate– Your average milk chocolate chips will get the job done
- Caramel– I used small caramel bits from Kraft brand, but you could also cut a Werther’s Original caramel in half if you cannot find these
How to Make These Peanut Butter Buckeyes
Making these Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls with Caramel is easy, but time consuming.
To start, mix together the powdered sugar, butter, and peanut butter. Use your teaspoon scoop to grab an even portion of dough. Flatten it out and place a caramel bit in the center. Close it up and roll it around in your palms to create a smooth, round ball. Place on a baking dish and repeat until all the dough it used.
I recommend you turn on a show or video. This recipe makes about 75 peanut butter balls. You’re going to be doing this for about 20 minutes.
Once done, place in freezer for 20+ minutes.
When you are ready to start coating the peanut butter balls in chocolate add a couple handfuls of chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl and melt the chocolate until smooth.
Remove the rounded peanut butter balls from the freezer. Drop one at a time in the bowl of chocolate, using a spoon to ensure it is fully covered in chocolate. This will be messy (and also time consuming).
If you don’t want so much chocolate on these Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls just drizzle the chocolate on top. This will be a large time saver as well!
Place the finished product in the freezer for 15+ minutes to harden. When ready, place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls with Caramel Variations
Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls are basically the same as what some consider a ‘Buckeye’. It’s a mixture of peanut butter, sugar, and butter that is shaped into spheres, froze, and dipped in chocolate. Basically, a homemade Reese’s peanut butter cup!
One variation is this recipe AKA stuffing it with caramel!
Instead of milk chocolate try dark chocolate or white chocolate. Both would be awesome choices!
Another would be to use a different nut butter. Try almond butter, sunbutter, or a fun high-protein nut butter from Nuts ‘N More (use code PIECEOFLULU10 for 10%)!
You could even do all of the above, and take it even further– roll the buckeye in chopped fruit, nuts, sprinkles or seeds! This will definitely make for a flavorful dessert.
Baking Tips
If you are finding yourself struggling with any aspect of these Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls with Caramel, here are some tips that you may find handy:
- If you are struggling with removing the dough from a classic one teaspoon measuring cup, use one of these one teaspoon cookie dough scoops. You will be able to press proper amount of dough right into your hands!
- If you are about halfway through rolling your dough you may find that it is getting a bit soft. Place it in the fridge for 15-30 minutes to cool back down and become easier to work with.
- If you find the dough is sticking to your hands too much, dip the tips of your fingers in water. This should fix your issue!
Craving More?
If you try this recipe I would appreciate it if you give it a 5-star rating and leave a review! It truly helps me share my recipes with others.
Also, I would love to see how it turns out. Tag me in a photo on Instagram!
Try these other recipes, too!
- Oreo Chocolate Pie with Cool Whip
- Soft Maple Cookies
- Brown Sugar Thumbprint Cookies
- Soft Caramel-Stuffed Snickerdoodles
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Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls with Caramel
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Peanut Butter
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Butter Melted
- 75 Caramel Bits
- 3 Cups Milk Chocolate Chips May Vary
- Coconut Oil Optional
Instructions
- In a bowl use a hand mixer to combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter.
- Take a 1 teaspoon portion of the mixture and flatten it out in your hands. Add a caramel bit to the center. Fold the dough over on itself to and roll it around in your palms until smooth. Place on a baking sheet. repeat until all dough is used. You will make about 75 peanut butter balls.
- Place sheet of peanut butter balls in freezer for at least 20 minutes to harden.
- Add about 1 cup of chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. You can also add a small amount of coconut oil if you would like. This will make the chocolate smooth. Microwave for 30 seconds. There may still be some lumps. Use a spoon to mix and they will eventually smooth out.
- Take the peanut butter balls out of the freezer. Drop a ball in the bowl of melted chocolate. Use a spoon to turn the ball until it is covered in chocolate. Place back on baking tray. repeat will all peanut butter balls. Once your chocolate is used add about a cup more and repeat. If you want less chocolate on each ball you can use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate on the tops of the peanut butter balls.
- All the chocolate covered peanut butter balls to freeze for at least 15 minutes. Once hardened, place in an airtight container. Store in refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to enjoy!
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