Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies are super easy to make and are a family favorite special treat! 

Creamy peanut butter + crunchy Rice Krispies  + chocolate = a super happy family!

I have a few orthodox peanut butter lovers in my family. We love this creamy goodness on toast, in cookies, and of course in shakes! It’s our holiday season staple, from Christmas time to Valentine’s Day.

So, naturally, I’m trying out new peanut butter recipes now and then to give my family their next sweet treat craziness! This time, I came up with deliciously tiny Rice Krispies Peanut Butter Balls.

I love these peanut butter Rice Krispies PB balls because they are:

• Easy to make
• Only require a handful of ingredients
• Wonderful for any occasion

We love having these on hand in our fridge, but they never last long! Take these no-bake peanut butter balls to your best friend’s baby shower or your favorite aunt’s birthday – everyone will go nuts for them!

You can drizzle these with extra melted chocolate or leave them plain. I love mine with dark chocolate chips and sea salt flakes (sometimes) for an added crunchy, salty-sweet combo.

Let’s check out the simple ingredients we need for these mouthful morsels of joy. Are you ready?! Let’s go!

Ingredients for Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

Natural Peanut Butter

Peanut butter has a nutty flavor profile and is a go-to ingredient for so many of my recipes. It’s versatile and rich in healthy fats, protein, and fiber. I used one cup of natural peanut butter with no added sugars or oils for this recipe — just the classic stuff!

Rice Cereal

If there’s anything better than traditional peanut butter balls, it’s crunchy peanut butter balls. For this recipe, we need 3 1/2 cups of puffed rice cereal. The easiest to find is Rice Krispies, but you can use whatever you prefer and even better if you can find a cereal with just “puffed rice” as the only ingredient. You can crush them slightly so they’re somewhere between a full puffed grain and a cereal powder, but it’s not required.

Honey

Healthy Krispy peanut butter balls? Oh, yes! So, for sweetening our balls, we’ll stick to honey. Half a cup is good enough. Maple syrup or agave nectar will work great too.

Stevia-Sweetened Chocolate Chips

Peanut butter balls without chocolate? No, thanks! So, to make a velvety smooth chocolate coating for these crunchy PB balls, let’s take 9 ounces of Stevia-sweetened chocolate chips. Your alternate options are semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate chips. I prefer stevia sweetened to lower the overall sugar content of this treat.

Optional Ingredients

Vanilla Extract

A teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can bring out the nutty flavor in these balls.

Unsalted Butter

If you want to make your peanut butter balls softer, add two tablespoons of melted unsalted butter.

Coconut Oil

Add a tablespoon of melted coconut oil instead of butter to make your balls slightly chewy yet crunchy.

How to Make Easy Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies

Now that you have all your ingredients ready let’s get to the fun part – making the crispy and crunchy balls. It’s an easy recipe and will only take a few minutes.

Step 1

Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. A silicon baking mat is a good option as well.

Step 2

In a large bowl, mix peanut butter and honey together.

Step 3

Now add your Rice Krispy cereal and gently fold it into the PB mixture.

Step 4

Scoop out 1-inch balls and place them on the baking sheet.

Step 5

Move the sheet to the freezer and let the balls set for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Step 6

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate. You can use the double-broiler method or use the microwave. Just don’t scorch the chocolate.

Step 7

Take your chilled balls and dip them in melted chocolate one by one. Use two spoons or tongs to cover the balls entirely and place them back on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Step 8

Return the sheet to your freezer for about thirty minutes.

Step 9

Store these in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• Are your balls too sticky? Sprinkle some powdered sugar. Just a wee bit! Another alternative is to wet your hands slightly before rolling into balls.
• You’ll need a tablespoon or two more peanut butter if your balls are too crumbly.
• If your peanut butter filling is too runny, add two more tablespoons of Rice Krispies.

Decorating Peanut Butter Krispies Balls

Old-fashioned peanut butter balls? No more. Let me help you pretty up these bite-sized wonders.

• White Chocolate Drizzle: Place your balls on parchment paper and drizzle melted white chocolate over them.
• Sprinkles: Top your balls with a handful of colorful sprinkles.
• Coconut Flakes: Roll them in coconut flakes for a tropical twist.
• Almonds and Walnuts: Place chopped almonds, walnuts, or other nuts of your choice on top of the balls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Are My Krispies Peanut Butter Balls Too Sticky to Roll?

The peanut butter mixture will be sticky, but you should be able to roll it into balls. If you’re having trouble, wet your hands slightly before rolling them into balls. Once they spend time in the freezer, they’ll be set!

What Tools and Equipment Do I Need for the Recipe?

You don’t need a lot of special equipment! You just need parchment paper or wax paper, a baking sheet, a double boiler/large microwave-safe bowl, spatulas, and a small cookie scoop.

What Can I Do with the Leftover Excess Chocolate?

It’s unlikely you will have extra chocolate if you use the 9 ounces indicated in the recipe. If you end up using a 10 ounce bag instead and have extra, you can make a quick PB&C sandwich if you have any leftover chocolate. Spread some melted peanut butter and chocolate on a toasted bagel, and enjoy! Other options include:

• Drizzling the chocolate over ice cream.
• Adding it to your coffee or tea.
• Making S’more bars.

For How Long Can I Store These Balls?

If you’re freezing them in a freezer-safe container, they’ll last for three months at least. And if you’re keeping them in an airtight jar at room temperature, expect 1-2 weeks of shelf life. We like to keep them in the refrigerator so the chocolate doesn’t melt.

I have so many healthy sweet recipes you’ll love. Give these Chocolate Tahini Brownies a try, too. Want another no-bake idea? You’ll love these Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups.

If you make these Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies or any of my healthy recipes, I would LOVE to see it! Take a picture and share it on the Happy Healthy Mama Facebook page or on Instagram and tag me @happyhealthymama and I’ll feature you on my account. Don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating, too. It’s so helpful for other readers to see which recipes are tried and true. I appreciate you!

Scroll below the recipe card for more healthy treat ideas!

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More Healthy Treats to Try

Here are some recipes use similar ingredients or are no bake and are all family approved! Save one or more to try later.

Chocolate Crunch Cookies 

If you loved Star Crunch Cookies as a kid, you must try this recipe!

No Bake Almond Butter Cookies

I’m going to warn you: these are addicting. (In the BEST possible way!)

No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars

These are another special treat my family gobbles up every time I make them!

Healthy Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
These are the grown up version of classic Rice Krispie Treats. I’d hide them from your kids!