The 4-Ingredient Dessert I Make Every Christmas

When the holiday season arrived at my house growing up, I always knew two things were on the menu. Every year, we’d make cut-out sugar cookies decorated with plenty of colorful frosting, and peanut butter balls, which became more and more impressive to me every year.

I grew up watching my mom roll and dip countless peanut butter balls to package for coworkers and friends, and I always thought it was a lot of work. That was until I grew up and realized just how simple these genius holiday treats were. Now, I make them every year, too, gifting some to friends and keeping a platter waiting for my chocolate and peanut butter-loving sister.

These easy holiday treats are made with just a handful of ingredients for a low-lift cookie box addition. Yes, they’re similar to Buckeyes, but my family never called them that. They’re fully covered with chocolate and require fewer ingredients. We’ve always simply called them peanut butter balls, and they continue to live on as a family favorite recipe every year.

Choosing the Right Peanut Butter

When it comes to choosing the best peanut butter for this recipe, stick with creamy peanut butter. For best results, opt for a no-stir option such as Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butter won’t produce quite the same smooth texture.

Get Creative With Customizations

The sky’s the limit with this no-bake recipe. You can dress these up for any and all occasions:

• Add sprinkles: Add a few sprinkles on top of each ball when the chocolate is still wet for a pop of color.
• Swap the chocolate: My preference is to melt chopped semisweet chocolate bars for this recipe, but there are plenty of other options. You can choose dark chocolate, bittersweet, or milk chocolate.
• Try a drizzle: To dress up the outside of these peanut butter balls, use a bit of extra chocolate after the initial layer has set. Drizzle the same semisweet chocolate or add a pop of white chocolate with food coloring for a festive touch.
• Incorporate crunch: The filling is smooth, but you can change that if preferred. Consider adding nuts or try Rice Krispies cereal or even crushed cornflakes in the mixture. You can also sprinkle the tops with chopped peanuts for added crunch.

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