Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls (with High Protein Option)

Recipe: Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls Recipe »

These peanut butter chocolate balls require just 3-4 ingredients and are the most delicious little snack that can easily be turned into a healthy snack! I'm sharing an option to make peanut butter chocolate balls high protein. Forget paying $4 for a protein ball, these delicious home made truffles can pack up to 4-5g of protein per ball and are absolutely delicious snack on the go too.

About This Peanut Butter Chocolate Ball Recipe

Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls and protein balls are a great snack and when you buy them there are a whole lot of ingredients but did you know that you only really need 3-4 ingredients to make your own at home? Natural peanut butter, powdered sugar and chocolate make absolutely delicious energy balls and they are easy to make and quick. But adding some protein powder to these balls is a super easy way of increasing protein in your diet too.

How to make 3 ingredient peanut butter balls? Easy, it's just a matter of mixing peanut butter, icing sugar and protein powder together. Then we shape them into balls and dip them in melted chocolate. Yes, that is it! I swear you won't buy protein balls again once you see how easy (and inexpensive) it is to make them yourself.

Are peanut butter energy balls healthy? Yes because they are high in protein, good fats and fibre. If you want an energy ball without refined sugar or protein powder try these raw, vegan energy balls. Or if you want to make a cake to feed a lot of people try my energy ball croquembouche recipe!

How to thin chocolate for dipping peanut butter balls? Coconut oil is your best friend when making dipping chocolate. Otherwise chocolate can be too thick. You can use other neutral oils too as long as they have a mild flavour eg avocado, canola, grapeseed.

The Ingredients for Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls are simple:

• Peanut butter - I prefer to use smooth peanut butter for this as it clings together a bit better. You can go fancy or you can go cheap with peanut butter, just use your favourite.
• Icing / powdered sugar - white, caster, superfine, raw or brown sugar will not work. You need the fineness of icing or powdered sugar to help bind the peanut butter. I think a strong argument could also be made for using malt powder too! ;)
• Protein powder if you're making the high protein version - Use your favourite protein powder for this. We use a vanilla one but a chocolate one also works.
• Dark or bittersweet chocolate - I love using dark chocolate to balance out the sweet filling but use milk chocolate if that's your preference or even white chocolate.
• Salt - to balance out the sweetness. Y'all know I'm obsessed with balance and salty sweet.

Tips For Making Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls

1 - This works with all types of peanut butter from natural peanut butter to ones like Skippy, just use a smooth peanut butter that you like. Make sure to stir natural peanut butters well so that the oil is completely incorporated.

2 - You can make these with just icing/powdered sugar or you can make them protein balls by using a mix of icing sugar and protein powder which gives you 4g of protein per ball. If you really want to make them even higher in protein, replace all of the icing sugar with protein powder (I just don't like the taste as much if it's all protein powder so I do half sugar, half protein powder). When made in the size specified below, they will have 5.5g of protein per ball.

3 - Once the powdered sugar and whey powder is added it should thicken the peanut butter up and make a perfect texture to roll into a ball. If it is a little dry, then add a few drops of neutral oil to moisten it a little. If it is too "wet" to form into balls, try adding another tablespoon of icing sugar or whey to stiffen it up.

4 - You can make the dough ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge. Up to 2-3 days ahead of time should be fine.

5 - Freezing the balls helps to maintain the round shape when dipping into the chocolate.

6 - Make sure to stir the coconut oil well into the chocolate to avoid streaks.

7 - The key to dipping the balls in the chocolate is to ensure that any excess chocolate drips off the balls. Otherwise it pools and spreads at the bottom when setting.

8 - I like to add a tiny pinch of salt flakes on top but you can use your favourite sprinkles. Just made sure to add any sprinkles before the chocolate has completely set. Since the balls are quite frozen, I usually add sprinkles once I finish a row of 5 balls as the chocolate sets quickly.

9 - Store these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. These balls can also be frozen for 2-3 months.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls Recipe

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Recipe Overview

Preparation time: 20 minutes plus 45 minutes freezing

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Makes 18 balls

Ingredients Needed

• 160g/5.6ozs smooth peanut butter
• 40g/1.4ozs icing or powdered sugar
• 40g/1.4ozs vanilla protein powder (or sub with icing/ powdered sugar)
• 150g/5ozs dark bittersweet chocolate
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil (optional if the chocolate is too thick to dip)
• Pinch of salt plus salt flakes for sprinkling

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 - Line a baking tray with parchment. Place the peanut butter in a bowl and sift over the icing/powdered sugar and the protein powder. Mix well and then shape into balls that weigh 13g/0.5oz each - you should get 18. Place on the parchment lined tray and freeze for 45 minutes until hard.

Step 2 - Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave or in a double boiler until melted smooth. Add coconut oil if using and stir very well. Dip ball into the chocolate and with 1 fork and a teaspoon, coat the ball with chocolate and then drain excess chocolate and place back on the parchment lined tray. Repeat until you have a row of chocolate and sprinkle with salt as you go (the frozen balls will cause the chocolate to set quicker than normal). If you need to re-melt the chocolate halfway then you can do so.

Personal Note

My biggest fan while I was making these peanut butter balls was Teddy Elliott. Peanut butter is often used here as a bribing tool like when we need to give the boys medication. Teddy was lingering not so subtly hoping for some peanut butter while I was mixing and shaping these balls but I always like to make sure that they're not around when I'm working with chocolate for dipping.

It has been a couple of years since Milo arrived and shook up little Teddy's world. He grew up instantly from a naughty boy to a big brother and Milo assumed the role of little brother. Now when we look at Milo we say, "I wonder when he will grow up?" in the same way that we would wonder about Teddy. Milo is bigger, bouncier and more confident so tiny Teddy would shrink a little. We've been trying to slowly but steadily build Teddy's confidence without diminishing Milo's and I think that has worked. Teddy gets fed first and he can also eat a wider range of food. Milo can only eat pork but other meats are off limits because of allergies.

One night last week I brought home some leftover steak. Teddy smelled it straight away in the container and without hesitation he grabbed it with his mouth, expertly dodged his brother and ran away to try and open. There was no way that his little brother was getting it. Before he would have given it to Milo but we were so proud that he managed to take something of his own. And of course I gave him a taste of peanut butter because who can resist that face?

So tell me Dear Reader, do you ever make snacks like this? Do you like the combination of peanut butter and chocolate?