Peanut Butter Snowballs

A suitable recipe to get the kids involved, these white chocolate peanut butter snowballs make an easy kitchen project to keep little hands busy. You need just four simple ingredients to create these luxury truffles, and no baking, blending or precision measuring is required.

The resulting peanut butter balls in white chocolate are perfect as a holiday treat, especially if they’re decorated with seasonal sprinkles. You can offer them as a homemade food gift too. After all, who could resist these nutty, creamy and wonderfully sweet snowballs? (Though they do contain peanuts, so label them clearly if you’re gifting them!)

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Snowballs

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

• Confectioners’ sugar: Confectioners’ sugar provides the punch of sweetness and is fine enough to mix without fuss.
• Peanut butter: We find that using creamy peanut butter works better than crunchy or natural varieties.
• Butter: Soften some salted or unsalted butter to create the smooth filling (that will then harden).
• White candy coating: You’ll chop it coarsely to start, then melt it to make the crunchy shell.
• Chopped peanuts (optional): Sprinkling the white chocolate peanut butter balls in finely chopped peanuts will add additional flavor and crunch.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the filling

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

In a bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter and softened butter. You can do this by hand with a fork. Then chill the mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes, until it has a workable texture.

Step 2: Shape the peanut butter balls

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

Shape the filling into 1-inch balls and place them on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze them for another 30 minutes, until firm.

Editor’s Tip: You can use cookie scoops, that versatile baking gadget, to shape the snowballs.

Step 3: Dip them in candy coating

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

Meanwhile, melt the candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl or on the stovetop. Dip the snowballs, one by one, into the melted candy, then place them on waxed paper to harden. If desired, sprinkle them with chopped peanuts.

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

Peanut Butter Snowball Variations

• Finish them with sugar sprinkles: Scatter colorful sprinkles on the coating as it hardens for a seasonal or personalized flourish.
• Add an extra coating: You could roll the snowballs in desiccated coconut for a rough but tasty texture.
• Change the color: Snowballs are on brand for the winter holidays, but you could also use food coloring to make pink snowballs for Valentine’s Day or orange and black for Halloween.

How to Store Peanut Butter Snowballs

You can store these peanut butter balls in white chocolate at room temperature for a surprisingly long time—up to five days. It’s mainly peanut butter and sugar, after all. If you want to keep them cold, you can refrigerate them for 10 days before the sugars start to turn gritty.

Can you freeze peanut butter snowballs?

The fats in the peanut butter and white chocolate freeze well, so you can freeze these snowballs in an airtight container for one to two months. They do tend to “sweat” when they return to room temperature, however, so roll them over a paper towel.

Peanut Butter Snowball Tips

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

What is the difference between white chocolate candy coating and almond bark?

You’ll find both white chocolate candy coating and almond bark in your local grocery store’s baking section. Candy coating is made from palm oil or cocoa butter, sugar and milk solids, whereas almond bark uses sugar, shortening or vegetable oil, and almonds or nuts. They both work, but if you want to melt down regular chocolate (i.e., chocolate chips), you’ll have to add a little shortening.

What can I use instead of smooth peanut butter?

You can certainly use chunky peanut butter, if that’s what you prefer. This recipe also works with almond butter, or Nutella for a chocolate and hazelnut flavor.

Why are my snowballs falling apart?

One of the potential texture problems you may encounter is snowballs that crumble and fall apart, in which case you need to use more peanut butter in the filling. Also watch for moisture sneaking into your candy coating mix. It will affect the texture, so make sure your bowl is completely dry.