How To Make Peanut Butter Balls

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This peanut butter ball recipe is a great snack to have around to tide people over until dinner! Get the kids involved to make this nutritious snack! 
 

 

Peanut butter balls are delicious!! This is a great snack for children and grown ups alike. They are kept in Ziploc bags in the freezer and when we manage to have any (they are eaten so fast!).  Full of all sorts of goodness, it’s one snack that will not only tide your family over until you can finish up supper, but one you can feel good about letting them have.

What You’ll Need:

peanut butter balls ingredients

Ingredients:

  • quick oats
  • peanut butter
  • powdered milk
  • honey*

*Note about honey: If you have children under the age of two, substitute corn syrup as raw honey poses health risks.

How To Make Peanut Butter Balls:

measure oats into bowl

Measure oats into mixing bowl.

measure out milk and add to mixing bowl

Measure out milk and add it to the mixing bowl

stir to blend

Stir to blend.
 
pour in honey or corn syrup

Pour in honey (or corn syrup).
 
add peanut butter

Add peanut butter.
 
mix with hand mixer

Pull out the hand mixer and mix until it looks like this!
 
form into balls

Scoop out peanut butter balls with a cookie scoop, or form it into balls with your hands, compressing the balls tightly so they stick together well.
 
put peanut butter balls on cookie sheet and freeze
 
Freeze peanut butter balls on waxed paper lined cookie sheets until hardened, then place them in a Ziploc bag and return them to the freezer. They are ready to eat anytime!
 
peanut butter balls

 

These are seriously irresistible. Enjoy having this delicious and nutritious snack around!

peanut butter balls

If you’re feeling creative, feel free to add your favorite additives to your peanut butter balls! Adding some extra ingredients can take your peanut butter balls to the next level of flavor and texture. Here are some delicious add-in ideas to consider:

  • Crushed Graham Crackers: Stir in some crushed graham crackers to the peanut butter mixture for a subtle hint of sweetness and a satisfying crunch.
  • Mini Chocolate Chips: Mix in mini chocolate chips for bursts of chocolatey goodness throughout the peanut butter balls.
  • Chopped Nuts: Add chopped nuts such as peanuts, almonds, or pecans for extra crunch and a nutty flavor.
  • Toasted Coconut Flakes: Incorporate toasted coconut flakes into the peanut butter mixture for a tropical twist.
  • Dried Fruit: Mix in chopped dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries, or chopped apricots for a chewy texture and a pop of sweetness.
  • Pretzel Pieces: Stir in crushed pretzel pieces for a salty-sweet contrast that adds crunch and flavor.
  • Crispy Rice Cereal: Mix in crispy rice cereal to add a light and crispy texture to the peanut butter balls.
  • Flavored Extracts: Experiment with different flavored extracts such as almond extract, coconut extract, or maple extract to enhance the flavor profile of the peanut butter balls.
  • Spices: Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom to the peanut butter mixture for a warm and aromatic flavor.
  • Protein Powder: For a protein-packed treat, mix in some protein powder of your choice to boost the nutritional content of the peanut butter balls.

Feel free to get creative and customize your peanut butter balls with your favorite add-ins to suit your taste preferences. The possibilities are endless!

peanut butter balls

Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut butter balls were a staple in our school lunchrooms. Now you can make them at home with this quick, easy and delicious recipe!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: peanutbutter
Servings: 4
Calories: 135kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 C honey or corn syrup
  • 3 C creamy peanut butter
  • 5 C dry milk powder
  • 6 C quick oats

Instructions

  • Mix all together with hand mixer. Form into balls with hands and freeze on waxed paper lined cookie sheets until hardened. Store in freezer in ziploc bags. (Makes about 100)

Nutrition

Calories: 135kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

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127 Comments

  1. ok, I have a question, which may or may not be silly. When you put these in the lunch box, do you add a freezer pack/cold pack to keep them cold? or is room temp OK?

    1. Hey Diane! no sillly questions here! I store them in the freezer but they are just fine at room temp. When I send them in lunches I get them out of the freezer and put them in a little baggie or container. I usually put an ice pack in the lunchbox to keep things cool in general but you don’t have to do anything special for these.
      Hope this helps!
      Gratefully,
      Christy

  2. What is it about peanut butter and cafeterias? Our grade school used to make “peanut butter treats” and I dearly wish I had the recipe for them! They were pressed in a pan, but it was peanut butter and something mixed with it on the bottom and then there was a chocolate layer on top. Sometimes they put chopped peanuts on top and sometimes not, but they were delicious! A lot of schools nowadays have banned my dear friend peanut butter (including telling kids they can’t bring their own peanut butter sandwich from home). 🙁

    1. Andrea-

      There is a reason for this. Kids who have anaphylactic allergies to peanuts cannot be around other kids eating peanut butter sandwiches. Not all people who have peanut allergies are this severe (I’m not)… but severe peanut allergies are a disability, and parents can ask for accommodations at public schools.

      I made this recipe with SunButter, a great alternative to peanut butter that can be bought at Wal-Mart, most grocery stores that have a “specialty” food selection, or health food stores.

  3. I was just wondering…you think you could throw all of these ingregients into a food processor and pulse it several times to get it mixed quickly? Love my processor and like to use it when I can. Love your recipes!

  4. This is the recipe that brought me to your sight…I had these in elementary school, my grandmother was a cook there. Instead of oats, they were made with crushed graham crackers and were put into sheet pans and cut into squares. I asked my grandmother, for years, for the recipe and she would always say, ” don’t have one, just a little of this and a little of that” When she, unexpectedly, passed away, this is the recipe I wanted more than anything. I had a total meltdown and cried for days, when I realized I had let the opportunity pass. After alot of searching, yours came the closest and I have made them many times since. Thanks a million!!!!

    1. Hey Amanda! thank you!
      That is a milk glass pattern by Anchor Hocking called “old colony”. I have a compote bowl and a few little plates that are in the same pattern and its a favorite of mine as well. That was a little candy dish but I didn’t get it with the lid (one of these days..).
      I also have a GORGEOUS cake platter that is huge in that pattern but alas, it has not come out from it’s hiding place since the move. It is somewhere with my Davy Crockett and Strawberry Shortcake milk glass mugs 🙂

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