Peanut Butter Cheesecake Balls

We’re about to enter the season of family dinners and festive parties, and you know what that means: everybody’s appetite for sweet treats is about to get ravenous just as you run out of time and energy to make them! Don’t worry, though; we’ve got you covered. After all, we know what the people want: peanut butter, cheesecake, and more peanut butter and cheesecake! We’re bringing the two together in these perfect Peanut Butter Cheesecake Balls, coated in chocolate and covered in chopped peanuts. Not only are they simple and no-bake, they only need FIVE ingredients. The holidays just got a lot easier. Let us demonstrate, then read on for the recipe and enjoy!

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PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE BALLS

Makes 30 balls Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 ounces softened cream cheese
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3 cups dark or milk chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • ½ cup salted, roasted peanuts, chopped

DIRECTIONS

  1. Line 2 sheet trays with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and the peanut butter until well-combined and uniform in color.
  3. Use a tablespoon or a small disher-style scoop to scoop balls of the peanut butter cheesecake mixture onto the lined sheet trays. Freeze the cheesecake balls for about an hour, or until solid.
  4. In a small bowl, combine the chocolate chips and the coconut oil. Melt in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is completely melted. This step may take up to 90 seconds, or a little more, depending on your microwave.
  5. Using a toothpick to lift it, dip one of the solid frozen cheesecake balls into the melted chocolate, lightly shaking off any excess chocolate, until completely coated.
  6. Place the chocolate-covered cheesecake ball back on the lined sheet tray. Using a second toothpick, seal the hole created by the first toothpick with chocolate.
  7. Immediately after coating with chocolate, sprinkle some of the chopped peanuts on top. Be fast, as the chocolate will harden quickly!
  8. Repeat the process until all of your cheesecake balls are covered in chocolate and peanuts.
  9. Refrigerate the balls until ready to serve.

CHEF’S TIPS

  • If you’re using a peanut butter that is not sweetened, you may want to sweeten the cream cheese mixture with a little honey, maple syrup, or powdered sugar. Give it a taste after mixing the cream cheese and peanut butter together, and see if you need a little extra sweetness!
  • During the dipping phase, you may need to refresh your chocolate in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds at regular intervals to keep the chocolate in a liquid form. You may also want to keep half of the undipped cheesecake balls in the freezer while you work with the other half, so that the cheesecake balls do not get too soft while you are dipping the others. If you prefer, you can also store any undipped cheesecake balls in the freezer to dip in the chocolate at a later time!
  • When you’re ready to serve these treats, you may want to allow the finished cheesecake balls to temper out of the refrigerator for a few minutes before you eat them, to allow them to soften a little and become easier to bite.

Delicious and delightful! What do you think of our Peanut Butter Cheesecake Balls? Are there any other cheesecake varieties you’d like to see turned into this bite-sized form? Tell us if you give this one at try and, of course, be sure to share how they turned out for you!

Recipe adapted from Thrifty T’s Treasures