Creamy, slightly tangy cream cheese blends with powdered sugar and regular creamy peanut butter into a smooth, scoopable ball, then gets a crunchy, candy-like exterior of mini chocolate, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips.
This no-bake peanut butter ball comes together in about 15 minutes of hands-on time and firms in the freezer—perfect for a make-ahead party appetizer, snack board, or holiday spread to serve with crackers, cookies, pretzels, or apple slices.
Why You’ll Love This
It’s an easy, no-bake crowd-pleaser that balances rich peanut butter, tangy cream cheese, and sweet chips for contrast. The firm chilled center and crunchy coating make it ideal for dipping and sharing.
If you like peanut butter dips with a sweet edge, try Peanut Butter Brownie Batter Dip for another party-friendly spread.
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make the Peanut Butter Ball
- Place 18 oz package of softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat with a handheld mixer until the texture is fluffy and smooth.
- Add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural), 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional). Beat until the mixture is very smooth and fully combined.
- Spoon the peanut butter mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap, pull the wrap up around it, and shape into a ball—don’t worry about perfection; you can refine the shape after chilling.
- Set the wrapped ball inside a freezer-safe bowl (this prevents a flat bottom) and chill in the freezer for 1 1/2 hours until firm enough to keep its shape.
- While the ball chills, spread 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, 1/2 cup peanut butter chips, and 1/2 cup butterscotch chips on a cutting board or parchment-lined counter and stir to create an even coating layer.
- Remove the chilled cheese ball from the freezer and unwrap. Roll the ball through the chip coating, pressing gently so the chips adhere and the coating is even.
- Place the coated cheese ball on your chosen serving dish, cover, and freeze for 30 minutes to set the exterior. If the ball has been frozen for more than an hour, allow about 30 minutes of thawing before serving so it’s scoopable.
Chill and Firming Tips
Firming the ball in the freezer is what makes it easy to coat and slice later. Follow the exact chill time to get reliably scoopable texture.
- Chill the wrapped ball in a freezer for 1 1/2 hours before coating so it won’t collapse while you roll it in chips.
- After coating, freeze for 30 minutes to set the coating so chips don’t fall off during serving.
- If you need a firmer ball for transport, you can freeze longer; just plan to thaw 30 minutes before serving.
Coating and Variation Ideas
The recipe’s three-chip mix is the suggested coating, but simple swaps change texture and flavor quickly.
- All-chips mix: double any single chip (chocolate or peanut butter) for a more uniform exterior and stronger flavor.
- Crushed pretzel or crushed graham: mix in crushed pretzels for a salty crunch or crushed graham for a sweeter, finer coating.
- Crushed cookies: pulse PB chocolate chip or sandwich cookies in a food processor for a cookie-dusted exterior with extra sweetness.
Best Dippers and Pairings
Offer a variety of dippers to highlight contrast—sweet, salty, and fresh choices make the board interesting and approachable for guests.
- Sweet crackers and cookies: graham crackers, cinnamon graham crackers, and vanilla wafers.
- Cookies: PB chocolate chip and chocolate sandwich cookies add more indulgence for cookie lovers.
- Salty and fresh: pretzels for salt and crunch; apple slices for bright, juicy contrast.
Helpful Tips
Use regular creamy peanut butter: Do not use natural peanut butter—its oil separation prevents the filling from reaching the right texture and can make the ball oily.
Prevent a flat bottom: Chill the wrapped ball in a freezer-safe bowl so the rounded shape is preserved; a flat bottom makes coating and presentation harder.
Refine the shape after chilling: If the ball isn’t perfectly round after the initial freeze, use your hands (gloved or wrapped in plastic) to smooth and reshape before coating.
Thaw timing: If frozen longer than an hour, thaw the coated ball about 30 minutes before serving so it’s soft enough to dip but still firm.
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More recipes to try
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Serve
Arrange the peanut butter ball on a board with a selection of graham crackers, cookies, pretzels, and apple slices so guests can mix textures and flavors.
For another peanut-butter-forward party spread, check the recipe card links above and try different chip or crushed-cookie coatings to suit your crowd.
Peanut Butter Ball
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- handheld mixer
- plastic wrap
- freezer-safe bowl
- cutting board or parchment-lined counter
Ingredients
- 18 oz cream cheese package, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter not all-natural
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon optional
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
- graham crackers
- cinnamon graham crackers
- vanilla wafers
- cookies PB chocolate chip, chocolate sandwich cookies
- pretzels
- apple slices
Instructions
- Place cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat with a handheld mixer until fluffy.
- Add creamy peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon; beat until the mixture is very smooth.
- Spoon the mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap, cover tightly, and shape into a ball (shape can be refined after chilling). Set the wrapped ball in a freezer-safe bowl to prevent a flat bottom and chill in the freezer for 90 minutes, until firm enough to hold its shape.
- Spread the mini chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and butterscotch chips on a cutting board or a parchment-lined counter and stir to combine into an even layer. Remove the chilled cheese ball from the freezer and roll it through the coating, pressing gently so the chips adhere and the ball becomes evenly coated.
- Place the coated cheese ball on your serving dish, cover, and freeze for 30 minutes. If the cheese ball has been frozen for more than an hour, thaw about 30 minutes before serving.
- Offer the finished peanut butter cheese ball with graham crackers, cinnamon graham crackers, vanilla wafers, PB chocolate chip or sandwich cookies, pretzels, and apple slices for dipping.
