Smooth Vs Crunchy: Which Is Best For Peanut Butter Balls?

Whether you call them peanut butter buckeyes, balls, or truffles, one thing is certain: They are delicious. Honestly, anything with peanut butter and chocolate is, but that's just us. If you're in agreement, our easy peanut butter buckeyes recipe is an absolute must, especially if you're looking for a quick and easy treat to bring to a gathering. The recipe itself hinges on just a handful of ingredients, with peanut butter and chocolate at the forefront, and a few additional ones you likely already have. You might be wondering if peanut butter balls can be made with that jar of crunchy peanut butter you've got in your pantry. While it's totally possible, recipe developer Christina Musgrave recommends going with creamy peanut butter for a smooth, more satisfying texture.

You may be a diehard fan of crunchy peanut butter, but when it comes to making peanut butter balls, crunchy peanut butter just disturbs the overall texture too much. You're looking for this sweet treat to melt in your mouth rather than provide a workout for your mouth. To achieve the ultimate smoothness, we recommend using a standard variety, like one from our ranked list of grocery store peanut butters. Our favorite is Jif Creamy, but use whatever you have. We do suggest leaving out the natural kinds, however. Natural peanut butter may well lead to crumbly peanut butter balls that don't retain much moisture.

If you absoultely must have a little bit of crunch, instead of using crunchy peanut butter, try chopping up peanuts into super tiny pieces and adding them to the creamy peanut butter. This will give you just the right amount of crunch without being too overwhelming; plus, it'll create an even stronger peanut flavor. A more subtle crunch option is to add some Rice Krispies cereal to the peanut butter mixture. This will provide a delicate crunch that won't be as harsh as from chopped peanuts. Alternatively, if you love the combination of sea salt and chocolate, crush up some pretzels and add those to your peanut butter mixture.

There's nothing stopping you from adding a bit of crunch outside the peanut butter mixture. We leave a traditional blank spot on the top of our peanut butter buckeyes, but you could easily cover the whole thing in chocolate. Just before the chocolate hardens, add the topping of your choice, whether it be flakey sea salt or homemade sprinkles. You could even add some chopped up peanuts here as well. This treat is so versatile and easy to make, so feel free to get creative.