Crispy rice cereal, seasonal sprinkles, a dab of food coloring and some googly eyes add delightful crunch and a festive spookiness to this classic peanut butter and chocolate treat. Kids will have a blast helping whip up these sweet desserts for a Halloween celebration.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 5 min |
| Active: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 24 to 26 buckeyes |
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1 1/4 cups orange and black sprinkles
- 1/4 teaspoon green gel food coloring
- 1/4 teaspoon orange gel food coloring
- 1/4 teaspoon purple gel food coloring
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- Small, medium and large candy eyeballs, for decorating
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment. Beat the peanut butter, butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; beat on low until incorporated. Increase to medium high and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 1 minute. Gently stir in the rice cereal and 1/4 cup of the orange and black sprinkles with a rubber spatula.
- Divide the mixture into 4 equal pieces. Set 1 piece aside, then put the remaining 3 pieces into separate medium bowls. Add the green gel food coloring to 1 bowl and mix with a rubber spatula or gloved hands until completely incorporated. Repeat with the orange gel food coloring in the second bowl and the purple gel food coloring in the third.
- Scoop 2-teaspoon mounds of dough (11 to 12 grams each) and roll into balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet and freeze until very firm but not frozen, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Microwave the chocolate and coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring in between each, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Let cool slightly for 2 minutes.
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment and pour on the remaining 1 cup orange and black sprinkles.
- Dip a toothpick into the chocolate mixture, then stick the chocolate-coated toothpick into the top of a peanut butter ball. Dip the ball into the chocolate mixture and coat most of the ball, leaving an uncoated circle on top; let the excess chocolate drip off. Place the ball on top of the sprinkles on the baking sheet so the sprinkles stick to the bottom of the ball; remove the toothpick. Stick candy eyes onto the spot of chocolate left on top of the ball as desired. Repeat with the remaining peanut butter balls and chocolate mixture, dipping the toothpick each time into the chocolate mixture before picking up a peanut butter ball with it.
- Refrigerate until the chocolate is set and the peanut butter balls are very firm, at least 1 hour. Transfer the balls to a serving platter. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 26 servings |
| Calories | 171 |
| Total Fat | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 25 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 23 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 4 mg |
| Sodium | 21 mg |
Reviews
This could be excellent but too “sugary”! Mike Stice!