Great for Easter - Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

With Easter coming up in the next few weeks, we wanted to share recipes that use ingredients you probably already have for treats you can include in an Easter basket.

We choose peanut butter balls because there are a few different ways to make them depending on what you have on-hand. There are also a few options for the chocolate dip as well. These don't have to be perfect - they just have to taste good!

Feel free to substitute almond butter or sunflower butter for those with allergies.

Peanut Butter Balls

For the peanut butter mix, use:

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup powdered milk

¼ cup honey

or

½ cup melted butter

1 ½ cups peanut butter

2 ½ cups powdered sugar

or

½ cup peanut butter

1 cup oatmeal

1/3 cup of honey

or

1/2 cup maple syrup, honey or agave

3 1/2 tsp sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cups bran flakes, corn flakes or cheerios

pinch of salt

Mix ingredients and roll into balls. Freeze on a cookie sheet for about 15 minutes. Then store in a container in the refrigerator until ready to dip or eat.

Chocolate Dip

1 cup chocolate chips

¼ to 1/2 tsp shortening or oil

or

1 bar of unsweetened bakers chocolate

4 tablespoons sugar

pinch salt

or

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup cocoa powder

sweetener to taste (honey, sugar, maple syrup, corn syrup, agave, stevia)

Microwave chocolate (or the oil) for 15 second increments - stir each time you check - until melted and smooth. Stir in sweetener. Dip cold peanut butter balls into chocolate mix.

Get creative - add chocolate chips or craisins and roll finished balls in coconut, sprinkles, cookie crumbs, or crushed candies. Mostly, just have fun. You can make these as a surprise for the little ones or let your bigger kids get some practice in the kitchen. If you have plastic Easter eggs, you can roll out the peanut butter mix to about a half inch thickness and use a half of the plastic egg like a cookie cutter and make egg shaped treats instead of balls.

Serve on a plate for the whole family to enjoy or wrap in foil, wax paper, or plastic wrap for Easter baskets.

We're collecting more treat recipes and will share those with our subscribers before Easter. Share your pictures and recipes by emailing marketing@mountainplex.com and you might be featured in our next newsletter.