Classic peanut butter balls have a two-word ingredient list, and both words are a problem for anyone avoiding sugar. These sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls keep the part everyone actually likes, which is a soft center that still smells like peanut butter, and they replace the sugary chocolate dip with a thin roll in unsweetened cocoa powder.
Nothing bakes. You mix a stiff dough, chill it, roll it, and dust it, so the 25 minutes of work are followed by about an hour of refrigerator time. The recipe makes 12 balls at roughly 78 calories and 2g net carbs each, which is about the right size for a Christmas cookie tray, and because these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls are served chilled they need no warming up first.
The flavor lands close to our sugar-free chocolate peanut butter fudge, and the two are easy to mix up. The fudge stirs cocoa into the base and cuts the slab into squares, while these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls keep the cocoa on the outside, so the center stays plain peanut butter and each one is rolled.
Why Youāll Love These Sugar-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
- No oven and no stovetop. These sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls come together in one bowl and the refrigerator, which makes them a good candy to put together when the kitchen is already busy.
- A center that genuinely tastes like peanut butter. PBfit Simply Peanut powder and NeufchƤtel give a creamy, mellow middle instead of a sweetened candy shell, so these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls roll and hold their shape like a proper buckeye.
- A cocoa coating instead of a dip. Three tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder dusts the outside dry and matte, with no melted chocolate and nothing added.
- Twelve even balls at about 2g net carbs apiece, so nobody has to do arithmetic about who gets which one, and these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls are small enough to stay a treat rather than a meal.
Ingredient Notes
PBfit Simply Peanut powder (96g) is the peanut flavor running through the whole center. Make sure you pick up the Simply Peanut version without added sugar, since regular PBfit carries its own sweetener, and that choice is what keeps these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls at about 2g net carbs each.
Philadelphia 1/3 Less Fat NeufchƤtel (85g), softened, is what makes the center creamy and slightly tangy instead of paste-like. Beat it on its own first and these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls come out smooth rather than grainy.
Bobās Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour (28g) adds the structure that keeps a no-sugar dough from slumping. It is whisked with the peanut powder first so no dry pockets survive the mixing.
Powdered pure allulose (35g) is the sweetener. Allulose is a rare sugar that the FDA allows to be excluded from the total sugars and added sugars declarations on the Nutrition Facts label, and its fine, powdery texture is what this dough needs to come together. If you want to see what sits behind these ingredients, USDA FoodData Central lists per-100g values for almond flour, cocoa powder and peanut powder.
Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original almond milk (30ml) is the only liquid, and these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls need just enough of it to come together. Unsalted butter (14g), softened, gets beaten in with the allulose so the two blend without streaks.
HERSHEYāYāS Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (15g) is the whole coating. There is no sweetener in it and nothing to melt, which is the reason these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls turn out matte and dry rather than glossy and hard.
How to Make Sugar-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Start by lining a 13Ć9-inch quarter-sheet pan with parchment paper, so these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls have somewhere to chill that you can lift them off in one piece later.
Beat the softened NeufchƤtel on its own until smooth, then mix in the butter and the powdered allulose until it turns creamy. Next, whisk the PBfit Simply Peanut powder and the almond flour together in a separate bowl, and gradually work those dry ingredients into the cream cheese mixture until a thick paste forms.
Add the almond milk 1 tsp at a time, using only enough to create a firm, moldable dough. This is the step where sugar-free dough usually goes wrong, because more liquid than the recipe asks for leaves you with sticky centers that never set properly.
Rest the dough 5 minutes to hydrate, then divide it into 12 equal-weight portions. A kitchen scale is the easiest way to keep them the same size, which matters because the balls get rolled in cocoa and any size difference shows.
Roll each portion into a compact ball and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Chilling at this stage is what lets the cocoa cling later instead of sliding straight off.
Put the cocoa powder in a shallow bowl and roll each chilled ball through it, shaking off the excess. That dry cocoa coat is the whole point of these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls, so take it thin rather than heavy. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes until firm, then serve them chilled, next to something like our sugar-free peppermint bark on the holiday tray.
Success Tips
- Use the right peanut powder. The original PBfit carries its own sweetener, so buy the Simply Peanut version without added sugar.
- Add almond milk gradually. A teaspoon at a time is not a suggestion here. Too much and the centers stay sticky no matter how long they chill.
- Keep the cocoa coating thin, dry and matte. Shake off the excess. A heavy layer reads as bitter rather than chocolatey.
- Chill fully for firm, creamy centers. Both the 30 minutes before rolling and the 30 minutes after are doing work, so give these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls the full time.
- Weigh the portions. Dividing by weight rather than by eye is what makes all 12 balls look like they came from the same batch.
Storage
Refrigerate these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls airtight for up to 4 days, and serve them straight from the fridge. This is a chilled candy rather than a room-temperature one, and the centers are meant to stay firm and creamy.
FAQ
Are sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls the same as buckeyes?
Same idea, different build. A classic buckeye is peanut butter plus powdered sugar dipped in melted chocolate, whereas here NeufchƤtel and allulose form the center and unsweetened cocoa powder replaces the dip, so nothing is melted and nothing is sweetened.
Why cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate?
Melted chocolate is where the sugar usually comes in, and a sugar-free version tends to set hard and glossy. Rolling in unsweetened cocoa gives a thin, dry, matte coat that suits a chilled center better, and it is what keeps these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls at about 78 calories each.
How do I know the dough is ready?
It should be firm and moldable, not sticky. Add the almond milk 1 tsp at a time and stop as soon as the dough holds together, because the almond flour and peanut powder already bring a lot of absorbency to the mix.
How many net carbs are in one ball?
About 2g net carbs per ball, which works out to 4g total carbohydrates and 2g fiber, with 6g protein, 5g fat and 78 calories. The recipe makes 12 balls, so a full tray of these sugar-free chocolate peanut butter balls is 12 servings.
How long do they keep?
Refrigerate them airtight for up to 4 days. They are best eaten chilled, straight from the fridge, rather than warmed up first.
If you would rather hand out something with a real chocolate top, the sugar-free no-bake peanut butter chocolate cups use a thin shell, a creamy center and a dark chocolate layer, and they set in the refrigerator too. For a baked option on the same peanut theme, the sugar-free Nutter Butter cookies are sandwich cookies with about 3g net carbs each.
Sugar-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Line the quarter-sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Beat softened Neufchatel until smooth. Mix in butter and powdered allulose until creamy.
- Separately whisk PBfit Simply Peanut powder and almond flour.
- Gradually incorporate dry ingredients into the cream cheese mixture until a thick paste forms.
- Add almond milk 1 tsp at a time, using only enough to create a firm, moldable dough.
- Rest 5 minutes to hydrate, then divide into 12 equal-weight portions.
- Roll into compact balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Place cocoa powder in a shallow bowl. Roll each chilled ball in cocoa, shaking off excess.
- Refrigerate another 30 minutes until firm. Serve chilled.
Notes
- Use PBfit Simply Peanut without added sugar.
- Add almond milk gradually to prevent sticky centers.
- Keep the cocoa coating thin, dry, and matte.
- Chill fully for firm, creamy centers.
- Refrigerate airtight up to 4 days.