No-Bake Peanut Butter Freezer Cookies

It came as a bit of a surprise to me when I discovered that Peanut Butter balls are a pretty old homemade candy. I suppose I should have known, as I have clear memories of making them with my grandma, but I had thought they were part of the 70’s health craze, rather than a treat from the depression era. 

When my grandma and I made these, we used powdered milk, which adds a creaminess to the texture and flavor, and molasses for some reach but less sugary sweetness. I opted for malted milk powder for two reasons, I love the depth and toasty undertones malt adds and it mimics the molasses without masking the delicate honey flavor, but more importantly, my cupboard was fresh out of milk powder, and I had malted milk powder on hand, so malted milk it was.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (120 grams) natural peanut butter creamy or crunchy (or another nut butter but more dry ingredient may be needed to compensate for texture)

1/3 cup (46 grams) malted milk powder or regular milk powder

1/4 cup (85 grams) honey

splash of vanilla

Add-ins: granola, nuts, dried fruit, coconut, chocolate chips, etc.

Decorations: chocolate drizzle or cocoa powder.

Mix together all the ingredients and any add-in until well combined. The surface should have a slightly greasy sheen rather than a powdery one. The batter should be able to be rolled into a ball. If it is too wet, sprinkle in more powdered milk or if it’s too dry, add a bit more peanut butter and honey. 

Place the dough between sheets of wax paper and roll to a quarter inch thickness.

Using cookie cutters, cut out your shapes and peel away the excess dough from around them. Re-roll this dough and cut out more shapes. Once all shapes are ready, freeze until firm. 

These are good as is, but if you want some of that all too familiar chocolate peanut butter goodness, sprinkle some cocoa powder or drizzle a bit of melted chocolate over top.

I like to pop my finished cookies into a glass jar and store it in the fridge for easy snacking access.

Enjoy!

There are oodles of recipes for peanut butter balls ranging from super sweetened and chocolate coated versions, aka buckeyes, to more health conscious ones that rely on nut flours to create stability. Mine sits somewhere in the middle and has a little twist, rolling them thin and cutting them into shapes, that I think it makes them more palatable and less stodgy to eat.

I particularly enjoy tossing in a handful or two of granola before rolling out the dough. It adds some chew and makes the snack a bit heartier.