Chubby Hubby Truffles
Once again, Pinterest is amazing. If not for my little virtual bulletin board, I probably wouldn’t have stumbled across these gems. They are peanut butter-pretzel truffles, or as I aptly named them – Chubby Hubby Truffles, after the famous Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. I consumed more pints of that stuff than I care to admit during my college days. It was a staple in our little mini-fridge’s (even mini-ier) freezer. Being the peanut butter lover that I am, there is absolutely no way I could resist chocolate-covered, peanut butter-filled pretzels swirling around in ice cream. Throw in sleep deprivation, lackluster cafeteria food, cram sessions and broken hearts (not only did you wallow in your own relationships gone bad, but you had to help your friend polish off a pint when some boy broke her heart too – that’s what friends do), and I probably should have skipped college and just bought stock in Ben & Jerry’s instead. So when I saw my favorite ice cream in truffle form (and so incredibly easy to make), I whipped them right up. The sweet and salty, smooth and crunchy – it all dances around in one little truffle. I dare you to only eat one. (Hint: It’s impossible, I tried and failed miserably.)
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These are made very much like the traditional buckeyes – a mixture of peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar rolled into balls and then dipped in chocolate (a Christmas staple!). The kicker is the crushed up pretzels – they add a kick of salty and a little bit of crunch to what is already an unbelievable treat. And you all know that next to peanut butter and chocolate together, the other thing I can’t resist is a sweet/salty combo. Bonus for me – I get it all right here in one little truffle!
These are super easy to make – no special equipment needed. Just a bowl, a spoon and your ingredients. Be forewarned – you’ll probably “accidentally” leave some of the mixture in the bowl which will require you to not waste it and eat what’s left with said spoon. We don’t want to waste, now do we?
Peanut Butter-Pretzel Truffles
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (120 g) pretzel pieces
- ½ cup (129 g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- Pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 cup (180 ml) milk or semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Put the pretzel pieces into a resealable plastic bag and crush into very small bits (a rolling pin works great for this).
- In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and salt. Stir until all of the ingredients are completely blended and smooth. Add the pretzel bits to the peanut butter mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the powdered sugar and mix until completely combined.
- Line a small baking sheet with wax paper. Using a small cookie scoop, or about 2 teaspoons worth of peanut butter mixture, gently shape into a ball with your fingertips. Place the ball on the wax paper-lined cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining peanut butter mixture. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to dip the truffles, microwave the chocolate chips and vegetable shortening together in a small bowl at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth.
- Working one at a time, dip one peanut butter-pretzel ball into the melted chocolate and use a fork to roll it around, ensuring that it is completely coated with chocolate. Let any extra chocolate drip off and place back on the wax paper-lined sheet. Repeat with all of the peanut butter-pretzel balls.
- Return the baking sheet to the refrigerator and again chill for at least 30 minutes. Garnish with a drizzle of melted peanut butter and crushed pretzels, if desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I made these last night on a whim. They were great! “Chubby Hubby Balls!” Ha Ha Ha. I love the crunch! I made them with Semi Sweet chips and next I might try Milk chocolate.
Just finished making a batch of your gorgeous truffles! I found that the crushed pretzel garnish stuck better when the chocolate coating still had a glossy sheen. Will post photos on my blog in a couple of weeks … with full props to you, of course.
These were absolutely delicious! I needed to make them vegan so I used Earth Balance instead of butter. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe, Michelle! (Blogged them here: http://www.wingitvegan.com/2013/10/chubby-hubby-truffles.html)
Hi ! Can i use butter instead of vegetable shortening ??
Hi Lulu, I would not recommend butter; if you must substitute, I would recommend coconut oilI would try coconut oil, although you will certainly notice the coconut flavor.
Just finished making the filling so waiting on the chillin! Good even not covered in chocolate! Omg…. So easy and so good! The only thing that would make this any better is to serve them with a bowl of B&J”s ice cream!
Yum! I saw this blog by accident and I like what I’m reading. You’ve got a new fan.
You can buy small pretzels filled with peanut butter….I’m thinking just dipping them in chocolate would be a similar version of this and even easier yet. Worth a shot! =)
Look totally amazing. My favorites: chocolate, peanut butter, pretzels…..Thanks!
I tried making these and ran into a lot of problems. I read the amount of pretzels as crushed like a few others did. I also used fresh peanut butter instead of jarred. They were so dry I couldn’t roll them together. I had to add extra peanut butter and butter and they still didn’t hold together very well. I wish I had known :(
When I make Buckeye Balls I melt the PB and Butter. You don’t do this with this recipe? What would happen if you did? Anyone try that? These sound delicious and I will give it a try! :)
These are WONDERFUL and so easy!! Thank you so much for the recipe! My husband said immediately, “I can see where they get their name from!”. I will be making a triple batch of these for tomorrow’s New Years Eve. party! I can’t wait to share them with friends.
I just discovered your website and am a new fan! This is fantastic and I can’t wait to try this recipe (and many others). Thank you!!!!
I made a batch of these last weekend to test and they are so amazing! We are addicted to them now and are so good that I decided to make 3 double batches to give out as Christmas presents to friends and family. They are relatively easy and lots of fun to make! Great for mailing in packages. And my husband loves to eat the leftover mixture and melted chocolate :)
I just made your Chubby Hubby recipe and modified it to be like your homemade reese cups. Super cute! Thanks!
Wish i would have read through all the comments first… I measured my pretzels crushed, and it was a pain getting them into “neat, little,balls”. Guess this batch will be extra crunchy.
I attempted to make these today but they would not hold the round shape. They kept crumbling. So I spread them in a pan and stuck them in the freezer. Then I drizzled them with melted chocolate and cut them into pieces. Kind of like a bark.
I make a similar item, but instead of pretzels I use graham cracker crumbs. The pretzels would definitely shine against the sweetness of the PB mix. Looks like I have another version to try!! Thank you. Your creativity is appreciated. Different backgrounds definitely bring different food experiences to the table!!
I used Jif Natural Peanut Butter in these and it was a disaster. Every time I dipped them in chocolate, they just completely fell apart. That’s the only thing I can think of — the Jif is super thin and creamy since it needs its oil mixed in. Sucks cuz I made a double batch :(
Can you just use Baker’s chocolate or other melting chocolate as opposed to combining melted chocolate chips and shortening?
Hi Rachel, I’m not sure what Baker’s chocolate is. Adding the shortening to any type of chocolate when you melt it for the purpose of coating something thins it out, which keeps it from clumping up. You could substitute coconut oil if you don’t want to use shortening.
Hi–thank you for sharing this great recipe, I made them for an office Thanksgiving potluck yesterday and they were a hit! I’m planning on bringing some to Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday but will be traveling for 2-3 hours by car–do you think these will keep for that long without being refrigerated? Thanks!
Hi Samantha, They should do just fine! Just don’t put them by your feet with the heat blasting ;-)
Hi! I am a long time reader, your recipes and insight are SUCH a lovely addition to our family! Would you say this truffle recipe is basically comparable to the buckeye recipe on your website except the truffle recipe has pretzels? It seems like the buckeyes are super sweet with all the powdered sugar, but it makes a ton more than the truffle recipe. Thanks for any insight.
Alicia
Hi Alicia, Yes, this is very similar to buckeye recipes.
Hi! I was wondering is there possibly anything to substitute the vegetable shortening when melting chocolate? thanks!
Hi Tina, You can substitute an equal amount of coconut oil in place of the vegetable shortening.
made these for a picnic and they were a HUGE hit! i drizzled caramel on the top. easy and fun to make…great kid activity!
Instead of making these into truffles, I skipped the chocolate-coating part and added chunks of these to vanilla bean ice cream with a fudge swirl…modified Chubby Hubby ice cream! It was delicious :)
What an awesome idea, Maria! I bet that ice cream is fabulous!
*substituted
Do you have to use veggitable shortning or can it be supstitited for plain shortining or butter?
Hi Araella, I’m not sure what “plain” shortening is, but any type of shortening, or I’ve heard people have had success with coconut oil.
Wow, I’m saving this right now! I also loved chubby hubby!
Just made these for my scrawny hubby! He gives them an A! That is rare for him. Hopefully these chubby him up. I’m also bringing them to easter brunch this weekend. Thank you for a one-bowl recipe that does not require a food processor, and thank pinterestCom.com for the introduction!
Do you think these are best with a natural PB or something like JIF?? I can’t wait to try them!!!
Hi Heidi, Definitely a “regular” peanut butter like JIF. Enjoy!
Just wanted to say I made these and they were DELICIOUS.