Peanut Butter Ball Pumpkins and Cats are the answer to your search for Fall or Halloween cuteness. Why settle for plain peanut butter balls (Buckeyes) when you can make candy with personality? The soft, sweet peanut butter center is dipped in chocolate, then decorated until irresistibly adorable.
This past summer, my daughter, Meira, had the incredible opportunity to travel to Japan. A college friend, who lives in Japan, was getting married. Her wedding was a mini reunion of a group of friends who, since college, have been scattered across the world.
Meira attended the wedding and then traveled and explored for two weeks. She had a wonderful trip. Her photos and stories fuel my wanderlust!
One ubiquitous aspect of Japanese pop culture that I adore is the concept of kawaii (可愛い), cuteness. In Japan, kawaii is adored in clothing, home décor, and food. Think Hello Kitty to the max.
The cuteness quality of Japanese baked goods is astounding. Meira brought back photos of cookies and cupcakes decorated like the most adorable animals and fictional characters. If a cookie can be designed to be lovable, Japanese bakers know how to create it.
Peanut Butter Ball Pumpkins and Cats are my attempt at Halloween kawaii. I have always said that cute food tastes better!
I took the super simple, 3 ingredient peanut butter ball dough, and dipped it in a crisp chocolate coating. All the flavor of a peanut butter cup, but made with ethically sourced chocolate.
The pumpkins require very little time and effort. You will need more patience for the cats. If you are short on time or patience, I suggest creating mostly pumpkins with just a few cats added for overall kawaii.
The chocolate used for coating, effects the shelf life of Peanut Butter Ball Pumpkins and Cats. The problem is blooming, or turning fuzzy white, which happens when moisture in the air causes tiny sugar crystals to form on the surface of the chocolate.
Untempered chocolate, like chocolate chips, will bloom within a day or two. The chocolate is safe to eat, but it’s not pretty.
For a chocolate coating without bloom, you can go through the delicate process of tempering or you can use compound chocolate. Compound chocolate uses cocoa powder, instead of chocolate liquor, and oil, instead of cocoa butter.
When I used the compound chocolate on the Peanut Butter Ball Pumpkins and Cats, they were still dark brown a week after they were made.
To make the Peanut Butter Ball Cats, I dipped the balls of peanut butter dough in dark chocolate and allowed it to set before decorating. I found it difficult to decorate onto melted chocolate.
The sprinkles slid around and it was too easy to smear the melted chocolate where it didn’t belong. Instead, I used a toothpick to add a dab of melted chocolate to the sprinkles to “glue” them in place on the set coating.
To make the Peanut Butter Ball Pumpkins, I used a lollipop stick to make vertical indentations around the peanut butter dough ball. Then, I used candy coloring in white chocolate to create orange and green coating.
Don’t use regular food coloring which can cause the white chocolate to seize, or thicken into an unspreadable mess. Candy coloring is oil based and will not cause seizing.
The pumpkins are dipped in orange coating and a 1” piece of pretzel stick is added for a stem. When the orange coating is dry, green leaves and vines are piped on.
Whether you are looking for one more quick Halloween treat, something special to add to your Thanksgiving dessert trays, or a gift for a cat loving friend, Peanut Butter Ball Pumpkins and Cats are the solution for some delicious kawaii.
More cute halloween treats
Halloween Nutty Kataifi Monsters
Peanut Butter Ball Pumpkins and Cats
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Balls
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
Decorations for 15 cats
- 1 cup dark melting chocolate
- 30 mini chocolate chips I use Whole Foods 360 brand fair trade chips
- 60 gold confetti sprinkles 4 sprinkles for each cat
- 15 black or dark colored nonpareil sprinkles
- 15 pink nonpareil sprinkles
- Black food marker fine tip
Decorations for 15 pumpkins
- 8 little pretzel sticks broken 1” from each end
- 1 lollipop stick
- 1 cup white melting chocolate
- Orange candy coloring
- Green candy coloring
Instructions
Peanut Butter Balls
- In a medium mixing bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms. The dough should be the consistency of playdoh. If it is sticky, add a bit more confectioners’ sugar.
- Divide the dough into 2 teaspoon portions and roll into balls.
Cats
- Line a small baking sheet (that will fit in the refrigerator) with wax paper. Set aside.
- Melt the dark chocolate in a small bowl.
- Using a fork under a peanut butter ball, dip the ball into the melted chocolate to coat completely. Tap excess chocolate back into the bowl and place the coated ball onto the wax paper lined baking sheet.
- Work in small batches. After dipping 4-6 balls, refrigerate for about 5 minutes or until set.
- When all of the Cat Peanut Butter Balls have been chocolate coated, place 1-2 tablespoons of the remaining chocolate into a small ziplock bag. Cut a tiny piece off a bottom corner of the bag and pipe 1” candy cane shaped tails onto a small piece of wax paper. Refrigerate to set.
- When ready to decorate: Use a toothpick to apply the leftover melted chocolate as “glue” for attaching the decorative details; mini chocolate chip ears, gold confetti sprinkles for eyes and snout, nonpareil sprinkles for nose and mouth. Use a black food marker to draw pupils on the eyes, whisker dots on the snout, and whiskers on both sides of the snout. Add a chocolate tail.
- **NOTE** The tails are fragile. If you are shipping these Cat Peanut Balls, do not add the tails.
Pumpkins
- Line a small baking sheet (that will fit in the refrigerator) with wax paper. Set aside.
- Use the lollipop stick to make about 6 vertical indentations around each peanut butter ball.
- Melt the white chocolate in a small bowl.
- Remove 1 tablespoon of the melted chocolate and place in a small ziplock bag. Add green candy coloring and massage the coloring into the melted chocolate. Cut a tiny piece off a bottom corner of the bag. Set aside until ready to pipe on leaves and vines. The green chocolate will probably need to be re-melted by placing the bag into the microwave for about 15 seconds on 50% power.
- Add orange candy coloring to the remaining melted white chocolate.
- Using a fork under a peanut butter ball, dip the ball into the melted chocolate to coat completely. Tap excess chocolate back into the bowl and place the coated ball onto the wax paper lined baking sheet.
- Immediately press a pretzel stick piece into the top center of the coated pumpkin.
- Work in small batches. After dipping 4-6 balls, refrigerate for about 5 minutes or until set.
- When the pumpkins are all set, pipe on leaves and vines. Refrigerate to set.
- Peanut Butter Ball Pumpkins and Cats can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 5 days, or refrigerated for several weeks.
Notes
- Only send chocolate to and from cool or cold weather locations.
- The Cat Peanut Butter Balls should be mailed without tails. The fragile tails will break.
- Place each Peanut Butter Ball into a candy paper or mini cupcake liner.
- Fit the candies snuggly in a lidded tray.
- Fill any space between the balls and the lid with crinkles tissue paper or wax paper to ensure that there is no movement during transit.
Nutrition
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
Yikes - I'm so far behind! But I wanted to make sure I thanked you for sharing at our What's for Dinner party! Hope you bring more deliciousness this Sunday! Have a great weekend. But I had time to pin this one!!
Miz Helen
What fun little creatures! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great week!
Miz Helen
The Monday Box
Thanks, Miz Helen! They are so much fun to make and to eat!
Michele
These are absolutely precious!! I'm in love. 😀 What a perfect Halloween treat!
The Monday Box
Thank you, Michele! I made these in honor of my son's two cats....and because I love peanutbutter! 🙂
Amy
So cute, and sound delicious. Thank you for sharing at Friday Frenzy.
The Monday Box
Thank you, Amy! Cute food tastes better. 😉
Shannon @loveatfirstbento
OMG, I literally just about screamed at the cuteness when I saw these on Pinterest, and I am sooooo glad I stopped by your beautiful blog to check these out! Those peanut butter kitties are SO freaking cute, I can't even handle it! Love your details on how you go about making them, I always find info like that very helpful. I live and breathe Japanese kawaii culture myself, so I know all about it and can tell you with certainty that these peanut butter kitties definitely hit the kawaii mark! I think I'll definitely have to give these guys a try, they're just too cute to resist!
Jason
Never has a peanut butter ball had so much personality!
The Monday Box
Thank you, Jason!
Carrie @ Carrie's Home Cooking
I love these! Pinned! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Whisk It Wednesday. Have a momentous week and come back to see us real soon! ~Carrie
The Monday Box
Thanks, Carrie! The cats, especially, were fun to make! Thanks for pinning and for hosting.
Miz Helen
Your Peanut Butter Ball Pumpkins Cats will be a very special treat! Thanks so much for sharing your special post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great weekend and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
Monica
This project is wonderful in so many ways. I particularly love how your daughter's trip to Japan inspired this. I didn't know there was an actual term for it but the Japanese people's love of cuteness is really extreme and wonderful! I have always loved Hello Kitty myself but it goes so far beyond that, doesn't it. Your peanut butter treats are not only adorable but perfectly delicious. What a labor of love...plus fun and cuteness.
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert
These are just so darn adorable! I love this post and always enjoy your creative creations Wendy. Bravo!!!
The Monday Box
Thank you, Tricia! These little guys were fun to make. 🙂