Butterfinger Balls

Name: Butterfinger Balls
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 150 min
Ingredients: 10 Butterfinger candy bars, crushed (Fun size or regular, about 2 cups crushed); 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (Room temperature); 1/2 cup powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (Optional for binding); 16 ounces chocolate chips or candy melts (Semi-sweet or milk chocolate); 1 tablespoon coconut oil or shortening (For smooth coating); 1/2 cup extra crushed Butterfingers (For topping)

These Butterfinger Balls are the no-bake treat that makes everyone ask for the recipe. Crushed Butterfinger candy bars mixed with cream cheese, rolled into balls, and coated in chocolate for the perfect sweet and crunchy bite. Takes about 30 minutes plus chilling time. I make these Butterfinger Balls whenever I need impressive dessert balls that require no baking and use ingredients everyone loves.

Crushed Butterfinger candy bars mixed with cream cheese, rolled into balls, and coated in chocolate for perfect sweet and crunchy no-bake treat.

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Why You'll Love This Butterfinger Balls Recipe

Real talk, these Butterfinger Balls are one of the easiest butterfinger balls recipe easy versions I've made and they disappear at every party.

What Actually Works: This Butterfinger Balls recipe combines crushed Butterfinger candy bars with cream cheese, rolls the mixture into balls, then dips in melted chocolate for coating. No-bake technique, about 30 minutes active time plus 2 hours chilling. Comes out with crunchy candy pieces throughout, creamy center, and smooth chocolate shell.

Why Other Methods Fail: Most recipe for butterfinger balls attempts mess up by not crushing candy fine enough which makes balls fall apart. Others use too much cream cheese which makes mixture too soft to roll and hold shape. Some skip chilling between steps and chocolate coating slides right off instead of setting properly.

The thing that changed everything: Understanding that you need fine crushed candy and proper chilling for Butterfinger Balls success. My first attempt I roughly chopped Butterfingers into big chunks because I thought texture would be good. The large pieces made balls impossible to roll and they crumbled apart when I tried to dip them in chocolate.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Butterfinger Balls Recipe
What You'll Need for Butterfinger Balls
How to Make Butterfinger Balls
Top Tip
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
Storage and Reuse Instructions
What to Serve With Butterfinger Balls
My Butterfinger Balls Journey
FAQ
More Recipes You'll Love
Butterfinger Balls
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Pairing

What You'll Need for Butterfinger Balls

Basic ingredients you probably already have. This is the easiest butterfinger ball recipe you'll make this year.

For the Balls

Butterfinger candy bars, crushed
Cream cheese, softened
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract
Graham cracker crumbs (optional for binding)

For the Coating

Chocolate chips or candy melts
Coconut oil or shortening
Extra crushed Butterfingers for topping

Optional Add-Ins

Peanut butter
Rice Krispies for butterfinger balls with rice krispies
Caramel for caramel butterfinger truffles
White chocolate drizzle
Sprinkles
Sea salt flakes

Exact measurements in the Recipe card.

How to Make Butterfinger Balls

This Butterfinger Balls recipe comes together with simple mixing and dipping. The technique is no-bake friendly.

Step 1: Crush the Butterfingers

Place Butterfinger candy bars in a food processor and pulse until finely crushed into small crumbs. You want fine texture for butterfinger balls recipe that holds together.

Alternatively, put candy bars in a sealed plastic bag and crush with rolling pin or meat mallet. The finer the crush, the better your how to make butterfinger balls will turn out.

Step 2: Mix with Cream Cheese

Beat softened cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until combined for your butterfinger balls with cream cheese base.

Fold in crushed Butterfingers until evenly distributed throughout the cream cheese mixture. The mixture should be thick enough to roll but still creamy.

Step 3: Roll into Balls

Scoop mixture using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, rolling between your palms to form smooth balls. Make them about 1 inch in diameter for perfect finger desserts for parties.

Place rolled balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. If mixture is too soft to roll, refrigerate for 15 minutes before forming butterfinger ball shapes.

Step 4: Chill the Balls

Refrigerate formed balls for at least 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes until firm. Chilling is essential for butterfinger snack ball recipe success so they hold shape during dipping.

The cold balls won't fall apart when you dip them in warm chocolate. This step makes the difference between messy disaster and perfect cookie truffles.

Step 5: Melt the Chocolate

Melt chocolate chips with coconut oil in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. The coconut oil helps chocolate coat smoothly on your butter finger balls.

Alternatively, melt chocolate in double boiler for more controlled heat. The chocolate should be warm and fluid but not hot enough to melt the cream cheese filling.

Step 6: Dip and Coat

Using a fork or dipping tool, dip each chilled ball into melted chocolate, coating completely. Let excess chocolate drip off before placing on parchment paper.

Immediately sprinkle tops with extra crushed Butterfingers before chocolate sets. This creates that signature butterfinger balls recipe look everyone recognizes.

Refrigerate dipped balls for 30 minutes until chocolate coating sets completely. The finished butterfinger dessert can be stored in the fridge until ready to serve.

Top Tip

Crush candy fine and chill properly for perfect Butterfinger Balls. Here's what I learned through multiple attempts:

That fine crushing technique is what makes this actually work
Made this mistake twice roughly chopping Butterfingers into big chunks because I was lazy
The large pieces made mixture impossible to roll into balls
Everything crumbled apart and fell into pieces when I tried to dip them
Couldn't get smooth round shapes no matter how hard I tried
Started pulsing candy in food processor until finely crushed like sand
The fine texture held together perfectly and rolled smoothly
Suddenly got beautiful round homemade butterfingers style balls

Ingredient Substitutions & Variations

The base Butterfinger Balls are perfect but you can customize them for different preferences.

Rice Krispie Addition

Mix in crushed Rice Krispies for butterfinger balls with rice krispies that have extra crunch. The cereal adds texture without changing flavor profile.

Keto Version

Use sugar-free cream cheese, keto sweetener, and sugar-free chocolate for keto butterfinger balls. The texture stays similar with reduced carbs.

Caramel Truffle Style

Drizzle melted caramel over chocolate coating for caramel butterfinger truffles with extra sweetness. The caramel complements the peanut butter flavor beautifully.

Storage and Reuse Instructions

Yeah, Butterfinger Balls keep great in the fridge actually.

Refrigerator: Store butterfinger balls recipe in airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The cream cheese filling stays fresh and chocolate coating remains firm when chilled properly.

Freezing: These easy butterfinger balls recipe treats freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Layer between parchment paper in freezer-safe container. Thaw in fridge for 2 hours before serving.

Make Ahead: Make butterfinger ball recipe up to 1 week ahead for parties. The flavors actually improve after sitting as candy flavor infuses the cream cheese.

Serving: Serve these cream cheese balls recipe treats chilled or at cool room temperature. They soften slightly at room temp which makes the texture even creamier.

What to Serve With Butterfinger Balls

These Butterfinger Balls are perfect standalone treats but work great on dessert spreads.

Dessert Tables: Include butterfinger balls with cream cheese alongside other food to make and sell items like cookies, brownies, and cake pops. The variety appeals to different tastes.

Party Platters: Arrange butterfinger snack ball recipe treats with other finger desserts for parties like truffles, fudge, and candy bark. The bite-sized format makes them perfect for mingling.

Gift Giving: Package these butterfinger dessert balls in decorative tins or boxes for homemade gifts. They travel well and look impressive.

My Butterfinger Balls Journey

First time I made Butterfinger Balls I roughly chopped candy into big chunks because I didn't want to bother with fine crushing. The large pieces made mixture completely fall apart when I tried to roll it.

Couldn't form any balls at all and ended up with a crumbly mess all over my counter. My kids were so disappointed because they'd donated their Halloween candy expecting delicious treats.

Tried again using food processor to pulse candy until finely crushed like sand. Suddenly the mixture held together perfectly and rolled into smooth balls. The texture was exactly like grandma's old fashioned butterfinger balls from bakeries.

Then I tried dipping warm balls straight from rolling without chilling first. The chocolate melted the cream cheese and everything turned into a gooey disaster. Started chilling balls thoroughly before dipping and got perfect smooth chocolate coating every time.

Now I make these Butterfinger Balls for every bake sale and party. Fine crushed candy, proper cream cheese ratio, thorough chilling between steps, and smooth chocolate coating.

Similar Easy No-Bake Treats Worth Making

Peanut Butter Oreo Cookie Balls: Uses similar technique with crushed Oreos for peanut butter oreo cookie balls that are just as addictive.

Nutter Butter Balls: Combines Nutter Butter cookies with cream cheese for nutter butter balls with peanut butter flavor throughout.

Cookie Truffles: Uses any crushed cookies mixed with cream cheese for cookie truffles base that's endlessly customizable.

These crunchy butterfinger balls recipe variations all use similar no-bake techniques to Butterfinger Balls, so once you master this recipe the others become super simple.

FAQ

Why was Butterfinger discontinued?

Butterfinger was not discontinued. The recipe was changed in 2019 by new owner Ferrero to use cocoa butter and no hydrogenated oils. Some people prefer the old recipe but Butterfinger Balls recipe works perfectly with both old and new candy versions.

What is the crunchy stuff in Butterfingers?

The crunchy stuff in Butterfingers is made from sugar, corn syrup, and ground roasted peanuts that are cooked and layered to create flaky texture. When you make Butterfinger Balls, that distinctive crunch stays throughout the cream cheese mixture.

Why are Butterfingers not as good anymore?

Some people think Butterfingers changed after the 2019 recipe reformulation removed hydrogenated oils. The texture is slightly different but still works great for butterfinger balls with cream cheese. Grandma's old fashioned butterfinger balls recipe works with either version.

Do peanut butter balls need to be refrigerated?

Yes, Butterfinger Balls need refrigeration because they contain cream cheese which is perishable. The butterfinger ball recipe stays fresh up to 2 weeks refrigerated. Room temperature for serving is fine for up to 2 hours but store in fridge otherwise.

More Recipes You'll Love

Once you've nailed these Butterfinger Balls, try my Hot Italian Sub Sliders for savory party food with Italian meats and garlic butter. My Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots make sweet side dish with tender carrots in buttery glaze. And my Smoked Mac and Cheese creates ultimate BBQ side with creamy cheese and smoke flavor that complements any meal.