Chocolate peanut butter footballs are the perfect solution when you need a fun, make-ahead treat for your next tailgate or Super Bowl party. These crowd-pleasing sweets save you last-minute stress by letting you prep dessert well in advance of game day.
Making the Chocolate Peanut Butter Footballs
Combine all the football ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until fully incorporated. Shape the mixture into 20 equal-sized round balls. Roll each ball between your palms to elongate it, then pinch the ends to form points. Lightly press each football onto a plate to flatten the bottom so it sits upright. Now, let’s look at how to coat them in chocolate.
Add the Chocolate Coating and Stitching
Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted. Dip each football into the chocolate using two spoons, letting the excess drip off. Set the coated footballs on a flat baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
Melt the white chocolate chips in a clean, microwave-safe cup, heating in 30-second intervals and stirring between each. Transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Then, pipe the stitching onto each football.
To make the football stitching, pipe a long line down the center of each football, stopping short of the ends. Pipe short horizontal lines across the center line, making as many as you can. Finish by piping curved lines at both ends.
Let the white chocolate stitching dry at room temperature—avoid refrigerating at this stage to keep the dark chocolate from becoming too hard. Once dry, gently insert a lollipop stick between the stitching on each football, being careful not to crack the chocolate.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Footballs: Game Day Ready
Serve the footballs immediately or freeze them in a covered container. When ready to serve, let them sit at room temperature for an hour.
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Peanut Butter Footballs
Equipment
- waxed paper
- baking sheet with flat sides
- piping bag (or use a plastic sandwich bag with a small hole cut in the corner)
- small piping tip for drawing football stitching
- 20 lollipop sticks, 4 inches or longer
Ingredients
Footballs
- ¾ cup vanilla wafers, crushed
- ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ¾ cup pecans, chopped
- 8 ounces powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 9 ounces peanut butter, crunchy
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup butter, melted
Chocolate Coating and White Stitching
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 2 ounces white chocolate chips
Instructions
Footballs
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the football ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Use your hands to shape the mixture into 20 equal round balls. To make a football, roll a ball between your palms until it lengthens, then pinch the ends to create pointed tips. When you are happy with the shape, press the football onto a plate to slightly flatten the bottom, so it will sit upright.
Chocolate Coating and White Stitching
- In a microwave-safe glass measuring cup, place the semi-sweet chocolate pieces and shortening, then microwave on high for 30-second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Stir between each interval. When the chocolate is melted, use 2 spoons to dip each football and drain off any extra chocolate. Then set the dipped footballs on their flattened sides on wax paper on a flat baking sheet. Finally, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes to set the chocolate.
- Using a clean microwavable glass measuring cup, melt the white chocolate pieces on high power in 30-second increments until fully melted. Stir between each interval. When melted, place the chocolate in a piping bag with a small tip and draw on the stitching.
- To make the stitching, draw a long line down the middle of the football, but don't extend it to the ends. Now draw short lines across the middle line. Draw as many lines as will fit. See the pictures for reference. To finish the football, draw curved lines on both ends.
- Let the football stitches dry. (Do not place them in the refrigerator for this step because the dark chocolate will get too hard.) Then, gently insert a lollipop stick between the stitching on each football. Be careful not to crack the dark chocolate.