These candy footballs are so much fun to serve for a tailgate party or Superbowl celebration. They can even be made a couple of weeks in advance and frozen until game day.
There is no baking involved. Just stir all the ingredients together, shape into footballs (they don’t need to be perfect), and dip into melted chocolate.
Once the chocolate has cooled and set, use melted white chocolate to draw on the football stitching. Then carefully place a candy stick to the side of the stitching and insert. (Be careful when inserting the sticks so you don’t crack the chocolate coating.) Then you are ready to serve or freeze them until needed. I usually set the whole finished plate into a small box and cover with plastic wrap before freezing. When you are ready to serve them, set out the footballs an hour ahead of time.
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| Prep Time | 1 hour |
| Cook Time | 2 minutes |
| Passive Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 3/4 cup vanilla wafers, crushed
- 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 8 ounces powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 9 ounces peanut butter, crunchy
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons Shortening
- Wax paper
- 2 ounces white chocolate chips
- Baking sheet with flat sides
- Piping bag (or use a plastic sandwich bag with small hole cut in corner)
- Small tip for drawing football stitching
- 20 cake pop sticks, 4 inches or longer
Ingredients
Football Ingredients
Chocolate Coating and White Stitching
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- In a mixing bowl, combine all the football ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Then using your hands, shape the mixture into 20 round balls, all the same size. To make a football, roll a ball between your palms until it lengthens. Pinch the ends to shape into points. When you like the shape, press the football onto a plate to flatten the bottom a little so it will sit.
- In a microwaveable glass measuring cup, place the semi-sweet chocolate pieces and shortening and 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 so the chocolate sets.
- Using a clean microwavable glass measuring cup, melt the white chocolate pieces on high for 30-second intervals until the chocolate is 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 go all the way 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 of the footballs.
- Let the football stitches dry. (Do not place them in the refrigerator for this step because the dark chocolate will get too hard.) Finally, gently place a candy stick between the stitching in each football and insert. Be careful or the dark chocolate will crack.
Cake pop sticks are optional for this candy.Β If you are worried about breaking the footballs, omit them and serve the footballs as finger food.
You can substitute crushed chocolate graham crackers or Oreos for the vanilla wafers to make a chocolate version of this recipe.
If you don't have a piping bag and tip, place the melted white chocolate in a plastic sealable sandwich bag and cut a small hole in the corner.Β Then pipe on the football stitching by squeezing out the white chocolate through the small hole.
It is a good idea to have more semi-sweet chocolate chips on hand in case you need extra for coating the footballs.Β If the chocolate cools before you finish coating all the footballs, reheat for 30 seconds and stir.