Buckeyes

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Buckeyes remind me of Reeseโ€™s peanut butter cups โ€“ salty sweet peanut butter coated in chocolate. Best of all, you can make them at home with just a few simple ingredients. For a twist on this recipe, try Cherry Peanut Butter Balls.

Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.

round peanut butter chocolate buckeye candies on a wood cutting board; 4 are sitting on a square of parchment paper, the rest are sitting directly on the board; a spoon with peanut butter on it is resting on the white parchment paper with the 4 buckeyes; in the background is a burgundy dish towel.

What Are Buckeyes?

Buckeyes are a sweet treat kind of between a candy and a no-bake cookie. They originate from Ohio where the buckeye is the mascot of Ohio State University and you can find buckeye nuts on trees. Donโ€™t eat those though, theyโ€™re poisonous. Instead, enjoy this tasty buckeye recipe that only resembles the real deal made with peanut butter, powdered sugar, and chocolate.

Tips For Making Buckeye Candies 

First of all, use smooth creamy peanut butter (not natural peanut butter as it will be too dry). It will combine perfectly with the powdered sugar and unsalted butter.

Next, each brand of peanut butter is slightly different in texture and consistency. If you notice the mixture is too sticky, add a little more powdered sugar. Add 1 tablespoon at a time until itโ€™s a good consistency for rolling into a ball.

After youโ€™ve rolled them, place them on parchment paper and freeze them. This is super important because you want the peanut butter mixture to coat nicely with the chocolate. While the peanut butter balls are in the freezer, melt your chocolate in the microwave.

What Chocolate To Coat Buckeyes?

You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate wafers. Personally, Iโ€™ve noticed dipping the peanut butter mixture in chocolate wafers is better. Itโ€™s because chocolate wafers melt to a somewhat thinner consistency so they donโ€™t require as much oil.

Once you dip each ball into the melted chocolate, place it back on the parchment paper and freeze them for another 5 minutes to harden the chocolate.

Do Buckeyes Need To Be Refrigerated?

Itโ€™s best to keep them refrigerated until a little bit before serving as they will last longer and you donโ€™t need to worry about the chocolate getting soft. Also some peanut butter brands require refrigeration once opened. If youโ€™d like to serve them at room temperature just set them out an hour or so before serving.

They last for a couple weeks in the fridge so itโ€™s a great option to make ahead of time. They are great to serve or gift around Christmas.

More Sweet Recipes

Podcast Episode About Making Buckeyes

Listen to our editor, Christine Pittman, explain briefly about how to make this recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:

Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.

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round peanut butter chocolate buckeye candies on a wood cutting board; 4 are sitting on a square of parchment paper, the rest are sitting directly on the board; a spoon with peanut butter on it is resting on the white parchment paper with the 4 buckeyes; in the background is a burgundy dish towel.

Buckeyes Recipe

  • Author: Ilona Orzechowska
  • Prep Time: 45 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 min
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 24 Balls 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: No-Cook
  • Cuisine: American

DESCRIPTION

Creamy peanut butter and chocolate is the best dessert combination, which makes Buckeyes an irresistible treat any time of year. (Secret: these taste like a popular peanut butter cup!)


Ingredients

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted softened butter
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 tsp. olive oil

Instructions

  1. ย In a large bowl combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, unsalted butter and vanilla extract. Mix with electric mixer until smooth.
  2. ย Take about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and make approximately 24 smooth balls. Place on parchment paper and put in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
  3. ย In the meantime, prepare the chocolate. In a medium bowl combine chocolate chips and oil. Melt the chocolate in microwave for 30 seconds then stir and melt for another 30 seconds. Repeat until the chocolate is melted. If the chocolate is too thick, add additional 1/4 teaspoon of oil.
  4. ย Remove balls from the freezer and, using two forks or a toothpick, dip each ball into the chocolate. Leave a little circle of peanut butter showing on the top. Place back on the parchment paper and freeze for 5 minutes.
  5. ย Store in the refrigerator.

Love this recipe? Iโ€™d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know theyโ€™ll love it as well!

This post originally appeared in December 2019 and was revised and republished in November 2023.

Buckeyes

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About Christine

Christine is the founder of TheCookful and also of her blog COOKtheSTORY. Her passion is explaining the WHY behind cooking โ€“ Why should you cook things a certain way; Will they turn out if you do it differently; What are the pros and cons of the method? Learn more about Christine, her cookbooks, and her podcast.

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