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This homemade buckeyes recipe is a peanut butter and chocolate lover’s dream! With a rich, creamy peanut butter center and a perfectly snappy chocolate coating, they’re the ultimate no bake treat. Named for their resemblance to the nut of the buckeye tree, these sweet little bites are a classic in Ohio but loved everywhere. They’re ridiculously easy to make, require just a few ingredients, and store beautifully for whenever a craving strikes. Whether you’re making them for the holidays, game day, or just because, Buckeyes are always a hit!
This buckeyes recipe is so good. The chocolate coated peanut butter filling is rich and tasty. With a hint of vanilla and the perfect amount of sweetness, nobody can resist!
Your sweet tooth might also enjoy sweet Milky Way bites, old-fashioned divinity candy, tasty Butterfinger bites, or classic candy apples.
Why You’ll Love It
Easy to prepare: You simply need to combine your ingredients, shape the mixture into balls and chill, and then coat them with chocolate. It’s so easy to make your own buckeye candy.
Such tasty flavors: You’re going to love the magical combination of peanut butter, vanilla and chocolate, along with the perfect amount of sweetness from powdered sugar and richness from the butter.
A satisfying sweet treat: The peanut butter makes these buckeyes a satisfying treat. It’s a great recipe that’s always a big hit.
Peanut Butter Buckeye Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Peanut butter: I like to use smooth peanut butter for a smooth texture.
Salted butter: Soften it first, so it’s easy to mix the ingredients together.
Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioner’s sugar and icing sugar. This is for sweetness without the graininess granulated sugar would give.
Vanilla extract: Adds a complementary flavor to the candies.
Chocolate chips: These are melted to make the coating.
How to Make Peanut Butter Balls
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the peanut butter filling: Whisk the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and peanut butter together in a large bowl. Roll the mixture into balls and space them out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Freeze peanut butter balls until set.
Coat them in chocolate: Melt chocolate chips and dip the frozen peanut butter balls in there to coat, leaving a little part undipped.
Let the chocolate set: Chill your buckeyes in the refrigerator until the chocolate is set, then serve and enjoy.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, make sure your chocolate chips are gluten-free. Pure chocolate is gluten-free but gluten-free chocolate chips might contain a small amount of gluten or be made in a factory that also handles gluten, so check the label.
Chocolate chips: You can switch out the semisweet chocolate chips for your favorite kind. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate or even white chocolate would work. They wouldn’t be as authentic but they’re still delicious!
Salted butter: If you only have unsalted butter, add a tiny pinch of salt.
Vanilla extract: You can omit this ingredient or substitute another extract such as hazelnut or coconut perhaps.
Peanut butter: Use smooth or chunky peanut butter, as you prefer, and choose from natural peanut butter or sweetened peanut butter. You can even substitute almond butter or cashew butter if preferred.
Optional add-ins: Feel free to add any other ingredients you like, perhaps crushed graham crackers, finely chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups or even Rice Krispies.
Temper the chocolate: Add a little coconut oil to the chocolate chips before melting. This can make the chocolate coating shinier.
Make them festive: Add Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s Day or Christmas sprinkles if you’re making buckeyes as a holiday treat!
Serving Suggestions
As a sweet treat: Enjoy this buckeyes recipe with your favorite kind of tea or coffee.
For energy while hiking: Bring some along for a hike, camping trip or other outing, perhaps paired with strawberry trail mix or energy bites.
For dessert: Serve these after dinner, either as they are or maybe paired with cheesecake cookies or strawberry mousse tartlets.
How to Store Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Store: Store your buckeyes in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in the refrigerator and eat within 2 weeks.
Freeze: You can store them in the freezer instead. They’ll be good for up to 2 months.
Thaw: You can enjoy them straight from the freezer or let them soften on the counter or in the refrigerator first.
Top Tips
Use an electric mixer: I find that using a hand mixer to combine the peanut butter mixture is the quickest and easiest way, otherwise you’ll need a lot of elbow grease!
Line the baking sheet: Use a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper to prevent the peanut butter balls from sticking.
Melting the chocolate: You can use a double boiler (a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water) instead of the microwave if you like.
Make sure they’re frozen: Make sure your peanut butter balls are frozen. This will help the chocolate set faster and prevent the ball from losing its shape when dipped in the melted chocolate
Dipping the buckeyes: The easiest way to dip your buckeyes is to poke each one with a toothpick right after they come out of the freezer and then remove the toothpick once they’ve been dipped. Don’t forget to let the excess chocolate drip off for a neater look.
Homemade Buckeyes FAQs
Your butter can be very soft. You don’t want it to be completely melted, but if you microwave it to soften it and it becomes partially melted that’s okay.
Buckeye trees were prevalent in Ohio when the settlers arrived in the territory during the late 1700s. Buckeye candy gets its name from the nutlike seed that looks dark brown when dried and has a lighter brown spot that looks like a deer’s eye. In some places, buckeyes (the seeds) are known as horse chestnuts or conkers.
Best Peanut Butter Buckeyes Recipe
Buckeyes Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup salted butter, at room temperature
- 3 Cups powdered sugar
- ½ Cup peanut butter, smooth
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Cups chocolate chips, semi-sweet
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and creamy peanut butter.
- Use an electric hand mixer to whisk the ingredients together until homogenous.
- Divide the peanut butter mixture into 15 balls and space them out on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Chill your peanut butter balls in the freezer for an hour or until firm.
- After an hour, melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until completely melted.
- Dip each buckeye into the chocolate, leaving the top ¼ undipped.
- Return the buckeyes to the baking sheet and chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until completely set.
Notes
Line the baking sheet: Use a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper to prevent the peanut butter balls from sticking.
Melting the chocolate: You can use a double boiler (glass bowl over a pan of simmering water) instead of the microwave if you wish.
Make sure they’re frozen: Make sure your peanut butter balls are frozen. This will help the chocolate set faster and prevent the ball from losing its shape when dipped in the melted chocolate
Dipping the buckeyes: The easiest way to dip your buckeyes is to poke each one with a toothpick (or cocktail stick) right after they come out of the freezer and then remove the toothpick once they’ve been dipped. Don’t forget to let the excess chocolate drip off for a neater look.
Nutrition
This buckeyes recipe is simple to prepare. Creamy peanut butter balls are coated in melted chocolate and then allowed to set to make a mouthwatering sweet treat. To make them, you just need to combine peanut butter with butter, sugar and vanilla to make balls, melt chocolate chips, and then dip them! These gorgeous little bites might be easy to make but they’re hard to stop eating!
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
