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This Easy Buckeye recipe combines peanut butter and chocolate for a perfect bite. With only 5 ingredients they are easy and delicious!
This tasty treat is for all the peanut butter and chocolate lovers! If you like Buckeyes, you’ll definitely need to try Buckeye Brownies!
Gotta Love Chocolate and PB!
Buckeyes are delicious, melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter and chocolate treats.
These tasty little treats got their name because they resemble the nut of the Ohio Buckeye Tree, the state tree of Ohio. For this reason, this dessert is especially popular in the state of Ohio.
Why we love them:
- Quick and easy. This buckeye recipe only takes FIVE ingredients and has a quick prep time!
- Perfect pairing. Similar to Peanut Butter Balls with the same delicious peanut butter chocolate flavor.
- Always delicious. Some people consider buckeyes candy, and others consider them cookies, either way, they’re yum!
Ingredients
- creamy peanut butter – Classic buckeyes use creamy peanut butter, but you can use crunchy peanut butter to add some extra texture to your treats. Do not use natural peanut butter.
- unsalted butter – softened
- milk – a splash is all that’s needed to help get these roll into perfect balls.
- vanilla extract
- powdered sugar – sifted to remove clumps
- This buckeyes candy does call for 6 cups of powdered sugar. That might seem like a lot but it will keep the ball intact and not crumbling apart. So use all 6 cups!
- semisweet chocolate chips – use milk chocolate or dark chocolate for a richer flavor. For a fun twist, experiment with flavored chocolates like white chocolate or peanut butter chocolate.
How to Make Buckeyes
- PB BALLS. Mix peanut butter, softened butter, a splash of milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar, in a large bowl. Roll into 1″ balls and place on a cookie sheet, wax paper lined baking sheet.
- If the mixture is dry, add a tablespoon or two of milk to help bring the mix together. Press a toothpick into the top of each ball and chill in the freezer for a minimum of 30 minutes, or until firm.
- CHOCOLATE. Just before removing from freezer, melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan over lowest heat. Stir frequently until smooth.
- DIP. Using your toothpick (or wooden skewer), dip each frozen peanut butter ball in chocolate, leaving a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top. Place on cookie sheet and remove toothpick. You may smooth over the hole left from the toothpick with your fingertip. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Melting the Chocolate
- Double boiler. The double boiler keeps chocolate warm without fear of overheating it.
- Fill a saucepan with about an inch of water and place it on the stove over low heat. The water should be simmering gently, but not boiling.
- Select a heatproof bowl that can fit securely on top of the saucepan. Make sure it’s large enough to hold the amount of chocolate you want to melt and that it does not touch the water below.
- Add the chocolate to the bowl and place it on the saucepan. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Microwave. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Glass or ceramic ensures even heat distribution. Microwave the chocolate chips on high power for 30 seconds.
- Give the chocolate a stir to distribute the heat and prevent hot spots. Continue to heat and stir in 20-second intervals until smooth. Dip the buckeyes quickly and efficiently, as melted chocolate can solidify quickly as it cools.
Recipe Tips
This best buckeye candy only requires 5 ingredients so making sure they are the best ingredients is important!
- Crumbly peanut butter mixture. Adding too much powdered sugar or adding it too quickly can result in a crumbly peanut butter center. Sift the powdered sugar to remove any clumps and do not pack the powdered sugar when scooping it. On the flip side if the peanut butter mixture is too sticky simply add in a bit more powdered sugar.
- Excess chocolate drip also known as candy foot can occur when extra chocolate runs off of the treat and pools at the bottom of the candy. To avoid this, use a toothpick to dip the buckeye and then gently tap the toothpick to help excess chocolate drip off before setting it on a parchment paper lined pan to set.
Storing Tips
- STORE. Keep this simple buckeye recipe in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks. You can keep them at room temperature but just for a few hours. They should stay long-term in the fridge.
- FREEZE. Store this easy buckeye recipe in an airtight plastic bag with a zip top for several months until you’re ready to eat them! These are great to make ahead for holiday parties, football game nights, or delivering to friends and neighbors!
FOR MORE CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER:
Buckeyes Recipe
Buckeyes combine peanut butter and chocolate for a perfect bite. With only 5 ingredients they are easy and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1½ cups creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Mix together your peanut butter, softened butter, vanilla and powdered sugar, in a large bowl. Roll into 1" balls and place on a cookie sheet, lined with wax paper. (NOTE: If mixture is dry, add a tablespoon or two of milk to help bring the mix together).
- Press a toothpick into the top of each ball and chill in freezer for a minimum of 30 minutes, or until firm.
- Just before removing from freezer, melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan over lowest heat. Stir frequently until smooth.
- Using your toothpick, dip each frozen peanut butter ball in chocolate, leaving a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top. Place on cookie sheet and remove toothpick. You may smooth over the hole left from the toothpick with your fingertip. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
STORE. Keep this simple buckeye recipe in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks. You can keep them at room temperature but just for a few hours. They should stay long-term in the fridge.
FREEZE. Store this easy buckeye recipe in an airtight plastic bag with a zip top for several months until you’re ready to eat them! These are great to make ahead for holiday parties, football game nights, or delivering to friends and neighbors!
Nutrition
Calories: 362kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 116mg, Potassium: 221mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 33g, Vitamin A: 200IU, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 1.8mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Adapted from allrecipes.com
This Easy Buckeye recipe was excellent! The combination of peanut butter and chocolate was perfect! I’m going to be making these again soon as Im getting a lot of requests for these.
I have always loved these, but homemade was just so incredible! Loved these so much!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the buckeyes!
This recipe is so amazing and so easy to make! Going to be making it for the Super Bowl this weekend!
Nowhere enough peanut butter. I bought ingredients as stated and mixture never came together. What a waste of the ingredients. I’ll never use your crap again. 15.00 may as well have pitched it out the window. Recipe wasn’t good.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the recipe. Thanks for giving it a try!
I have made these for years. If you add half to two-thirds of a block of paraffin to your chocolate mixture, they will not soften as easily when you have them sitting out.
Thanks for the tip! Good to know!
As a person born and raised in Ohio these are the quintessential treat served many time throughout the year!
Yum! Just made these. So good. I like no bake options thanks
Me too!! I am glad you liked them 🙂 Thank you!
So simple so good, just what i was looking for !
thanks
I’m so glad 🙂 Thank you for stopping by!!