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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

A plate topped with chocolate dipped buckeyes.


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.
Peanut butter balls stuck with toothpicks on a lined baking sheet.

How to Make Buckeyes

  1. 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.
  2. CHOCOLATE. Just before removing from freezer, melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan over lowest heat. Stir frequently until smooth.
  3. 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.
Peanut butter balls stuck with toothpicks and dipped in chocolate.

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. 
A sheet lined with peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate.

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!
Easy buckeye recipe piled on top of each other on white plate.

FOR MORE CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER:

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

20 mins

Recipe Video

5 from 7 votes

Buckeyes Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Buckeyes combine peanut butter and chocolate for a perfect bite. With only 5 ingredients they are easy and delicious!
Servings: 30
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 3 minutes
Freeze: 30 minutes
Total: 43 minutes

Ingredients 

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.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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Adapted from allrecipes.com



About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Recipe Rating




13 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.