Anytime I hear the word “buckeye” in any context whatsoever, it puts a big grin on my face. Because my mind goes directly to these delicious little peanut butter balls my grandma taught me how to make when I was knee high to a grasshopper.
Granny would have her kitchen table weighted down with all types of Christmas candy. We’d have to start moving stuff to the coffee tables in the living room. And eventually break out Grandpa’s folding card table.
In these no bake treats, it’s the mix of creamy peanut butter and rich chocolate that’s so addictive. Buckeyes are perfect to make when you don’t want to mess with the oven but still want something that’s a winner anywhere you take it.
And it’s a fun thing to do with other people. And kids. Rolling that dough into little balls, dunking them in chocolate. Still feels like being a kid again to me.
My kids have helped me make them since before I can remember. Their favorite part is the chocolate dipping. And more than one spat has been known to break out over who got to do it.
Whoever first made Ohio buckeyes was onto something, and generations of happy kids should be thanking them!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There are many, many reasons to love this recipe for peanut butter balls! Peanut butter. Chocolate. Well, that’s two. But just those two by themselves is a lot to love!
- No heating up the house: These are no bake treats. Super easy to make.
- Just a few ingredients: You probably have most of these in your kitchen already.
- Fun to make with kids: Rolling peanut butter balls puts kids into zen mode. For a few minutes anyway.
- Perfect for gifting: Put them in cute little gift bags or boxes for holiday presents.
- Easy to customize: Try different chocolate flavors, add some nuts, drizzle with peanut butter glaze, sprinkles. Whatever you love.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Here are some ways I’ve made changes to this Christmas candy recipe for different events. And depending on who I’m making them for.
- Creamy peanut butter: It’s gotta be creamy peanut butter. Chunky will make the dough hard to roll into smooth balls. You can use any type of nut butter for these buckeyes. Almond butter, cashew butter, whatever you normally use.
- Butter: Soften your butter to room temperature so it blends without being lumpy. But don’t get it to melting. Coconut oil’s a good substitute if you want a non-dairy version.
- Confectioner’s sugar: White powdered sugar. Don’t skip sifting it. Just takes a few minutes, and if you don’t, your candy won’t be pretty.
- Semi-sweet chocolate: The classic pick for chocolate dipped buckeyes. You can use chocolate chips, or break up some candy bars of dark chocolate mixed with milk chocolate. Milk chocolate or white chocolate both work too. Melting wafers are your best friend here because they set up without any fuss.
- Shortening: This is what makes the chocolate smooth and glossy. If shortening gives you the ick, you can use coconut oil for this.
Tips for Success
I’ve done these things to make sure my buckeyes turn out perfect every time I make them.
- Check the dough texture before you start rolling the balls: If it seems too sticky, add a little more powdered sugar. If it’s too crumbly, add some more peanut butter until it holds together. Do both of these very gradually.
- Use a small cookie scoop: This keeps your peanut butter balls uniform. Roll them smooth between your palms after scooping.
- Let them chill long enough: Don’t rush the fridge time. The balls have gotta be cold or the chocolate won’t stick right.
- Keep the chocolate at the right temp: If it starts getting thick when you’re dipping the balls, put it over the simmering water to get it back to where it needs to be.
Storage and Reheating
Keep leftover buckeyes in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll stay fresh for up to a week, and they taste even better cold.
To freeze them, lay the chocolate dipped peanut butter balls on a baking sheet so they aren’t touching. Freeze for 30 minutes to an hour, then transfer to a freezer bag. They’ll keep for 1 to 2 months. Pull out what you need and let them thaw in the fridge.
You can’t reheat these. Unless you want to eat them with a spoon. They’d become a gooey mess.
Serving Suggestions
Set out a big platter of these at your next party and watch them vanish. They’re perfect for a holiday dessert table or a bridal shower spread.
Bag a few up in clear cellophane with a ribbon and you’ve got a homemade gift. You can put some in cute little cellophane bags and put them in a basket with other goodies. Gourmet coffee, herbal teas, things like that.
FAQs
Where did the name Buckeyes come from?
The nuts from the Ohio Buckeye tree are dark brown and have a light tan circle on the top. These chocolate dipped peanut butter balls look just like those nuts! But with a little more shine. Also, Ohio Buckeyes (the actual nuts) are poisonous, so if you ever run into one, don’t eat it!
Can I make these ahead of time?
Oh yeah, and you should! They’re no bake treats. Perfect to make a few days before you need them. Just keep them in the fridge sealed in an airtight container.
Notes
I started making these buckeyes with my grandmother when I couldn’t even reach the top shelf cabinet! I was probably seven or eight. She had a tiny kitchen with almost no counter space. But somehow, we’d crank out enough peanut butter balls to feed the entire neighborhood.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Creamy peanut butter Standard shelf-stable brand preferred
- ½ cup 1 stick Unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
- 1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups Confectioners’ sugar sifted
- 6 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate Chopped baking blocks or high-quality chips
- 2 tbsp. Vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet completely with a flat layer of wax paper or parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the creamy peanut butter, softened unsalted butter, and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon to beat them together until a completely uniform, light brown paste forms.
- Add the sifted confectioners’ sugar one cup at a time, blending on low speed after each addition. Once all the sugar is in, drop the spoons and use your hands to firmly knead the mixture directly inside the bowl for 60 seconds until it comes together into a smooth, stiff dough. Pro Tip: Hand-kneading is a vital sugar-lipid mechanical binding step. The friction and warmth from your hands forces the microscopic sugar crystals to evenly trap the loose oils from the peanut butter. This ensures your dough balls stay exceptionally firm and moist without weeping oil or turning greasy.
- Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll them firmly between your palms to shape exactly 1-inch uniform spheres (about 2 teaspoons of dough each).
- Insert a wooden toothpick straight down into the top center of each ball, pushing it about halfway through to act as a handle. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 1 hour. Crucial: Chilling locks the butter fats in place. If you dip room-temperature peanut butter balls into hot chocolate, they will soften, warp, or slide completely off the toothpick into the bowl.
- While the balls chill, combine the chopped semi-sweet chocolate and vegetable shortening in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water (a double boiler), ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir occasionally until the mixture is completely melted and glassy, then slide the bowl off the heat.
- The Faux-Tempered Dip: Pull the cold peanut butter balls from the fridge. Holding a toothpick handle, lower a ball into the warm melted chocolate, submerging it three-quarters of the way down. Leave a small, circular patch of exposed tan peanut butter at the top. Lift it straight up, swirl gently to let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl, and place it chocolate-side-down onto the wax paper.
- Carefully twist and lift each toothpick out. Repeat the process with all the remaining balls. Pop the tray into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to fully set the chocolate glaze. Once firm, use a clean finger or a small offset spatula to gently smooth over the tiny pinholes left behind by the toothpicks. Serve cold or at room temperature.
