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This easy Peanut Butter Buckeyes Recipe is popular in Ohio, the Buckeye State. But no matter where youโre from, anyone can get excited about peanut butter balls dipped in melted chocolate.
Named for their uncanny resemblance to a Buckeye nut from the Ohio Buckeye tree, these Peanut Butter Buckeyes are the sweet of choice for many Ohio State fans during football season.
However, anyone who loves the classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate will adore these treats! Imagine the taste of Reeseโs peanut butter cups but in ball form and youโve got a Buckeye.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- White chocolate chips: Or substitute white chocolate melting wafers.
- Peanut butter:ย I use store-bought creamy peanut butter for Peanut Butter Buckeyes, andย classic teal-labelย Skippy is my go-to brand (Jif is also popular).
- Butter: Cold butter usually softens up in about 30 minutes when left out at room temperature (much longer if frozen). To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power for 1 minute. Gently press on the butter with your finger. If it still seems too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Or substitute dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips.
Step-by-step instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet or plate with parchment paper or wax paper (something that will fit in your freezer). In a small bowl, microwave white chocolate chips at 50 percent power until melted, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute. Or, melt over a double-boiler. Let stand for 5 minutes.ย
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with an electric hand mixer on medium speed, beat melted white chocolate, powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Roll the peanut butter mixture into 1 ยผ inch-balls and place on prepared baking sheet (I like to use a 100# scoop). Chill in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.ย
- In a medium bowl, microwave the semi-sweet chocolate chips at 50 percent power until melted, about 1 ยฝ to 2 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally.
- Using a toothpick or wooden skewer, dip chilled dough balls into the melted chocolate, leaving the top quarter uncovered.
- Return the balls to the freezer until the chocolate is set, about 1 hour.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe will make about 40 pieces of Buckeye Candy (depending exactly on the size you roll them).
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Or, if you live in a cold climate and itโs winter, store them on your cold patio or in your chilly garage.
- Freezer: Arrange the chocolate-dipped candies in a single layer on a baking sheet or plate and put in the freezer for 30 minutes, until frozen solid. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
These peanut butter and chocolate candies are named after the nut of the Ohio Buckeye tree.
Any candy will eventually go bad, and homemade treats donโt have the same preservatives as store-bought candy. To maximize the shelf-life of your candy, store in the freezer and pull out 30 minutes before serving.
Chill your formed dough balls in the freezer until firm; this makes dipping them in the melted chocolate much easier. If they are too soft, the toothpick wonโt hold firm and the hole in your buckeye will be too big (or youโll lose the ball in the vat of chocolate).
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Peanut Butter Buckeyes Recipe
Ingredientsย
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips (1 ยฝ ounces, see note 1)
- 3 cups powdered sugar (12 ounces)
- 2 3/4 cups peanut butter (see note 2)
- 4 tablespoons butter softened (ยฝ stick, see note 3)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 ounces, see note 4)
Instructionsย
- Line a rimmed baking sheet or plate with parchment paper (something that will fit in your freezer). In a small bowl, microwave white chocolate chips at 50 percent power until melted, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute. Let stand for 5 minutes.ย
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with an electric hand mixer on medium speed, beat melted white chocolate, powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Roll the dough into 1 ยผ inch-balls and place on prepared baking sheet (I like to use a 100# scoop). Place in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.ย
- In a medium bowl, microwave the semi-sweet chocolate chips at 50 percent power until melted, stirring occasionally, about 1 ยฝ to 2 minutes.
- Using a toothpick, dip chilled dough balls into the melted chocolate, leaving the top quarter uncovered. Return the balls to the freezer until the chocolate is set, about 1 hour.
Recipe Video
Notes
- White chocolate chips: Or substitute white chocolate melting wafers.
- Peanut butter:ย I use store-bought creamy peanut butter for Peanut Butter Buckeyes, andย classic teal-labelย Skippy is my go-to brand.
- Butter: Cold butter usually softens up in about 30 minutes when left out at room temperature (much longer if frozen). To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power for 1 minute. Gently press on the butter with your finger. If it still seems too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Or substitute dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips.
- Yield: This recipe will make about 40 pieces of Buckeye Candy (depending exactly on the size you roll them).
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Or, if you live in a cold climate and itโs winter, store them on your cold patio or in your chilly garage.
This is not the original recipe. I grew up in Ohio and I am now 73 years old. My Grandma and Mo made these every Holiday. This is not the original recipe and should not be stated as so.
Thanks for your comment, Nancy. โ Meggan
Butโฆit IS so! Maybe your grammyโs recipe is not the original one?
If you want info on the original recipe, you can read the Malleyโs Chocolates (Cleveland Ohio ORIGINAL Chocolatier Since 1935) Ingredient list right on their box of Buckeyes. It clearly states that they use White Chocolate.
I am curious, some recipes say โsalted butter or unsalted โ, which would be better ?
Also some say sifted powder sugar while others say unsorted? I am making these for my brothers wedding and want them to be perfect! ๐ any help/suggestions
Thanks
Hi Sara, personally I always buy salted butter. I definitely understand the logic of โbuy unsalted butter so you can control the salt; every butter manufacturer uses a different amount of salt and you donโt know how muchโ and all that jazz. However, in my experience, salted butter across all brands tastes pretty much the same (at least in terms of saltiness; there are definitely quality differences if youโre talking about Kroger brand vs. Kerrygold, but that has nothing to do with the salt). I have never tasted a salted butter anywhere and felt like โWOW that was way too salty!โ No brand wants to be that guy. When I do end up buying unsalted butter, it sits in my fridge unless Iโm doing a lot of baking, and then when I end up putting it on toast out of desperation I am so crabby about it because it doesnโt taste as good. If I know Iโll be doing a lot of baking (like 10 cookie recipes for Christmas) Iโll buy unsalted butter, but itโs just so I โfeel better,โ I can never actually taste the difference. And I know my mom never bought unsalted butter growing up, and her cookies were fine! Having said ALL of that (sorry this reply got out of control), this recipe has 1/8 teaspoon salt in it. If you use salted butter but are worried about it, you could always leave that out. I donโt know if Iโve helped you or made the situation worse. If I were making these, I would use salted butter. They wonโt taste salty; there is way too much sugar (between peanut butter and actual sugar, not to mention the chocolate) for them to taste salty. Good luck! Thank you! -Meggan
Help?!?! In step two you include vanilla in the list of ingredients to mix togetherโฆ.but I donโt see vanilla included in the ingredients list. Can you let me know how much vanilla to add? Thanks!!
Hi Janice! Iโm so sorry about this! I looked it over what is posted compared to my original recipe and there was definitely an error by not including the vanilla in the ingredients list. Iโm so sorry about that! I have made changes to the recipe, please see the updated one. I also made a change to the amount of white chocolate chips so please note that as well. Have a great day!
THANK YOU!! That was super quick!
Donโt worry Meggan, you donโt want that kind of negative feedback anyway! ย People are just too sensitive (and a little crazy). ย Thanks for sharing this recipe! ย Never made these with white chocolate before! ย
After that snappy answer I wonโt be asking any more questions. You could have just said you donโt have any ideas or that decision was up to me. Donโt bother replying Iโll not visit this sight again.
Iโm so sorry! I was at a birthday party all day. I was going to say white chocolate (which is not really chocolate, but you might not like that either), or some kind of melted candy coating (like those Wilton baking chips). Especially if you could flavor the melted candies with something, like banana. Or a salted caramel drizzle would be nice, if you like peanut butter and caramel together. Iโm sorry again for not replying sooner. My last idea is to roll them in toasted coconut. I understand if you wonโt be back to the site. Take care. -Meggan
Thank you so much for such a prompt reply. I know it probably sounded kind of weird, but believe it or not Iโm not to keen on chocolate. Do you have any ideas as to what I could dip them in?
Do the buckeye balls have to be dipped in chocolate?
No, but they wonโt look like Buckeyes if you donโt. Did you want to dip them in something else, or do you just want to devour the peanut butter part? Rhetorical question, your peanut butter plans are none of my business. ๐ -Meggan
safe to say these were an explosion of awesomeness in our mouths! super easy to make an a party favorite now