Easy Peanut Butter Buckeyes Recipe

Calling all peanut butter and chocolate lovers! If you love peanut butter cups and peanut butter blossoms, you will love Homemade Buckeye Candy! You only need a few ingredients and a few minutes to make this easy Buckeye recipe.

As a native Ohio girl, I am a bit obsessed with The Ohio State Buckeyes. And I am not just talking about college football! I love Buckeye Candy as well.

For those of you not born and raised in Ohio, Buckeye Candy is a creamy, rich peanut butter ball that is coated partially in melted chocolate to resemble an actual buckeye, which is a small, shiny, dark brown nut from a buckeye tree.

Regardless of what this homemade candy looks like, these peanut butter buckeyes are downright irresistible for anyone who loves the combination of peanut butter and chocolate--even Michigan fans 😉

Notes on Ingredients

• Peanut Butter: For this recipe, use shelf-stable creamy peanut butter, not refrigerated or crunchy peanut butter for best results.
• Butter: When it comes to baking, use unsalted butter to control the sodium content. For this recipe, you also want your butter to be at room temperature. It will help the butter and peanut butter combine smoothly.
• Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is the go-to choice to sweeten and thicken peanut butter, as it easily dissolves into the peanut butter without the need to heat anything.
• Chocolate: This recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate, but feel free to use dark chocolate or milk chocolate. For more uniform melting, use chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars.
• Coconut Oil: This is an optional ingredient, but adding a bit of coconut oil to your melted chocolate, will make the chocolate easier to work with and help the chocolate solidify.

Recipe Modifications

While this Buckeye girl loves her peanut butter balls in the shape of Buckeyes, the options for serving peanut butter balls are endless.

• Dip completely in chocolate. If you aren't in the mood for a buckeye candy, dip your peanut butter ball completely in chocolate.
• Dress them up. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the peanut butter balls with sprinkles, chopped nuts, toffee bits, or mini M&Ms.
• Drizzle with chocolate: Once the chocolate has been set up, you can drizzle with melted white chocolate or additional semi-sweet chocolate for a beautiful drizzled peanut butter ball.
• Add texture. Instead of using creamy peanut butter, use crunchy peanut butter. Your peanut butter balls will be a bit harder to shape, but the additional texture adds a nice contrast to this homemade candy.
• Peanut Butter Eggs: For Easter, shape the peanut butter mixture into eggs before dipping it into chocolate for a copycat Reeses Peanut Butter Egg.
• Dairy-Free Buckeye Candy: If you want to make dairy-free peanut butter balls, use dairy-free chocolate chips and vegan butter, such as Earth Balance.

How to Make Peanut Butter Buckeye Candies

• Prepare the peanut butter mixture. In a medium bowl, cream together the peanut butter and butter using a hand mixer until creamy and smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until fully combined. The mixture will be a bit crumbly, but should still be able to hold together. If your mixture feels too dry, add 1 tablespoon of peanut butter at a time until the mixture is crumbly, yet holds together well. If the mixture feels too wet or won't shape easily, add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until the right consistency is reached.

• Form peanut butter balls. Using about 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture, shape the peanut butter into 1-inch size balls and then place them onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.

• Chill the peanut butter balls. Place the peanut butter balls into the freezer for 20 minutes. This will make the process of dipping the peanut butter balls into chocolate much easier, as the chocolate will set up faster and the peanut butter balls will hold their shape.
• Melt the chocolate. Right before removing the peanut butter balls from the freezer, melt the chocolate by placing the chocolate chips into a heat-safe bowl and microwave the chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is melted. Once melted, stir in the coconut oil if used.
• Dip the peanut butter balls in chocolate. Remove the chilled peanut butter balls from the freezer and using a fork, toothpick, or wooden skewer, dip the peanut butter ball into the chocolate, leaving a small circle uncovered on top to resemble a buckeye if desired. Tap the ball on the side of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate.

• Finish. Place the dipped peanut butter balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Remove the toothpick, and gently use your finger to cover the hole left in the peanut butter ball from the toothpick.

• Chill. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 10-30 minutes to fully chill and the chocolate to harden.

Storage Instructions

It is best to store Buckeye Candies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 30 days in a freezer-safe container, but you will want to defrost them on a paper towel to absorb any excess liquid from the buckeyes as they defrost.

More Peanut Butter Chocolate Treats

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