Buckeyes
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Easy to make and even easier to eat, this buckeye recipe features peanut butter bonbons dipped in dark chocolate.
Buckeyes, or buckeye candies, are peanut butter bonbons dipped in chocolate that resemble the nut of the Ohio state tree, the buckeye. According to folklore, the nut resembles the eye of a deer, and if you carry one in your pocket, it will bring you good luck. (If you carry one of these bonbons in your pocket, however, you will just end up with a messy pocket!) Buckeyes are a no-bake treat that taste almost identical to Reese’s peanut butter cups. They’re easy to make, and even those who are artistically-challenged can make them look professional.
Buckeye candies are also fun to make with young kids, as the peanut butter filling has the consistency of play-dough. You can even give these candies a spooky twist for Halloween by adding googly candy eyes and drizzling chocolate to create adorable buckeye mummies!
“Had a blast making these with my grandkids tonight. They were easy and taste just like Reese’s cups.”
What You’ll Need To Make Buckeyes
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Provides the base flavor and texture for the buckeyes. For best results, do not use natural peanut butter; it doesn’t contain stabilizers and is prone to separating.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and helps bind the ingredients together, contributing to the smooth texture of the peanut butter mixture.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Powdered sugar sweetens the mixture and helps create a firm yet creamy filling for the buckeyes.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor profile with its warm and aromatic notes, complementing the sweetness of the other ingredients.
- Semisweet Chocolate: Forms the outer shell of the buckeyes, providing a decadent and indulgent coating.
- Vegetable Oil: Thins out the chocolate, making it easier to coat the peanut butter balls evenly and smoothly.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the peanut butter and butter.
Beat until evenly combined.
Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt.
Beat until well-combined — the mixture will seem dry and crumbly, and you should be able to knead it like play dough.
Scoop 2-teaspoonful mounds of dough, roll into balls, and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes or overnight.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and oil. (Buckeyes need to be stored in the refrigerator, which can dull the finish of the chocolate coating. Adding a bit of vegetable oil to the melted chocolate keeps the chocolate nice and shiny once chilled.)
Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is about 75% melted, then remove from the microwave and stir until completely melted and smooth. The residual heat in the bowl should be enough to melt the chocolate completely, but if not, place the bowl back in the microwave and heat for 10 seconds or so, then stir again (it’s very important not to overheat chocolate, or it will seize up). (Alternatively, if you don’t have a microwave, combine the butter and chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted.)
Transfer the melted chocolate to a smaller bowl so that the chocolate is deeper; this makes it much easier to dip. Stick a toothpick into the top center of each peanut butter ball. Dip the balls into the melted chocolate, leaving a circle of peanut butter visible on top. Let the excess chocolate drip off, then return the buckeye to the baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining peanut butter balls and chocolate. Chill the buckeyes until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove the toothpicks and smooth out the hole with your pinky finger.
Serve the buckeyes at room temperature or chilled.
Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions
The buckeyes will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months; defrost in the refrigerator before serving.
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Buckeyes
Easy to make and even easier to eat, this buckeye recipe features peanut butter bonbons dipped in dark chocolate.
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter, such as Skippy Natural Creamy (see note; and do not use natural peanut butter)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2¼ cups confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped or broken into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the peanut butter and butter until evenly combined. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until well-combined — the mixture will seem dry and crumbly, and you should be able to knead it like play dough. Scoop 2-teaspoonful mounds of dough, roll into balls, and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes or overnight.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and oil. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is about 75% melted, then remove from the microwave and stir until completely melted and smooth. The residual heat in the bowl should be enough to melt the chocolate completely, but if not, place the bowl back in the microwave and heat for 10 seconds or so, then stir again (it's very important not to overheat chocolate, or it will seize up). (Alternatively, if you don't have a microwave, combine the oil and chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted.) Transfer the melted chocolate to a smaller bowl so that the chocolate is deeper; this makes it much easier to dip.
- Stick a toothpick into the top center of each peanut butter ball. Dip the balls into the melted chocolate, leaving a circle of peanut butter visible on top. Let the excess chocolate drip off, then return the buckeye to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining peanut butter balls and chocolate. Chill the buckeyes until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove the toothpicks and smooth out the hole with your pinky finger. Serve the buckeyes at room temperature or chilled.
- Note: I like Skippy Natural Creamy peanut butter, which isn't truly natural peanut butter; it is called "natural" because it is made with palm oil rather than hydrogenated vegetable oils.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The buckeyes will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months; defrost in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (30 servings)
- Serving size: 1 buckeye
- Calories: 144
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Sugar: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 22 mg
- Cholesterol: 6 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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My second year making these. Wonderful recipe and just the right amount. Grandkids love them.
These were delightful and delicious! I made them exactly as written and ended up with 40 of them (I’m not complaining). There just happened to be enough chocolate left for them, too. Toward the end, the last few buckeyes wanted to fall off the toothpick, so I added a teaspoon of water to the chocolate and heated it up just a tad to make it a bit more more fluid after stirring. That did the trick.
Thanks as always for all of the time and effort you put in to help us out in the kitchen. It’s really appreciated.
Hi Jenn,
Glad to see anther gluten free dessert! Your macaroons are a big hit with my gf friends.
Maria
Hi Maria, I have a number of gluten-free desserts if you’d like to browse through this section (and glad to hear your friends like the macaroons)!
I love your recipes! These look and sound delicious! I have a family member who is dairy-free. Could I sub margarine for the butter?
So glad you like the recipes! Yes, margarine should work here. Enjoy!
Had a blast making these with my grandkids tonight. They were easy and taste just like Reese’s cups.
Dear Jenn,
I haven’t commented in awhile but I have followed you for a few years and I have your cookbook and love it. I have never once had a problem following your recipes for the tee. But this time it was just off for me. Being a Reese’s fan I was excited to make these. Perhaps you can help me problem solve? I use a metric scale and your metric measurements for all my cooking. I measured precisely but the batter was way to soft and gooey so I had to keep adding icing sugar until it became more like playdough consistency like you said. Then I had seen another recipe that said if you don’t want the flat bottoms than to put them on a wire rack to dry. I should have followed your advice and done the wax paper. Do I put them on a wire rack and the whole batch (while tasty) was ruined. The bottoms ripped off all of them 🙁 any advice on how to get the round buck eyes without losing the bottoms? The mixture was the weirdest part. I always use a scale to be precise but it was too wet. I used skippy peanut butter too. Thank you for your help!
Sorry for all the misspellings! Auto correct!
🙂
Hi Steph, I am so sorry! There was a typo in the metric measurements and the sugar was off by over 100 g; I’m so glad you knew to add more sugar. We double and triple check our measurements, so I’m not sure how it happened but I apologize! As for the chocolate, I actually don’t mind the flat bottoms, as it helps the candies stay put on the serving plate, but you can avoid too much puddling by letting all of the excess chocolate drip off, or even scraping the bottoms of the buckeyes against the edge of the chocolate bowl, before placing them on the parchment paper to set.
‘Morning, Jenn!
Wondering if the sugar amount has been updated in the recipe? I’m anxious to try these, to replace a recipe from the 70’s that included melted paraffin (!!!) to set the chocolate. We called them “orgies,” but that’s another story! : )
Parafin and orgies? Sounds interesting! Yes, it has been updated. Hope you enjoy if you make them!
Love the recipe. I do add 3-4 cups of powdered sugar to have a more dry dough rather than creamy, just my preference! They are so yummy 😋
GO BUCKS!! O-H
These are perfect! I’ve decided to make them for every single holiday from now on.
Can one use milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet?
Hi Susan, You can, but they may be a bit sweet. I would suggest half milk chocolate and half semisweet (I’ve tried it).
I’m a Buckeye through and through, grew up eating these, they are divine. Two questions – first, every time I’ve tried to make them they are so heavy they fall right off the toothpick into the bowl of chocolate and it’s a battle. Any suggestions? Also, and this is a long shot, my grandson was just diagnosed with peanut allergy. Any thoughts on substituting almond butter? I hate that he won’t get to enjoy delicious Buckeyes! (While we are at it, any thoughts at all on how other nut butters do in baked goods?)
Hi Terri, I know exactly what you’re talking about. The trick is adding more confectioners’ sugar to the peanut butter mixture; these don’t fall off the toothpick. I haven’t tried them with almond butter but I think it should work. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn,
In the directions, you mention the oil and chocolate in the microwave; in the part where one doesn’t have a m/w, you mention chocolate and butter over heated water. Is that intentional to switch from oil to butter if one doesn’t have a microwave? Can’t wait to make these!
Sue
Hi Susan, That’s an error — thank you so much for pointing it out! The chocolate should be combined with oil for both the microwave and stovetop cooking methods. It takes a village!