Buckeye Balls

Buckeye Balls are the classic delicious Homemade Peanut Butter Balls dipped in chocolate to resemble the Buckeye Nut, for the perfect easy, no bake dessert. 

Buckeye balls are a favorite of mine. If you haven’t tried them yet, you need to change that quickly. These are the perfect peanut butter and chocolate treat. And who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate?

Buckeye balls are named after their resemblance to the buckeye nut, which grows on the buckeye tree. The buckeye tree is the state tree of Ohio, and Ohio is also the Buckeye state. Buckeye nuts are actually toxic though, so you should definitely eat these homemade Buckeyes instead of the nuts 😉

These peanut butter balls taste a bit like Reeses, with their creamy peanut butter filling, all dipped in chocolate. Its a flavor combo that can’t be beat!

These balls are only a handful of ingredients, six to be exact and they only take a few minutes to throw together. About 45 minutes of chill time, and they’re ready to eat!

Ingredients Needed to make Buckeye Peanut Butter Balls:

• creamy peanut butter
• unsalted butter
• vanilla extract
• salt 
• powdered sugar
• chocolate chips
• coconut oil

How to make Buckeye Balls?

Start by mixing the peanut butter and butter together first, until those are nice and smooth. 

Then add in the vanilla, and salt, which give the peanut butter balls a little extra flavor.

Then slowly add in the powdered sugar starting with 2 cups. Add in 1/4 cup at a time more as needed. You’ll probably need about 2 1/2 cups, but maybe a little more or less. You want enough powdered sugar so that the balls will hold their shape and consistency, but not too much that they get dry and crumbly. 

Scoop the mixture by the tablespoon size, and roll them into balls. Place them on a wax paper or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Then place that into the freezer for about 30 minutes to chill them just enough to help you dip them.

Melt chocolate chips (with coconut oil if you want to use it) in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, in 30 second increments until you can stir it totally smooth. Stick a toothpick into the top of a peanut butter ball and dip it into melted chocolate coating. Don’t cover the ball in the chocolate fully, as you want the balls to look like the Ohio Buckeye nut (hence the name).

Place them back on the lined cookie sheet, remove the toothpick and keep dipping. You can use your fingers to lightly remove the toothpick mark in the peanut butter. 

Place the pan in the fridge to let the chocolate harden. Store the balls in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Tips for making Buckeye Balls:

• If your peanut butter balls are too sticky you can fix this by adding a little more powdered sugar to the mixture, or keeping them in the freezer longer before dipping.
• If the peanut butter mixture does end up too crumbly, add another 2 TBS of peanut butter at a time until the consistency is soft again.
• Use a cookie scoop (this small size is perfect) to help keep your balls all evenly sized.
• Use your fingers to smooth out the top of the peanut butter balls to remove the toothpick hole on top of each ball.
• You can dip your peanut butter buckeyes into melted white chocolate, milk chocolate or dark chocolate, or whatever type of chocolate you prefer.
• Use a traditional peanut butter, not a natural peanut butter for best results.

How to freeze buckeye candy?

If you want to store these for longer you can also freeze them. Flash freeze them by spread them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet until hard, then you can wrap them up in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months.  Thaw them in the fridge overnight.

With the holidays upon us, its the season of sweets, and this buckeye ball recipe is going to be a new favorite! They’re perfect for making up a batch for a holiday party, sharing a plateful with your friends and neighbors. This microwave peanut brittle is great peanut butter treat your neighbors will love.

You can make them extra festive for any holiday by adding sprinkles to the chocolate after you dip them.

For more no bake treats, I think you’ll love try our cookie dough stuffed Oreos,  peanut butter buckeye pretzel bites (the pretzel just adds the perfect salty crunch!), or our golden Oreo truffles. If you’re feeling extra festive, you’ll love our Reindeer Oreo balls too.

These peanut butter balls are perfect all year long, but are such a great treat for the holidays. Easy, simple, and so delicious. Perfect for chocolate and peanut butter lovers!

Looking for more Chocolate and Peanut Butter Recipes?

• Muddy Buddy Cookies
• Peanut Butter Buckeye Pretzel Bites
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Recipe
• Homemade Reese’s peanut butter cups// Favorite Family Recipes

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