Only a few ingredients are required for this easy Buckeye recipe. These classic peanut butter candies come together in a matter of minutes and are dipped in dark chocolate for a snappy shell around a creamy peanut butter center.
I’ve been holding out on you.
I made this buckeye recipe a few weeks ago, but have waited until now to share it on the blog.
I was hesitant to share it at all at first: it’s so simple, and does the internet really need another buckeye recipe?
Ultimately I decided yes, it does, and I simply couldn’t go on unless I shared my slightly modified version of buckeyes with you.
Buckeyes are among the easiest candies out there. They call for only a handful of ingredients, require no oven, stovetop, or candy thermometer, and request a modest 15 minutes of chilling before you can coat the creamy peanut butter centers in dark chocolate.
My first experience with a buckeyes actually came in the form of Buckeye Brownies. I made those brownies dozens of times over before I ever tried my hand at a buckeye recipe, and while the brownies might always be my favorite peanut butter/chocolate dessert, buckeyes in their true form hold a close second, and definitely come first in terms of ease.
This simple buckeye recipe received several tweaks from its classic form that I think you will appreciate. I added two heavy spoonfuls of brown sugar for a little bit of depth of flavor (peanut butter and brown sugar together = heaven… and add some dark chocolate and you have complete nirvana)
A lot of powdered sugar goes into the mix, but that’s what helps these buckeyes hold their shape and makes them easy to dip into your chocolate. If your buckeye mixture is too soft to hold a solid ball or sticks to your fingers when you try to roll it, you can always add more powdered sugar (a tablespoon at a time) until the desired consistency is reached.
Despite all of the sugar, thanks to the peanut butter (and an honorable mention to the dark chocolate), this buckeye recipe doesn’t seem overly sweet once it’s finished.
Enjoy!
Full printable recipe is just below the video.
Easy Buckeye Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter (not "natural" peanut butter) (475g)
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened (113g)
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar* packed
- 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar (405g)
- 12 oz dark chocolate melting wafers (340g)
Instructions
- Combine peanut butter and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until well-combined.
- Add brown sugar and vanilla extract. Stir well.
- Gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined. Scoop into Tablespoon-sized balls and roll with the palms of your hand until smooth and round.**
- Place on wax-paper lined cookie sheet and freeze for 15-20 minutes.
- While peanut butter balls are chilling, prepare your chocolate according to package instructions. Pour into a deep dish (I use a wide cup).
- Remove peanut butter balls from freezer, spear the top of each peanut butter ball with a toothpick and, holding the toothpick, dip each buckeye ball into the melted chocolate.
- Return to cookie sheet and remove toothpick. Use the pads of your fingers to smooth over the toothpick mark.
- Allow chocolate to harden before eating and enjoying.
- Buckeye balls are best kept refrigerated.
Notes
Nutrition
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Keaton says
Do you have to use a stand mixer?
Sam says
You can use a hand mixer, it just may take a little bit more time. I find when I make it with a hand mixer the peanut butter mixture can be a little crumbly, so if you run into that issue, just add a very small amount of milk(like a teaspoon at a time) until the mixture comes together nicely. 😊