You only need a few ingredients and a few minutes to make this easy Buckeye recipe. These classic candies are partially cloaked with a snappy chocolate shell around a creamy peanut butter center. Mine also include a special secret ingredient!
The Best Buckeye Recipe
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 buckeye recipe yields candies with a rich and creamy a center thats reminiscent of peanut butter fudge or a toned down peanut butter frosting. Thanks to the salty flavors of the peanut butter and the semisweet chocolate coating, they’re not at all too sweet, and you can easily find yourself downing half a batch on your own (guilty!).
Why You’ll Love This Buckeye Recipe
- Quick & easy.
- No fancy ingredients or equipment needed.
- Sweet, but not too sweet; definitely satisfies any sweet tooth craving.
- My recipe is extra special and flavorful, thanks to a subtle secret ingredient!
What You Need
The ingredients for my buckeye recipe are simple and straightforward, but let’s discuss them before we jump in.
- Peanut butter. Creamy peanut butter is the classic, recommended choice (not crunchy, which would mess with our texture!). Unfortunately I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter, which could make the buckeyes too oily.
- Butter. This is essential for creating a rich and creamy texture. You can use salted butter or use unsalted and add salt.
- Brown sugar. This is the secret ingredients that sets my buckeye recipe apart from so many out there. Brown sugar contains a bit of molasses, and, when beaten into the creamy peanut butter filling, this deepens the flavor of this buckeye recipe just beautifully. However, a few commenters mentioned they could taste the grit from the brown sugar. I’ve never been able to detect this (nor have my taste-testers), but if this concerns you feel free to simply leave out the brown sugar without any other additions.
- Powdered sugar. This allows us to form the buckeyes into balls and stabilizes them (while adding sweetness!).
- Chocolate. You can make things easy on yourself and use melting wafers or almond bark or just use your favorite chocolate chips. If using chocolate chips, follow my instructions on how to melt chocolate in the microwave, and consider adding a bit of coconut oil or vegetable oil to make the chocolate smooth and easy for dipping.
SAM’S TIP: You could also use tempered chocolate to dip your buckeyes, I have a tutorial on how I temper chocolate in my hot chocolate bomb recipe and in my chocolate covered strawberries post!
How to Make Buckeyes
- Cream. Beat together the butter and peanut butter until smooth, then stir in your brown sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. The mixture should be smooth and creamy.
- Stir. Gradually stir in powdered sugar until it’s thoroughly combined.
- Roll the batter into smooth round balls.
- Dip. Spear each buckeye with a toothpick and use the toothpick to hold the ball as you dip it most of the way into the chocolate (don’t dip it all the way! Aim for about 75%). Transfer to a wax paper lined baking sheet to allow the chocolate to harden. Smudge the mark from the toothpick with your finger to conceal it.
SAM’S TIP: Add the powdered sugar gradually. If you add it all at once, it will be difficult for the peanut butter mixture to absorb the sugar and the batter will be dry and unmanageable, meaning you won’t be able to form it into smooth buckeye balls.
Frequently Asked Questions
These chocolate-dipped peanut butter candies resemble the buckeye nut of the American Buckeye tree. This tree is native to Ohio, and Ohio State even named their football team after them. Because of this, buckeye candies tend to be extra popular with Ohio State football fans. Here’s a detailed guide into the origins of the buckeye candy, if you’re interested!
If the powdered sugar was added too quickly and not allowed to incorporate properly, this could make your dough crumbly and difficult to roll into balls. Add the sugar slowly and stir well after each addition. Even if you did add the sugar too quickly, you can usually fix this if you just continue mixing (it will just take some time).
Also consider if you may have accidentally over-measured your sugar, unfortunately this is easy to do when measuring with cups rather than by weight (which is why I always recommend using a kitchen scale). To properly measure sugar, gently stir it and then scoop into your measuring cup and level it off. Never pack it into the cup. All of my tips on how to measure flour properly apply to measuring sugar, too.
Buckeyes can be stored for a day or two at room temperature but my preference is to refrigerate them. Refrigerated in an airtight container, they’ll keep for at least two weeks. They also freeze well, for several months.
I think you’ll love this classic, chocolate coated, creamy peanut butter treat. If you try my buckeye recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Easy Buckeye Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (475 g) creamy peanut butter (not “natural” peanut butter)
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar firmly packed (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cups (405 g) powdered sugar
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Combine peanut butter and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until well-combined.2 cups (475 g) creamy peanut butter (not “natural” peanut butter), ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- Add brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir well.2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined. Scoop into Tablespoon-sized balls and roll with the palms of your hand until smooth and round.**3 ¼ cups (405 g) powdered sugar
- Place on wax-paper lined cookie sheet and freeze for 15-20 minutes.
- While peanut butter balls are chilling, combine chocolate chips and coconut oil (or vegetable shortening) and heat in the microwave in 25-second intervals (stirring well in between) until chocolate is smooth and completely melted. Pour into a deep dish (I use a wide cup).2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening
- 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 (placing them in the refrigerator will speed up the process of the chocolate hardening!).
Notes
Brown Sugar
Some people have commented that the addition of brown sugar makes the cookies taste a bit gritty, I have not personally found this to be the case but if you are worried about this you can leave the brown sugar out without adjusting any of the other ingredientsButter
If using salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe.Sticky Dough
If dough is too sticky to roll, add more powdered sugar, a Tablespoon at a timeChocolate
Instead of the chocolate chips and coconut oil or shortening, you can use 12 oz of chocolate melting wafers instead. Note that you can also omit the coconut oil or shortening but the chocolate may be thick and difficult to neatly dip the buckeyes into this way.Storing
Buckeyes should be stored in an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, or in the freezer for several months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Ski
Hi, I’m getting ready to try this recipe and wanted to know if I double up on the recipe, will it turn out the same? Some recipe s you just can’t do that
Also, I want to freeze half of them for an event next week. Should I thaw them out first and for how long? Should I cover them in the chocolate before I freeze them?
Thanks in advance for you help,
Sam
Hi Ski! You can double this recipe no problem, I’ve done it before 🙂 After freezing, when you’re ready to thaw I would thaw overnight in the refrigerator in a covered container. While you can freeze them with the chocolate coating, sometimes the quality degrades a bit and you could end up with white streaks in your chocolate. If you have the time I would cover with chocolate after freezing.
Jason
Me and my grandmother made these we got fifty of them and they were amazing!!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jason! 🙂
L
I have made this recipe twice now, once just to try at home and again for a friend’s birthday party. They are a HUGE hit! I sent several friends home with some after the party and was getting texts two days later wondering when I was going to make them more “balls” as they all call them. I’ve even been told by more than one person that they taste better than Reeses cups. I will be either be making more of these or trying my hand at the brownies for my baby shower in two weeks.
I do find that I like to use more powdered sugar than the recipe calls for to avoid the peanut butter dough getting sticky. I probably add about 1/4 cup more. I also haven’t been able to get my hands on melting wafers so I have been melting Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips which has been working out fine, albeit messy.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much! They can definitely be dangerously addictive. 🙂
Amber
Why do you say not “natural” peanut butter as if that’s not true and/or not good? There are so many different brands and types. I’ve never had a problem using natural peanut butter in baking. Do you have a legitimate reason for saying that?
Sam
Hi Amber, I refer to it in quotes because I want people to be aware that it is usually labeled as such so they know they are using the right thing. Natural peanut butter separates and is generally more oily than its non “natural” (“regular”? “standard?”) counterpart. The natural variety is also often unsalted and less thick which affects the flavor and consistency of the end product. Your buckeyes won’t taste the same or have the same texture and they may not even work if you opt to use that variety of peanut butter (or you could get lucky and they will, but I don’t like to recommend things that I haven’t specifically tested and that the odds are against, and as you mentioned there are many different brands and types!). I’d say that’s pretty legitimate 😉
I don’t have any personal vendetta against natural peanut butter, I just want anyone who tries this recipe to have the same results that I do.
Sarah
Thank you for sharing your terrific recipe and for making time to reply to the harsh “natural” comment from one reader —you are very patient and in my opinion if this reader had concerns about your use of “natural” she should troll elsewhere and make granola instead of buckeyes.
Aleah
I do not think that her original comment was meant to be rude, but just a legitimate question.
Julie
I noted the comments about a gritty texture with the brown sugar. I wonder if it was added later and not mixed thoroughly. What I decided to try was this:
I put the two tablespoon brown sugar in a very small bowl and added the vanilla to it.. I stirred it and let it sit a few minutes. The sugar partially disolved/melted in the vanilla and it blended in beautifully to the dough. Success! Very smoothe texture.
Sara SS
Hi! I’ve been wanting to find a recipe like this, reminiscent of my Grandmother’s buckeyes which I know she used powdered sugar. Occasionally she made hers with a crunch, too. Has anyone tried adding Rice Krispies to this recipe? Thanks in advance!
Kelly
I made these and they are delicious! However the chocolate started to melt as soon as I pulled them out of the fridge the next day. ( I used Ghirardelli baking chips). I was hoping to mail them out in Christmas packages. Any suggestions for a chocolate that doesn’t melt so quickly or for packaging? Thanks!!
Sam
Hi Kelly! Chocolate chips can work, but if it’s warm they melt pretty easily. You should really use melting wafers here. Unfortunately I don’t really have a great way to keep them from melting especially if they start warming up.
Cheryl
You could put a bit of paraffin wax in with the chocolate chips. It has been used in many different food preservatives over the years. Not a lot is needed for dipping chocolate.
Nancy Simpson
I have used chocolate chips for 50 years melt about 1 tablespoon of gulf was into chips it will harden beautifully !
Nancy Simpson
Gulf Wax
Meagan
I always add a little bit of coconut oil to chocolate I want to solidify easily and naturally. Coconut oil has hardly any flavor, and is a solid at normal room temperature. Hopefully this helps!
Alissa L
How much ?
Meagan
A hefty teaspoon.:)
Lyrin
This is a PERFECT recipe for Buckeyes. Easy, simple, and so delicious. Being a Columbus native, I have had quite a few in my time. These are amazing and so fun to make! Thank you for sharing!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Lyrin! 🙂
Jay
My stepdaughter loves peanut butter, especially buckeyes being a Cincinnati native. What would you recommend for turning the buckeye filling into cake filling? I would love to keep the flavor, but have it a little less firm or like a dough. Thank you in advance.
Sam
Hmmm I haven’t tried this but you may want to try the peanut butter layer I use on my buckeye brownies. It’s a little bit softer than these. 🙂
Jay
Thank you!
Meli
Can you freeze these for an event? I’d like to add these to my sweets table, but would probably need to do a few days in advance due to schedules.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Meli! Yes, they freeze well. 🙂
Amy
Can you use margarine instead of butter, and can you use stevia instead of powdered sugar? I was just about to make them when I thought of these questions. Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Amy! I haven’t tried this recipe with margarine but since margarine is oil-based I’d be afraid that the buckeyes would be greasy. As far as substituting sugar with stevia, I am not certain how it will alter the taste and be too sweet. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out for you! 🙂
Amy K
Hi there, I did try these. I used one stick of margarine and used Splenda brown sugar. It does have some regular brown sugar in it. The dough is probably greasy, but I would”ve thought they would be just the same with butter, since it and the pb are greasy as well. Also, the mix became stiff enough to roll into balls at about 2/3 of the confectioners sugar, so I didn’t add the last bit. I know the dough is a bit gritty, but people were often saying theirs was, even when they used regular brown sugar. I’m ready to put the chocolate onto them now. When I tried after 20 mins in the fridge they were too soft to stay on the toothpick, so I froze them. I know the flavor is fantastic though!
PS (Sorry I used my full name when I posted first content. I thought it would be edited 😛 )
Sam
Thank you so much for reporting back! I went ahead and edited your last name out of your previous comment 😉
Katrina l ferreri
I make my own powdered sugar out of Splenda as my husband is diabetic and he loves them
Amy
Oh!! Katrina! That’s wonderful! Please share how you do that
Peyton
Hi,
The buckeyes are hardening in order for me to be able to dip them in chocolate. So far, they are great! I don’t have the dark chocolate, but I have semi-sweet chocolate chips and two Hershey bars. What one should I use?
Sam
I’d use the semisweet chocolate chips. Enjoy! 🙂
Amy
This recipe for “Buckeyes” is THE best. No ones even noticed that theres brown sugar in them. I’ve been making this recipe since I found it during Xmas time. I make a batch every couple wks now. Buying P Butter in the Lrg Container. I get about 50 bite size treats. Enough to gift my 4 adult kids n enough left for myself n fiancé. Thankyou So much.💯😇🥰
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that this recipe has become a family favorite and that you all have enjoyed it, Amy! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Leigh
Yep. Dough is sticky and unable to roll it. I added quite a bit more powdered sugar and still sticky. It’s in the refrigerator now—hoping to salvage it.
Leticia
This recipe is easy to make and the peanut butter dough is creamy and sets perfectly for a creamy fudge topping that is cut into small individual square bits. Everyone loves them, thank you for sharing the recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that everyone enjoyed the buckeyes, Leticia! I appreciate your feedback. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Adelaide
These buckeyes are so delicious thank you so much!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Adelaide! 🙂
Chloe
These are my favorite candies of all time…LOVE the brown sugar addition!!
I usually do half a batch with peanut butter and half a batch with cookie butter, it’s amazing, try it 😀
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Chloe! I am so glad that you enjoyed the buckeyes and I will have to try it with cookie butter next time. YUM! 🙂
Connie Monahan
What is cookie butter? Thx, Connie
Sam
Hi Connie! I typically find it near the peanut butter in my local grocery store. It’s really tasty. If you ever find it you should try it some time. I even have cookie butter cookies you can make with it. 🙂
H
This recipe was horrible. My buckeyes were sticky and did not turn out good. I followed every step and they were not edible I had to throw them away.
Sam
I’m sorry to hear this! I’m not sure why they would have been sticky (you can see from the video the dough should be quite firm, almost like play-doh), but they should have been salvageable if you just added a bit more powdered sugar.
Sara Rutledge
This is the best recipe that I have come upon the dough is more sticky then most but i find it best to put in the refrigerator for 20 min make it easier to roll in to balls. The dough is so creamy with out overwhelming the palate with peanutbutter or sugar thank you for the recipe
Sam
You’re very welcome, I’m so glad you enjoyed the Buckeyes, Sara! Thank you for commenting and letting me know how they turned out, I appreciate it 🙂
Amanda
I’m having a similar experience and I don’t want to add more sugar because the dough already tastes like straight powdered sugar.
Brittany
You must have done something wrong. Maybe your peanut butter was old or something. This peanut butter dough was perfect to roll with. Best recipe I’ve came across yet