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.
Heather Gilstrap
How long do these last? Wondering if I could make them today and they would be good for christmas!
Sam
Hi Heather! These will be fine to keep until Christmas. 🙂
Jessica
I don’t believe there’s a recipe of yours I’ve tried and not liked. The other day I was wanting to make buckeyes and my first thought was, “I wonder if SugarSpunRun has one?” Absolutely delicious.
Sam
Thank you so much, Jessica! I’m so glad you enjoy everything so much! 🙂
Maria F
can you use margarine instead of butter?
Sam
Hi Maria! While I have never tried it personally, I believe it should work just fine. 🙂
Becca
If you are worried about the brown sugar making it gritty, use 1T of molasses instead. Adds depth of flavor with not grit.
Diane
Hi!
Do have the full nutritional values for this recipe? I would like to know the carbs and fat. Thanks!
Diane
Sam
Hi Diane! I don’t have the full nutritional values. I typically enter the ingredients in a free nutritional calculator like My Fitness Pal to determine these. 🙂
ROnda
Why would u say to not use natural peanut butter? Have you tried that before and what happened?
Sam
Hi Ronda! Natural peanut butter has a tendency to separate which is why I don’t recommend it. 🙂
Betty
Hi, instead of using chocolate wafers or chips. Can I use almond bark?
Sam
Absolutely! Enjoy 🙂
Madge Allen
Can the buckeyes be frozen and dipped in chocolate at a later date?
Sam
That should work just fine. 🙂
Laurie
It does work, but they sweat so you want to make sure they’re completely thawed and pay dry before dipping.
Marie
Hello, I’d like to make the crunchy kind of buckeyes using Rice Krispy cereal. Do you have a suggestion here?
Sam
Hi Marie! You should be able to stir some right into the batter. I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure how much to add. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Sally
Can you do milk chocolate instead of darck chocolate
Sam
Hi Sally! It will be pretty sweet but it will work. 🙂
Pam
Need full nutrition values please in ounces
Sam
Hi Pam! I typically use a free nutritional calculator like my fitness pal to find all of the nutritional values. 🙂
Lynda
Can’t wait to make these again for christmas
Joyce Mumford
Can melted semi-sweet chocolate chips work instead of the melting wafers? I haven’t seen the wafers in our grocery stores.
Sam
Hi Joyce! That will work just fine. 🙂
Robin
What are melting wafers?
Sam
A type of chocolate, typically sold in the baking section at grocery stores. 🙂
Maryann D
Best buckeye recipe! Dough is easy to work with. Kids loved them. I am always looking for a no bake recipe……this is #1!!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Maryann! 🙂