Buckeyes

Let’s make homemade buckeyes! This easy homemade candy combines a soft peanut butter center and glossy chocolate coating into one delicious no-bake treat. (They taste like a peanut butter cup!)

I moved around a lot growing up, but some of my favorite memories are from my time spent in the midwest. There’s SO much fun food and community to enjoy!

Besides picking up Wild Rice Soup from Minnesota, and the ever-popular Scotcheroos, one of my favorite midwest recipes comes from Ohio (aka The Buckeye State!). It’s Buckeyes!

If you’ve never had them before, you’re in for a treat! Buckeyes are a chocolate-dipped candy, made with a soft peanut butter center. And they’re DELICIOUS. (They taste kind of like Reese’s peanut butter cups!)

These chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls are named after buckeye nuts (buckeyes are the Ohio state tree). While the nuts of Buckeye trees are poisonous, this candy version is not!

This easy, no-bake treat is delicious all year round, but we especially love homemade buckeyes as a no-bake holiday treat to share with friends & neighbors. They’re delightful on their own, and look adorable tucked onto a holiday treat plate or Christmas cookie tray.

Best of all, you only need a few simple ingredients to make them…

Simple Ingredients To Get Started

This easy buckeye recipe starts with a handful of ingredients, all of which I always keep on hand. Let’s take a look:

• Smooth Peanut Butter. Creamy peanut butter is a must when making buckeye candy. While I love crunchy peanut butter for sandwiches, the little chunks of peanut can mess with the texture of buckeyes. Use a conventional peanut butter spread, like JIF or Skippy for best results!
• Butter. Softened butter helps give these buckeyes both softness and structure. Butter firms up well in the fridge, which makes these easier to dip!
• Vanilla Extract. Always a must for me!
• A Pinch of Salt. My secret ingredient for the best buckeyes! A little bit of salt elevates the flavors of peanut butter, vanilla, and chocolate without making these treats taste salty.
• Powdered Sugar. Some powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) is the final piece that gives this homemade candy its shape and structure. Now is NOT the time to try to reduce the sugar, or your buckeyes won’t turn out!
• Chocolate Chips. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips for a nice balance of flavor, but dark chocolate chips are another great choice! (I find milk chocolate too sweet here.)
• Coconut Oil (or Shortening). To make the chocolate easier to work with, you’ll add a tiny bit of coconut oil or melted shortening.

How To Make This Buckeyes Recipe, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Combine. In a large bowl, combine smooth peanut butter, softened butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Whip with a hand mixer (or beat in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, if you prefer!) 1-2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
2. Add Powdered Sugar. Next, add the powdered sugar, and beat, starting at LOW speed, then increasing speed to medium once the powdered sugar has blended in a bit. Mix until no more powdery sections remain. The mixture may look crumbly, but should hold together easily when pinched. (If yours is too dry to hold together, you can add additional peanut butter 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed.)
3. Scoop & Roll. Use a small cookie scoop to measure 1 Tablespoon scoops of peanut butter dough. Roll them smooth between your palms, so there are no cracks or divots. Place peanut butter balls on a parchment lined sheet pan, an repeat until all the dough has been rolled. 
4. Chill To Firm Up. Cover the baking tray, then refrigerate at least 30-40 minutes, to firm up the peanut butter balls. (This makes them easier to dip and helps them hold together.)
5. Melt Chocolate. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and coconut oil. Melt on LOW power in the microwave in 10-15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate is smooth and glossy. 
6. Dip In Chocolate. Use a thin wooden skewer or a toothpick to dip the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate, one at a time. Leave a small circle at the top of the peanut butter ball uncovered for the signature buckeye look! Place the chocolate dipped balls back onto the parchment lined baking sheet to set.
7. Chill To Set. Return the tray of buckeyes to the fridge (uncovered until the chocolate sets!) to let the chocolate set up. If desired, you can smooth over the little toothpick hole created by the skewer with your fingertip, a small spatula, or the back of a spoon. (In the small Ohio town I lived in, the hole was considered a feature, not a flaw, so it’s really up to you!)
8. Serve & Store. Enjoy once the chocolate has set! Store leftover buckeyes in an airtight container in the fridge so they don’t dry out. (Or, transfer to a freezer-safe container or zip-top freezer bag and freeze up to 2 months.)