Buckeyes
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Easy to make and even easier to eat, buckeyes are peanut butter bonbons dipped in dark chocolate. Loved by kids and adults alike!
Buckeyes, or buckeye candies, are no-bake bonbons that look just like the nut of Ohio’s state tree—the buckeye. According to folklore, carrying one of these nuts in your pocket brings good luck. Please don’t try it with these bonbons though… unless you’re after a melted mess! If you love Reese’s peanut butter cups, you’re in for a treat—buckeyes taste almost identical. They’re easy to make, and even if you’re not the artistic type, they’ll still turn out looking great.
This buckeye recipe is also fun to make with young kids, as the peanut butter filling has the consistency of play-dough. You can even give these candies a spooky twist for Halloween by adding googly candy eyes and drizzling chocolate to create adorable buckeye mummies!
“Had a blast making these with my grandkids tonight. They were easy and taste just like Reese’s cups.”
What You’ll Need To Make Buckeyes
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Provides the base flavor and texture for the buckeyes. For best results, do not use natural peanut butter; it doesn’t contain stabilizers and is prone to separating.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and helps bind the ingredients together.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Powdered sugar sweetens the mixture and helps create a firm yet creamy filling for the buckeyes.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Adds warm and aromatic notes of flavor.
- Semisweet Chocolate: Forms the outer shell of the buckeyes.
- Vegetable Oil: Thins out the chocolate, making it easier to coat the peanut butter balls evenly and smoothly. The oil also keeps the chocolate nice and shiny once chilled.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter and butter together until smooth and well combined.
Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt.
Beat until well-combined — the mixture will seem dry and crumbly, and you should be able to knead it like play dough.
Scoop out 2-teaspoon mounds of dough, roll them into balls, and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and pop them in the fridge until they’re firm—about 30 minutes or you can leave them overnight if you’re prepping ahead.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and oil. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until about 75% melted. Then, stir until smooth—the residual heat should melt the rest. If needed, microwave for another 10 seconds, but be careful not to overheat or the chocolate may seize. If you don’t have a microwave or just prefer the old-fashioned method, melt the chocolate and oil in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
Pour the melted chocolate into a smaller bowl to make dipping easier. Stick a toothpick into the top of each peanut butter ball and dip it into the chocolate, leaving a little circle of peanut butter showing on top. Let the excess chocolate drip off, then place the buckeye back on the baking sheet.
Repeat with the rest of the peanut butter balls and chocolate. Pop the buckeyes in the fridge until they’re firm, about 30 minutes. Once chilled, take out the toothpicks and gently smooth over the holes with your pinky finger. You can serve buckeyes at room temperature or chilled. They will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Easy No-Bake Buckeyes
Creamy peanut butter and rich chocolate make these no-bake buckeyes an irresistible treat that’s easy to whip up anytime!
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter, such as Skippy Natural Creamy (see note; and do not use natural peanut butter)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2¼ cups confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped or broken into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the peanut butter and butter until evenly combined. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until well-combined — the mixture will seem dry and crumbly, and you should be able to knead it like play dough. Scoop 2-teaspoonful mounds of dough, roll into balls, and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes or overnight.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and oil. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is about 75% melted, then remove from the microwave and stir until completely melted and smooth. The residual heat in the bowl should be enough to melt the chocolate completely, but if not, place the bowl back in the microwave and heat for 10 seconds or so, then stir again (it's very important not to overheat chocolate, or it will seize up). (Alternatively, if you don't have a microwave, combine the oil and chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted.) Transfer the melted chocolate to a smaller bowl so that the chocolate is deeper; this makes it much easier to dip.
- Stick a toothpick into the top center of each peanut butter ball. Dip the balls into the melted chocolate, leaving a circle of peanut butter visible on top. Let the excess chocolate drip off, then return the buckeye to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining peanut butter balls and chocolate. Chill the buckeyes until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove the toothpicks and smooth out the hole with your pinky finger. Serve the buckeyes at room temperature or chilled.
- Note: I like Skippy Natural Creamy peanut butter, which isn't truly natural peanut butter; it is called "natural" because it is made with palm oil rather than hydrogenated vegetable oils.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The buckeyes will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months; defrost in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (30 servings)
- Serving size: 1 buckeye
- Calories: 144
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Sugar: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 22 mg
- Cholesterol: 6 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Love these, and want to try with other nut butters, does it change with cashew, sunflower or almond? Additionally, YES, thanks for letting us know the method when not using the microwave.
Hi Kay, Glad you like them! I’ve never made them with anything but peanut butter; other nut butters should work as long as they’re smooth. I’d love to hear how they come out if you experiment!