With only a few days until Christmas, I’m sharing one more treat for the season and since I’ll be celebrating Christmas in the Buckeye State, I figured it would be only fitting to share this treat. Buckeyes have been a classic and absolute favorite for my family for Christmas ever since I can remember.
I grew up in Ohio, where the state tree is the buckeye, and the nuts from the tree (Which are actually poisonous) look exactly like these candies. (Acorns aren’t good for you either, but I have a delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Acorn Recipe too.) The first Christmas my east-coast husband and I spent together, I asked him if he wanted a buckeye. He looked at me funny, but I soon found out he they were one of his favorites too, only he knew them as peanut butter balls. We were just meant for each other 🙂
These buckeyes have a short ingredient list and are simple to make, just like the majority of my Christmas treat recipes; no candy thermometer needed. When it comes to dipping them in chocolate, I recommend doing it in the microwave and taking your time. As the chocolate cools and thickens, don’t be afraid to take a break and reheat it. It will make for prettier buckeyes. Most of all, have fun. Put on some Christmas music and enjoy making one of my favorite Christmas treats.
- 12 oz peanut butter, (we like to use natural to keep the sweetness level down.)
- 1 stick butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 16 ounces semi sweet chocolate
- In the bowl of a mixer, beat peanut butter and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until smooth.
- Roll into 1 inch balls and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour.
- Place the chocolate in a deep bowl and microwave for 10-15 seconds at a time, stirring between intervals, until melted.
- Dip the chilled peanut butter balls three fourths of the way into the melted chocolate and place on wax paper to set.
Try these other fun Christmas Treats!
Peanut Butter Pretzel Buckeyes
Salted Peanut Butter OREO Cookie Balls
Or try my Peanut Butter Acorns
For more peanut butter and chocolate recipes check out:
Peanut Butter Stuffed Rice Krispie Treats – How fun!
This delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
and these totally addicting Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
These are one of my favorite holiday candies! So easy, and totally addicting!
Hi Mallory! These are one of my favorite treats as well. I have been making making them for years, but never thought of putting them in the freezer. I’m just wondering how you dip the peanut butter balls in the chocolate? Yours look so perfect, and there are no toothpick holes or fingerprints. Also, how do you get your peanut butter balls to come out so uniform in size?
I just made these and for me after they came out of the freezer I stuck a toothpick in them and dipped them then after you put them on the sheet you just use your finger to move the peanut butter around a little bit to cover up the hole.
That’s what I do also, IF I can stop from eating them
I am wondering exactly what Kelli is wondering……how you dip without making a hole? your cookies are PERFECT!
I’m hoping to make these for Thanksgiving dessert! But I have a 3 hour drive, will they hold up okay?
Yes. They should. You could pack them with ice just to be sure
Is there a way I can melt the chocolate without using a microwave?
My mom used to use a double boiler in the bottom pot water in the top she’d put the chocolate chips. Seems to work the same. I never knew you could use the microwave.
I learned to make them in the early 70’s using a Double Boiler to melt chocolate! No microwaves then! Blessings! Microwave would be less messy!! 😀
Once you dip the buckeye in chocolate, wait for them to set and then you simply go over the toothpick hole with another toothpick.
I use same recipe to make peanut butter EASTER EGGS . ( All SIZES ) BEEN doing it for years . Tried many different Chocolate coatings, and found one few years ago at BATH and BEYOND which works great. FOUNTAIN FORMULA Ready Microwaveable. Dominic Grillo Dunedin Fl.
Thanks for the tip Dominic
Have you ever used shortening to thin the chocolate? I’ve seen this used a few times, but I never have when making truffles (and this is so similar!) What are your thoughts?
Yes. I have done that too.
My Grandma taught me to use a bit of paraffin to thin the chocolate.
Yes me too is give it a lil shine. Love making these it just brings back the fun memories of helping grandma every holiday
Can you tell me how to use parrifin to smooth out chocolate, and what kind of parrifin?
I learned to make them in the early 70’s using a Double Boiler to melt chocolate! No microwaves then! Blessings! Microwave would be less messy!! 😀. I used the parroting also. Helped the chocolate to stick on the Peanutbutter Balls too!
I made this recipe. Big hit!! Where do you store after and how long are they good for after?
My mixture came out very powdery. Any tips?
I have used shortening to thin the chocolate and it wasn’t good. It changed the flavor of the chocolate and no one in my office would eat them. We pitched most of them. 🙁 I haven’t made them since and that was 5 years ago. I’m trying again this year this recipe. Hope it turns out better.
I’ve been making them for years. I put about a 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil in the chocolate and it makes them super smooth and shiny, also doesn’t change the taste.
Hi Mallory, how do you store these and for how long? Thank you ~ 🙂
The can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator. But to keep them longer (up to a few weeks) I freeze them.
my mix turned out too sticky to form balls. what do you recommend?
Hi Lia. I would add enough powdered sugar until you can handle them enough to roll
About how many buckeyes does this make?
I am in a cookie exchange and will need to make about 6 dozen cookies!
This recipe needs more peanut buttter and more butter or less powered sugar.
1 pound is like 3 1/2 – 4 cups. That’s a lot compared to other recipes. I had to add a couple more spoons of peanut butter and a half a stick more of butter. The combination just doesn’t work out. Probably could have used 2 sticks of butter, like others I found.
Just add the powdered sugar slow an d stop when it gets clumpy. It taste good, but all peanut butter and chocolate does!!!
My centers turned out very soft. I probably didn’t add enough powdered sugar. My sugar was in a storage container (not the original bag) and I don’t have a scale so I had to estimate. Can you tell me about how many cups the 1 pound would be?
I thought I would try these since the recipe looked so simple. Needless to say I was disappointed. I followed the recipe word for word and just ended up frustrated and actually tossed them out. The chocolate wax way to thick when I tried to dip the peanut butter balls they fell apart. I even made my peanut butter balls up last night and left them in the refrigerator over night.
My peanut butter balls are in the freezer waiting fir chocolate. I so hope they turn out.
I found the easiest way to dip candy was not with a toothpick but with a plastic fork, ( you break the center two prongs off, leaving the two outside prongs, set candy ball on fork and dip, the extra coating will drip back into the bowl. then just set it on waxed paper. (NO HOLE) It also works good for dipping pretzels, you can hook the pretzel over a prong. I make bon bons this way too.
I agree with some of the other comments, the ratios were not right. My mix ended up way too powdered almost like sand. So I decided to press it into the pan and see if it will make bars. Also, the peanut butter texture could make a difference, or melting the butter might help.
I have made these for years. I have used a different recipe of 1 lb butter, 2 lbs peanut butter, and 3 lbs of confectioners sugar. It comes very close to perfect every time except when the humidity is high. One person asked about a 6 dozen batch, this will do it. For those too sticky, ass more sugar and if it is crumbly, you’ve added too much sugar. Also when you melt your chocolate, melt paraffin was with the chocolate. This gives it a beautiful gloss and does not change the flavor. Hope this helps.
What kind of paraffin did you use? How nuch?
Well what is your recipe. Whole thing. I absolutely can’t afford to waste money on bad recipes. I am using these for gifts
I just made the balls, and the mixture was very powdery. I had to really work to form a ball. What did I do wrong?
Your story is funny because I have a brother who married somebody from the Buckeye State and he’s from New England and we have of course called them peanut butter balls I guess that happens more often than not. It is definitely one of our favorites
Do you melt or soften the butter before mixing it with the peanut butter?
I soften it.