Chocolate peanut butter happiness is created when buckeyes (aka peanut butter balls) are pressed into warm brownie bites and then drizzled with chocolate to create these Buckeye Brownies.
While few people can resist a homemade brownie, I don’t know anyone who would turn down one of these brownie bites.
Buckeye Brownies
I made these treats last weekend to satisfy a sweet craving.
For all of you non-Ohio natives, a buckeye is a poisonous nut from the buckeye tree and buckeye candies are peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate to resemble the nut.
Who could possibly resist a rich fudge brownie wrapped around a perfect bite of peanut butter buckeye?
My traditional buckeye candy recipe is one of the most popular recipes on my site and one of my favorites too. Here is a new twist for your to try.
How To Make Buckeye Brownies
To make Buckeye Brownies, bake a batch of brownies in mini muffin tins and then press a peanut butter ball on top while they’re still warm.
Drizzle with chocolate and you have a fun chocolate peanut butter treat. It’s less time commitment than dipping regular buckeyes too!
You can use any brownie recipe to make these. However, the recipe below is adapted from my Brownies Made With Cocoa Powder and it’s pretty darn perfect – if I say so myself.
Buckeye Brownies Recipe
- Make the peanut butter balls first. Beat together the peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar until smooth. If it is too dry and crumbly, add more peanut butter, if it’s too sticky, add more powdered sugar. roll into ¾ inch balls. Should make 36. Set aside
- To make the brownies bites, preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease 3 mini muffins pans well. Whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat in the cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder. Divide batter into muffin tins, filling them 2/3 full. Should make 36 brownie bites
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. Remove from the oven and immediately press a peanut butter ball into each bite. Let cool several minutes in the pan before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the chocolate drizzle, add the melted butter, cocoa powder, corn syrup powdered sugar, and milk or cream to a microwave-safe bowl. Stir together and microwave for about 20 seconds. Stir again. Drizzle warm glaze over cooled brownie bites. The glaze will set when cooled.
Buckeye Brownie Bites
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Ball Ingredients
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Brownie Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Chocolate Drizzle Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup or honey
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream
Instructions
- Make the peanut butter balls first. Beat together the peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar until smooth. If it is too dry and crumbly, add more peanut butter, if it’s too sticky, add more powdered sugar. roll into ¾ inch balls. Should make 36. Set aside
- To make the brownies bites, preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 3 mini muffins pans well. Whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat in the cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder. Divide batter into muffin tins, filling them 2/3 full. Should make 36 brownie bites
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. Remove from the oven and immediately press a peanut butter ball into each bite. Let cool several minutes in the pan before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the chocolate drizzle, add the melted butter, cocoa powder, corn syrup powdered sugar and milk or cream to a microwave safe bowl. Stir together and microwave for about 20 seconds. Stir again. Drizzle warm glaze over cooled brownie bites. Glaze will set when cooled.
Nutrition
Here are some other brownie bite recipes that sound delicious!
Texas Sheet Cake Bites from Life in the Lofthouse
Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites from Melanie Makes
And you all know my love of mint chocolate chip so here are Mint Chocolate Chip Brownie Bites from Shugary Sweets
And if you’re looking for other buckeye recipes, I have you covered.
Classic Buckeyes – Peanut Butter Balls
Peanut Butter Pretzel Buckeyes
Michael Wurm Jr says
This is easily my favorite flavor combination. Yum!!
xo Michael
Billy says
Wow do these look so good. I’m almost afraid to make them since I’m pretty sure my family and I would eat all of them in 1 day!
Sarah says
I never thought to put buck eyes ON brownies. Now this is the only way I want to eat brownies!
heather says
Giving this all the heart eyes!! Love chocolate and peanut butter! Yum!!
Jaide says
These HAVE to be delicious! I can’t wait to try them!
Alli says
Holy cow do these look amazing. How perfect. I don’t think that these would last long here.
Courtney O'Dell says
These are so delicious – always gone in seconds! Love this recipe so much.
Molly says
How long can I store these? Would they freeze ok? Or in the fridge in an airtight container?
Mallory says
They would freeze well in an airtight container for several weeks. I would avoid the fridge.
Molly says
ok thanks! What kind of peanut butter do you recommend? would natural be ok or do you use the sugared stuff (like JIF and Skippy)?
Kaydee says
These are fantastic! I made them the other day and tonight I’m making them again as Christmas gifts for family. I’m not even ashamed to say that my boyfriend and I ate the entire first couple of batches in less than one day.
KM says
My brownie bites cooked up over the tops of the paper cups I used and then collapsed in the middle. They still tasted good, but I’m a terrible baker so I don’t know what that means. Any ideas?
Mallory says
It probably means you overfilled the muffin cups. Also could you have used baking soda instead of baking powder? That could make them overflow too.
Rose Draper says
Wow. U r awesome. Ran across ur blog by accident. I’ll never lose it now. Can’t wait to try !
May says
Can I make these in full size muffin pan? And can I use a box of brownies?
Mallory says
Yes. I’ve used a box mix with good results. You could do full size muffins, but they would be huge. Probably more than 1 person could eat.
Moira says
Do your Buckeye Brownie Bites freeze well?
Mallory says
Yes. The freeze well tightly covered for a couple weeks.
Denise Nastasia says
Instead of making the glaze, could you just drizzle melted chocolate over the top? I’m not sure what the difference in taste would be, and just using melted chocolate sounds so much easier.
Betsy M says
These are the best brownie bite I have ever tasted! Very easy to make too. I was going to use a boxed brownie mix but decided to go with the recipe listed. Boy, am I glad I did! You have got to try these. I am getting married on Sept 4, 2021 and these are definitely going on the cookie table.
Mary says
I’m thrilled that you love them so much, Betsy!
Amanda says
Shelf life/storage tips? I see that they can freeze well but how long good on counter? Thank you!
Mary says
They should be good on the counter for a day or two, Amanda. I actually really like to eat them chilled, so often I store them in the fridge. They’ll keep a few extra days that way. Or, I freeze them (for up to 3 months) and just take out a few at a time.
Carrie says
These were delicious!! didn’t use the glaze–made ganache instead to top them. I couldn’t get 36 out of it though–32 was as far as I felt I could stretch it.
Mary says
Carrie – Good to note. Everyone does things slightly differently so the anticipated number you should get can vary slightly.
Beth says
Recipes look fantastic and want an easy way to print. Wish you had a print option that didn’t require a download.
Mary says
Hey Beth, there are no downloads required at ALL. If you’re seeing that, please screenshot it and send it to me. When you click the print button in the recipe card, it will simply open a fresh page with no ads or other content. It is a printable PDF that opens and nothing is downloaded this way.
Eileen says
Can almond butter be used in place of peanut butter. This sounds amazing
Mary says
While I have not personally tried it. I don’t see why it won’t work.
LDBrown says
Yum I’m maybe going to make it for my family and friends
Mary says
I hope you love them as much as we do!
Mary Grace says
Are you sipping the peanut butter balls in chocolate then putting into the brownie? Or, is it just the peanut butter ball?
Mary Grace says
Sorry…that should read DIPPING
Mary says
Mary – They are not dipped in chocolate first.
LAURA J STEVENS says
Much difficulty getting them out of the pan. First batch, used cooking spray & thought that might be it. Second batch, used Crisco & short of spreading it on with a knife, it was very well coated. Same issue. Sad, cause these were supposed to be for church group & they are all in pieces. I’ll have to make something else.
Mary says
Without being in your kitchen I am not sure why they stuck so badly. I have not had that issue before, Laura.
Victoria says
My first batch stuck with cooking spray too. However the next several batches I cooked a minute or two longer and also let them cook 15-20minutes before removing from the pan. I think allowing them to cool longer made all the difference! No issues with my next 4 batches 🙂
Christine says
This looks really good please send me the website thank you
Mary says
Hi Christine, if you click the handy “jump to recipe” button at the top of the post (or simply scroll to the bottom of the post) you’ll see the full printable recipe. Enjoy!
Kim says
Just made these. They are so tasty!! Do these need to be stored in the refrigerator for serving in 2 days?
Mary says
Refrigerate or covered in a cool place.
Terry C says
In a previous reply to a reviewer you said to “avoid the fridge” but they could be frozen for a few weeks. I would think on the counter is okay. Just in an airtight container.
Also I am confused by the term “mini” muffin pans. This is the size you would make cupcakes in OR the pans with 24 wells? To me THOSE are mini size…about one bite. BUT the the peanut butter balls would be the size of an actual peanut.
Thank you for this yummy sounding recipe. I want to make it soon with my granddaughters when they visit next week👩🍳 I am rating ahead because I know they will be delicious!,
Mary says
I use the pan with 24 wells in it and they definitely aren’t peanut-sized. (Unless you meant in the shell?) They’re about an inch in size.
Shirley Klimek says
I made these. Had trouble getting them out of the pans, even though I greased with Crisco. Half got broken. They did taste good. What did I do wrong?
Mary says
It is a balance between letting them cool long enough and not letting them cool completely and making sure they are greased extremely well.
Charlotte says
Looks so good, why can[‘t I print the recipe?
Mary says
I just tested it and it printed fine for me, Charlotte.
Nancy Gray says
I copied and pasted the recipe in to a word document then I saved it on my computer.
Shelly says
I spent time in the kitchen so excited to try these and Into could not get them out of well greased pana, so disappointed. The flavor is fantastic but half ended up in trash, will find a different recipe, sorry😔
Mary says
This is a fairly standard brownie recipe base, Shelly. I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t have popped straight out of a well-greased pan. Did you grease the pan with butter or with cooking spray? How old is the pan you used? (Non-stick pans can lose their coating over time and actually make baked goods harder to remove than they normally would be.)
Susan Foster says
I thoroughly enjoyed making and sharing these. My advice would be to press a depression into the brownie with the bottom of a spoon and then put the peanut butter ball in. That avoids any finger prints in the peanut butter ball.
Mary says
Great tip, Susan! Wearing gloves while baking is also a great option. I’m so glad you enjoyed making the brownie bites. Happy baking!
Kg says
Even after spraying pans these things do not come out of the pans. A complete disaster
Mary says
I’m sorry the recipe didn’t turn out well. I’ve never had any issue making these brownies. If you try making the recipe again, please let me know how they turn out!
Joanne DAbate says
Let’s all make these!!!
Mary says
I hope you do, Joanne, and I hope that you love the brownie bites!
Cheri G says
Question: Hello, every Christmas we make “boozy” bites for our cookie exchange. Do you think there is a way I could incorporate Skrewball peanut butter whisky into the recipe? I’m not a baker, so I’m not sure what I could take out or if I could just add. These look amazing and I’d love to make them for the cookie swap.
Mary says
I’ve never tried that, Cheri. I’m not sure how that might work. If you manage to find a way to make it work in the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! Enjoy the brownie bites, and happy baking.
Amber says
These sound DELICIOUS!!!! I love peanut butter and chocolate but not everyone does. Im making them for a party and will do half with peanut butter and the other half with nutella in place of peanut butter. Im sure they will be amazing for those of who dont like peanut butter. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
Mary says
You are welcome, Amber. I hope everyone loves the brownie bites; making a half-and-half batch is a great idea. Happy baking!
E.S. says
I’m sorry, this was a disaster from the start. The PB ball mix was so dry and crumbly with the first measurements it wouldn’t even come together. After adding a little more PB it was too smooth so I added some powdered sugar and I never could get it to a rollable consistency so I gave up and planned to put a scoop on top of each one. But then I had the exact same issue as other reviews, when they came out of the oven the brownies were glued to the pan after using cooking spray. I waited until they cooled and it was actually harder to dig them out. I wasted my entire Thanksgiving morning on these and now have to try and assemble some type of dessert out of crumbled brownies and a PB cream.
E.S. says
Okay, even though these turned into a totally different dessert, it turned out great and tastes just like a buckeye! After a disastrous attempt with the first batch of mini-brownies, I poured the remaining brownie batter in an 8×8 pan and baked it. When it cooled I spread the PB “frosting” on top, then poured the drizzle over it. We taste tested it using the crumbled mini brownies and everything together tastes amazing! I guess the lesson is, calm down and a long as it all tastes good in the end its a win!
Mary says
Glad to hear that you were able to adapt and come up with something tasty! Happy baking.
KarenR says
They stuck badly and turned out ugly BUT they are delicious anyway.
Mary says
I’m glad they were delicious. Did you grease the mini muffin pans really well? I’m not sure why they would’ve stuck like that. Does your muffin pan typically release easily?
Dana says
Made these buckeye brownie bites to take to friends todsy. They were a huge hit! My favorite food group is peanut butter and chocolate! Thank you for a great recipe!!!!
Mary says
I’m thrilled to hear how much you all enjoyed the brownie bites, Dana! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and tell me.
KarenR says
My pans are non-stick, plus I sprayed them generously with oil spray. They normally release easily. The peanut butter ball portion and glaze was perfect as written and they taste amazing. Think I’ll use brownie mix next time because they are really, really tasty.
Helen says
Okay I can’t find where you say to take them out of the pan. You said put the peanut butter roll ball into the hot brownies out of the oven and then put them on a cooling rack but I don’t know when to take them out and they’re in the oven now so I don’t know what to do.
Mary says
Remove from the oven and immediately press a peanut butter ball into each bite. Let cool several minutes in the pan before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pam B says
I see a lot of comments talking about them sticking to the pan. I use parhment liners for anything I make using cupcake or mini cupckae pans. Use parchment liners not paper. Paper will stick to brownie .