Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (2024)

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A perfect marriage of peanut butter and chocolate make Ohio-famous Buckeyes a no-bake masterpiece. Similar to Peanut Butter Balls, Buckeyes are made with creamy peanut butter, sweet powdered sugar and butter, rolled into balls and partially dipped into melted chocolate, leaving just a little bit of peanut butter exposed – making them look just like real buckeyes.

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Ok, What are Buckeyes?

Real buckeyes are a shiny, brown nut that grow on an Ohio state tree – the buckeye tree. Buckeyes resemble the eye of a deer, hence: BUCK EYE. I have memories of buckeye nuts every fall all over our sidewalks. My grandpa used to drill holes in them so we could string them for necklaces. Such a fun memory! Unless you’re a squirrel, do NOT try to eat this nut. 🙂 Make this recipe instead!

Buckeyes, the candy – are a combination of peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar shaped into small balls. You then dip them in melted chocolate, but not all of it! Leave a small portion of the peanut butter visible which look exactly like the buckeye nut.

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How to Make Buckeyes

For full recipe details, see the printable recipe card down below. Here is step by step what you can expect when making this Buckeye recipe:

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Prep Baking Sheet

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Cream Butter + Peanut Butter Together

Cream softened butter and peanut butter in a bowl with hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle until color begins to lighten and mixture is silky smooth.

Add vanilla and salt and mix until combined.

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Add Powdered Sugar

SLOWLY add powdered sugar in 1/3 cup increments mixing well in between. “Dough” should be thick enough to roll into balls. If you haven’t achieved that texture, add a little bit more sugar.

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Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (6)

Form Balls + Refrigerate

Scoop out tablespoon sized portions and roll into balls with clean hands. Place balls onto parchment lined baking sheet. Place a toothpick into the center of each ball and refrigerate for 15 min to an hour.

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Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (8)

Pro Tip: if you find your balls start out rolling out smoothly but then start to stick, try cleaning your hands periodically. Clean hands make the smoothest balls.

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Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (10)

Melt Chocolate

Meanwhile, melt both types of chocolate together with coconut oil in a double boiler or microwave, stirring and making sure not to burn.

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Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (12)

Dip Balls in Chocolate

Remove balls from refrigerator and holding onto the toothpick, dip each ball into chocolate being sure to cover just about 80% of the peanut butter to achieve that “Buckeye” look.Place back onto baking sheet until all buckeyes have been dipped and chocolate is set.

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Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (14)
Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (15)

Remove Toothpicks + Serve

Once peanut butter has come back to room temperature, using a twisting motion remove toothpicks. Cover the hole by gently smoothing peanut butter with your finger. Serve immediately.

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Storing Buckeyes

Store in airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature if you prefer softer peanut butter.

You can also freeze Buckeyes if you want to store them longer (perfect for a make ahead option). To freeze, place buckeyes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet or something flat that will fit in your freezer. Freeze until balls are frozen solid, then transfer to a freezer safe, airtight container or bag. They should stay fresh in the freezer up to 3 months. The texture may change slightly after freezing and thawing, but the taste shouldn’t be effected.

To thaw, allow the buckeyes to sit at room temperature 15-20 minutes before serving!

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More Peanut Butter Dessert Recipes to Try!

  • Peanut Butter Balls
  • Peanut Butter Blossoms
  • Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
  • Peanut Butter Cookies
  • No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars
  • Peanut Butter Energy Balls

I hope you love these little gems! The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends!

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you wouldgive it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

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4 from 2 votes

Buckeyes

A perfect marriage of peanut butter and chocolate make Ohio-famous Buckeyes a no-bake masterpiece.

servings 36 pieces

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

Equipment

  • toothpicks for dipping

Instructions

  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

    Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (19)

  • Cream softened butter and peanut butter in a bowl with hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle until color begins to lighten and mixture is silky smooth.

    Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (20)

  • Add vanilla and salt and mix until combined.

  • SLOWLY add powdered sugar in 1/3 cup increments mixing well in between. "Dough" should be thick enough to roll into balls. If you haven't achieved that texture, add a little bit more sugar.

    Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (21)

  • Scoop out tablespoon sized portions and roll into balls with clean hands*. Place balls onto parchment lined baking sheet. Place a toothpick into the center of each ball and refrigerate for 15 min to an hour.

    Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (22)

  • Meanwhile, melt both types of chocolate together with coconut oil in a double boiler or microwave, stirring and making sure not to burn.

    Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (23)

  • Remove balls from refrigerator and holding onto the toothpick, dip each ball into chocolate being sure to cover just about 80% of the peanut butter to achieve that "Buckeye" look.

    Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (24)

  • Place back onto baking sheet until all buckeyes have been dipped and chocolate is set.

    Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (25)

  • Once peanut butter has come back to room temperature, using a twisting motion remove toothpicks. Cover the hole by gently smoothing peanut butter with your finger. Serve immediately. Store in airtight container in refrigerator or at room temperature if you prefer softer peanut butter.

    Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (26)

Video

Notes

*if you find your balls start out rolling out smoothly but then start to stick, try cleaning your hands periodically. Clean hands make the smoothest balls.

Nutrition

Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 104IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Buckeyes

Buckeyes Recipe - Lauren's Latest (2024)

FAQs

Why are my buckeyes too soft? ›

You want it to be moist enough so that it will hold together when you roll it into a ball. If you're having the opposite problem and your mixture is too soft, simply add in more powdered sugar.

Should you keep buckeyes in the fridge? ›

Storage Tips

Make sure your buckeyes stay fresh for as long as possible! The buckeyes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep them nice and fresh. Stored in this way, they will keep for about 1 month (although good luck keeping them that long without eating them all, ha!).

Can you leave buckeyes out? ›

Buckeyes are fine to sit out at room temperature on holiday cookie plates for up to 24 hours, though if you're keeping them around for longer than that, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator where they'll stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.

What are buckeye balls made of? ›

Here's what's in buckeye balls: The peanut butter balls are made with confectioners' sugar, creamy peanut butter, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract. The coating comes together quickly with just semi-sweet chocolate chips and shortening.

Why are buckeyes not edible? ›

Poisonous Plant: All parts of the plant (leaves, bark, fruit) are highly toxic if ingested – because of the glycoside aesculin, the saponin aescin, and possibly alkaloids.

How do you know when a buckeye is ripe? ›

Just as the trees finish flowering (sometimes before, especially in dry areas or dry seasons), the foliage will begin to show “autumnal” tints of soft yellow and tan, and the leaves begin to fall or wither.

Why are my buckeyes dry? ›

To avoid a dry, crumby dough . . .

Mix together the peanut butter and butter first, and then stir in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, until you reach the right consistency. Usually about 3 cups of powdered sugar will do for approximately 1 1/2-2 cups of peanut butter.

Why are my buckeye balls sticky? ›

Why are my Peanut Butter Balls so sticky? First, make sure you're using regular peanut butter (rather than the natural peanut butter that's more runny). If it's too sticky still, you can simply add a little more powdered sugar until it's a nice consistency for rolling into small balls.

Why is my buckeye dough sticky? ›

Why are my buckeyes sticky? This could be because it's a very humid day or the brand of the ingredients. To fix this, add more powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time until it is firm and dry enough to roll between your palms.

Why do people keep buckeyes? ›

During September, buckeyes, which are large, shiny brown seeds, can be found underneath Aesculus trees. According to legend, carrying a pocketful of buckeyes brings good luck. Early Native Americans called these seeds buckeyes for their resemblance to the eyes of male deer, known as bucks.

What are you supposed to do with buckeyes? ›

Native Americans once used buckeyes for both nutritional and medicinal purposes. These tribes would crush and knead the nuts into a salve for rashes and cuts. Today, some believe that buckeyes can relieve rheumatism and arthritis pain. Prescription opioids were first created exclusively for pain relief.

How do you keep buckeyes from sweating? ›

How do you keep buckeyes from sweating? It's hard to entirely prevent condensation from a chilled candy (without adding preservatives), but there are a few things you can do to help. If you freeze the peanut butter balls before dipping, be sure to keep them covered as they await dipping.

Are buckeyes medicinal? ›

There are many different methods for processing and cooking buckeye seeds for food, depending upon the tribe. The seeds have medicinal properties and were cut into pieces, mixed with water, and made into suppositories for hemorrhoids by the Costanoan and Kawaiisu.

Do any animals eat buckeye nuts? ›

While gray squirrels and other animals do eat buckeyes, it is never a preferred food. In fact, both the seeds and tender young leaves of the plant are said to be poisonous to humans and livestock alike. Humans have long made use of the red buckeye. Native Americans were known to crush buckeye branches to catch fish.

What does buckeye taste like? ›

Buckeyes taste like peanut butter cups with an emphasis on the peanut butter! Not too sweet, really creamy, and so satisfying.

Why are my peanut butter balls runny? ›

Use your fridge or freezer: If your peanut butter dough seems too soft to dip, it could be because your butter was too soft – or you live in a very warm climate. Don't worry – a little extra time in the fridge or freezer will help them firm up. Try again after 10 minutes.

How long does it take for a buckeye to dry out? ›

Dry your buckeye nuts in the sun for a few days. If you want to speed things up, you can dry them in an over at 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93.3 degrees Celsius) for two hours [source: Buckeyetree].

Why is my buckeye mix sticky? ›

Why are my buckeyes sticky? This could be because it's a very humid day or the brand of the ingredients. To fix this, add more powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time until it is firm and dry enough to roll between your palms.

Why are my buckeyes oily? ›

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.

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