CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BALLS (BUCKEYE CANDY)

Peanut Butter Balls – How to make creamy chocolate peanut butter balls, or buckeyes, with 4 ingredients. Easy no bake candy recipe that makes a small batch, perfect for dessert!

chocolate peanut butter balls or buckeye candy on ivory plate with blue Christmas kitchen towel
Every Christmas since I was a little girl, I’ve made buckeye candy, or chocolate peanut butter balls. If you’ve never had buckeyes, they are must have Christmas chocolates.


When I was a kid, we’d store all the Christmas candy in the stairs that led up to my room because there was no heat or insulation. So they’d stay nice and chilled, and they were pretty easy to access on the way to my room.

Buckeyes consist of a creamy peanut butter filling inside a chocolate coating. It just wouldn’t be the holidays without a small batch of buckeye balls or Ritz cracker cookies.

In fact, chocolate covered peanut butter balls are one of our family’s favorite Christmas recipes. They’re perfect for Valentine’s Day too, especially if your significant other loves that chocolate peanut butter combo.

freshly dipped chocolate peanut butter balls, made with a family buckeye recipe, on a white ivory plate

This buckeye recipe is super easy to make and only requires 4 ingredients. Kids can get in on the fun too, as it’s a very kid-friendly recipe.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE FOR CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BALLS?
If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the scrumptious buckeyes recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUT BUTTER BALLS AND BUCKEYES?
Actually, yes, there is. And I didn’t really think it was that big of a deal until a friend educated me otherwise a few years ago.

Chocolate covered peanut butter balls are just that… They’re completely covered in chocolate.

Buckeye candy is mostly covered in chocolate but with a bit of the peanut butter uncovered, so to look like actual buckeyes.

chocolate coated peanut butter balls that look like buckeyes on ivory plate
CAN I USE CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER TO MAKE BUCKEYE CANDY?
If you like to have a little crunch to your peanut butter balls, you most certainly can use crunchy peanut butter.

I’ve also used honey peanut butter, which really does make delicious peanut butter balls.

I will add one note… Make sure the peanut butter you’re using isn’t a super greasy peanut butter. If it’s too oily, the chocolate may not want to coat the peanut butter mixture.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE BUCKEYE CANDY
Your first step will be to soften the butter, which you can do by either getting it out of the fridge and letting it sit or putting it in the microwave for a few seconds.

Then just mix up the first three ingredients, including the softened butter, creamy peanut butter, and powdered sugar.

making buckeye recipe, dough for no bake peanut butter balls in mixing bowl
Now comes the shaping process.

HOW DO I SHAPE THE PEANUT BUTTER BALLS FOR DIPPING?
You’ll take about a tablespoonful of the peanut butter mixture and begin to roll it between your hands. Shape it into as round of a ball as you can and place it on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

shaping peanut butter balls for buckeye recipe, peanut butter balls on baking sheet
Then chill the peanut butter balls in the fridge or freezer for about half an hour.

HOW TO PREP THE CHOCOLATE FOR DIPPING
First, make sure the chocolate is melted and ready to go. Depending on the chocolate you decide to use, you can melt it a couple different ways:

Melt it using a double boiler on the stove – This is basically a pan inside of another pan with boiling water in the bottom pan. It allows for more even melting without burning, and it also keeps the chocolate warm for dipping.
Melt it in the microwave – This is usually the route I go.
Also, depending on the type of chocolate used, some people like to add shortening or paraffin wax to their chocolate as it melts. This allows for a thinner coat and stretches your chocolate a little further.

If you use a good quality chocolate, you likely won’t need this step.

I started using Ghirardelli Dark Melting Wafers a few years ago, and I love them so much better than almond bark. They’re so much easier to work with, and they have fantastic flavor.

HOW TO DIP THE PEANUT BUTTER BALLS IN CHOCOLATE
Once your chocolate is ready to go, you can remove the peanut butter balls from the freezer, and start dipping right away.

We’ve used a regular table fork in the past, as well as tongs or toothpicks. You can also use a dipping fork or tool to dip your peanut butter balls into the chocolate.

dipping peanut butter balls in chocolate for buckeye recipe, using 2-cup glass Pyrex measuring cup and toothpicks
Another tip: Put the melted chocolate in a deeper dish for dipping; I prefer my 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup because I can use it in the microwave, and it’s the perfect depth and breadth for dipping.

As you partially dip each buckeye into the chocolate, place it back on the wax paper lined cookie sheet.

My buckeyes usually have kind of a chocolate ring around the bottom. You can avoid this by letting excess chocolate drip off the buckeye after dipping; and just lightly press the bottom of the buckeye on a separate sheet of wax paper before putting it back on your cookie sheet.

If you use toothpicks for dipping, you may want to cover up the hole with your finger after dipping… I usually don’t even worry about it.

Chill the chocolate covered peanut butter balls in the fridge or freezer ’til set, probably about 15-20 minutes.

bite out of buckeye, yummy chocolate peanut butter balls recipe
Store them in an airtight container or festive Christmas tin (lined with wax paper) in the fridge. They can be kept out, but they won’t keep as long as they will if you keep them in the fridge.

MORE CHOCOLATEY CHRISTMAS TREATS YOU MAY ENJOY:
Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries

Chocolate Covered Almond Coconut Trees

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE BUCKEYE CANDY

1. Mixing Bowl
2. Baking Sheet with Wax Paper
3. Double Boiler – Or you can use a glass container, like my favorite 2-Cup Pyrex Measuring Cup.
4. Toothpicks or Candy Dipping Tools
5. Airtight Storage Container or Festive Christmas Tin

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls Buckeye Candy Recipe

Ingredients

1. 3 tablespoons salted butter softened
2. 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3. 1 cup powdered sugar
4. 10 ounces dark chocolate melting wafers

Instructions

1. Mix up the first three ingredients, including the softened butter, creamy peanut butter, and powdered sugar.
2. Take about a tablespoonful of the peanut butter mixture and begin to roll it between your hands. Shape it into as round of a ball as you can and place it on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
3. Continue rolling until all of your peanut butter mixture has been rolled into peanut butter balls.
4. Chill the peanut butter balls in the fridge or freezer for about half an hour.
5. Melt the chocolate according to package directions.**
6. Once your chocolate is ready to go, you can remove the peanut butter balls from the freezer, and start dipping right away.
7. As you partially dip each buckeye into the chocolate, using a toothpick or dipping tool, place it back on the wax paper lined cookie sheet.
8. Chill the chocolate covered peanut butter balls in the fridge or freezer ’til set, probably about 15-20 minutes.
9. Store them in an airtight container or festive Christmas tin (lined with wax paper) in the fridge.***

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