Homemade Buckeye Recipe

4.55 from 103 votes

Hints on how to make our buckeye recipe, the classic chocolate and peanut butter homemade candy that is perfect for football season and gift giving.

Prep Time30

Chill Time30

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: buckeye recipe, christmas candy, easy homemade candy

Servings:

Calories: 144kcal

Author: Julie Clark

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter* 375 grams
1/2 cup salted butter softened 4 ounces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 grams
1/2 teaspoon salt 2 grams
3 cups powdered sugar 390 grams
12 ounces dark chocolate*

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt. Beat with the beater blade on low until well blended. 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter*, 1/2 cup salted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon salt
Add 3 cups powdered sugar, beating until blended. 3 cups powdered sugar
Shape a scoop of peanut butter into a 1-inch or slightly larger ball. The mixture should come together smoothly. If it is too crumbly, add a touch more peanut butter. If it is too sticky, add a bit more powdered sugar.
Place the peanut butter balls on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze for 30 minutes.
Place chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Pour 1 cup of water in the bottom pan of the doubler boiler and simmer the water on low. As the chocolate starts melting over the heat of the hot water, stir until the chocolate is smooth. Remove the double boiler from the stove. 12 ounces dark chocolate*
Insert toothpick in peanut butter ball. Dip 3/4 of ball into chocolate, leaving top uncovered to resemble a buckeye. Allow excess chocolate to drip from the buckeye.
Dab the bottom of the buckeye on a piece of wax paper to remove excess chocolate, then place the buckeye on a wax paper-lined baking sheet.
Remove toothpick. Smooth over holes. Chill in the fridge until firm.

Video

Notes

Our favorite peanut butter is either creamy Jif or Skippy. I do not recommend natural peanut butter.
Use chocolate chips if you’d like, but make sure they are high quality semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Many people add paraffin wax to their chocolate to thin it out. I find that when using high quality dark chocolate, you don’t have to use paraffin wax. You can also add a teaspoon or two of vegetable shortening or coconut oil in order to thin the chocolate to the desired consistency if absolutely necessary. I highly recommend pure chocolate, though!
The exact number of buckeyes you will get depends on how big you roll the peanut butter balls. We roll our buckeyes about 1″ to 1 1/4″ in diameter.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the recipe making 45 buckeyes, with 1 serving being 1 buckeye. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition