Move over Christmas cookies, buckeye candy is one of my all-time favorite holiday desserts! Buckeyes are no-bake, creamy peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate. We eat these all year, along with these old-fashioned lunch lady brownies. Also? Don’t miss my M&M cookies.

I won’t bore you with a bunch of history about the origin of buckeye candy, but as an Ohioan, this is a special recipe!

Pin this recipe for later!

Want to get straight to the buckeye candy recipe? Just scroll to the bottom of the page to skip the extras here! ?

Email This Recipe?

Get this recipe emailed to your inbox + all of our latest delivered straight to you!

The buckeye tree is the state tree of Ohio. While I’m not a football fan (shh… don’t tell anyone), we’ve also managed to personify this nut by way of Brutus Buckeye, The Ohio State University mascot.

I hope I don’t get hate mail for admitting that I’m oblivious to football! ?

Easy Peanut Butter Buckeye Balls

Here’s what I definitely CAN get behind. These ultra-rich and creamy chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls. Oh, my word… homemade buckeyes are so very good.

You may think that making buckeyes is a chore, but it’s actually pretty simple!

You’ll need to have these ingredients on hand to make these easy buckeyes. you can find the full recipe instructions below in the printable recipe card.

creamy peanut butter (psst… try my peanut butter fudge)
butter
vanilla
salt
confectioners’ sugar
semi-sweet chocolate chips
vegetable shortening

easy chocolate dipped peanut butter balls

How to Make Buckeye Candy

Using an electric mixer, beat together peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt until light and fluffy.

Next, beat in the confectioners’ sugar a little at a time until well combined. Shape into balls using approximately 2 teaspoons in each ball.

Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes before dipping in chocolate.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler over low heat, melt together the chocolate chips and shortening, stirring often, until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a small bowl for dipping.

Insert a toothpick into each ball and dip into the chocolate leaving a little of the peanut butter showing on the top.

Allow excess chocolate to drip off. Place back on the cookie sheet, remove the toothpick and refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Buckeye Candy Tips

I used a small metal bowl set overtop a small saucepan of simmering water to melt the chocolate.

Please use a processed, creamy peanut butter like Skippy or Jif. I don’t recommend trying to natural peanut butter as they are too oily and won’t give you the proper consistency.

How to Store Buckeyes

Keep buckeyes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month. I actually prefer eating buckeyes very cold! There’s something about the texture of that cold peanut butter I love!

You can also freeze buckeyes in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.

There are some recipes that I simply must enjoy every Christmas season. These easy buckeyes are one of those desserts that remind me of good times with friends and family throughout the years.

Maybe this is the Christmas season that you can make buckeyes a part of your holiday festivities!

Do you LOVE PEANUT BUTTER? Don’t miss my Peanut Butter Fudge recipe and these Peanut Butter Blossoms.

If you give my easy recipe a try, please be sure to pin it to your favorite boards on Pinterest so others can find it.

I’d also love to hear your results in the comment section below. I read and appreciate every single comment!

Merry Christmas! ?

More Delicious Recipes

Ingredients

1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
½ cup butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅛ teaspoon salt
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Instructions

Using an electric mixer, beat together peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar a little at a time until well combined. Shape into balls using approximately 2 teaspoons in each ball. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes before dipping.
Meanwhile, in a double boiler over low heat, melt together the chocolate chips and shortening, stirring often, until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a small bowl for dipping.
Insert a toothpick into each ball and dip into the chocolate leaving a little of the peanut butter showing on the top. Place back on the cookie sheet, remove the toothpick and refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Notes

I used a small metal bowl set overtop a small saucepan of simmering water to melt the chocolate.

Save This Recipe?

Enter your email and we’ll send it straight to you + get all our latest recipes.

Nutrition

Nutrition values are estimates, sourced from an online nutrition calculator. This information should never be considered a substitute for medical advice. Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Course: Candy

Cuisine: American

Keyword: buckeye balls, buckeye candy, buckeye peanut butter balls, chocolate dipped peanut butter buckeyes, easy best buckeyes

Did you make this?

I would love to hear from you! Make sure to leave your review below and follow on Pinterest for more!

4.58 from 40 votes (40 ratings without comment)

13 Comments

Donna says:

at

My recipe I got years ago calls for a little paraffin wax melted with the chocolate. Without it, does the chocolate adhere/stay on?

1. Crissy Page says:
  
  at
  
  Hi Donna! It works very well and adheres fine! Let me know if you try it. 🙂
  
Elizabeth A Dennis says:

at

I have been making these for years at Xmas time and give them as gifts for my husbands co-workers, mailman, neighbors, etc. I make (are you ready?) 100 DOZEN every year! And everyone loves them and ask are you going to make them again this year?

1. Crissy Page says:
  
  at
  
  Elizabeth, you are a buckeye-PRO! I’m sure you are very well-loved during the holiday season!! 🙂 Thanks for commenting and Merry Christmas!
  
Elizabeth A Dennis says:

at

I forgot to add that I also use the white chocolate morsels and they are so good!

Tamera Coelho says:

at

Could you use avocado oil in the chocolate instead of shortening?
I love your recipes…thank you!!

1. Crissy Page says:
  
  at
  
  Hi Tamera, I haven’t tried it so I’m not for sure… I would probably go for coconut oil if you’re looking for a substitute since it would be closer to the texture of shortening when set.
  
Rhonda says:

at

Do you think I could use margarine instead of butter? I have a dairy sensitive person in my family. Thanks!

1. Crissy Page says:
  
  at
  
  Rhonda, I haven’t tried it, but I think it should be okay!
  
Patricia Hornak says:

at

I’ve also been making these for years now, except I also add rice krispies (rolled out in baggie) adds a lil crunch to them enjoy! And Merry Christmas!

cindy maccready says:

at

I have used Margarine in mine but I omitted the salt they turned out wonderful, my dipping chocolate was almond bark which I prefer to the semi-sweet chocolate. instead of a double boiler I use a really small crockpot used for dips. works great.

Sylvia Alvarado says:

at

can you freeze & for how long?

Jill Dale says:

at

I just finished making the Buckeye Candy and the flavor is delicious! But, I could not get my chocolate chips to get thin enough to roll the ball in. I kept stirring and over simmering water the whole time I was working with it. What is the secret to a much thinner coating that will cover the balls nicely? I had a real mess on my hands and lost a few of the candies because they broke apart while trying to coat them Of course I HAD to eat them and they are great but I don’t understand why the chocolate was so thick. I even added more shortening and the helped a bit, but, alas, they were very difficult to manage.