Perfect Buckeye Balls Recipe

Peanut butter is one of my favorite foods. Combine peanut butter with chocolate and you have the ultimate dessert combination. I found the recipe for these Buckeye Balls on Pinterest years ago and have been making them ever since. They’re always a delicious treat and can be made year-round. Best of all, you only need six ingredients for the perfect Buckeye Balls–and you probably already have them all on hand!

What is a Buckeye Ball? The candies were created by an OSU fan during football season, and named for the nut of the Ohio state tree, the buckeye. You’ll see it in candy and souvenir shops all over Ohio and other Midwestern states. 

Simple Ingredients

I’m a brand shopper, so when I pull out my pantry staples, they are always going to be Jif, Land-o-Lakes, and Nestle chocolate chips. That way, I am sure that my Buckeye Balls will be super creamy and have rich flavor by not taking cheaper alternatives on the butter. I also like using Crisco sticks, as they have markings on the wrapper for measurement and have little or not clean up. They also store well.

I keep McCormick and Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla on hand, but when vanilla isn’t the primary flavor, I chose the cheaper one.  

Plastic wrap keeps the dough moist while it chills for easier handling. 

A Tool That Makes Baking and Cooking Easier

Cookie scoops are an amazing tool to have in your kitchen. I use them in an array of different sizes. They come in handy for my cooking and baking needs in shaping and portioning  meatballs, cookies, muffins, and  cupcakes, to name a few.

Cookie scoops are also referred to as spring-loaded scoops. For Buckeye Balls, I use either the #40 scoop (the number is listed inside the scoop), which yields 1 1/2 tablespoons per scoop or #20, which equals 3 tablespoons. 

Buckeyes can be refrigerated, or left at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days.  Allow the chocolate plenty of time to dry before putting them in a container to keep them from sticking together. I also put a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper between layers. 

Perfect Buckeye Balls Recipe

Buckeye Balls are the perfect chocolate and peanut butter combination to satisfy your sweet tooth, plate for a dinner party, or even use as gifts for a special occasion. You can’t help but love the rich and creamy flavor of these tasty morsels.

• Author: Taylor Pittman Hardy
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 24 1x
• Category: dessert, candy
• Method: hand
• Cuisine: American

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Jif creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 pound box confectioners sugar
• 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2–3 Tbsp. Crisco shortening (we prefer the sticks)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners sugar using your hands. It will be dry and crumby at first, but work until everything is mixed.

2. Separate your dough into three large balls. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

3. Shape your dough into small balls using one tablespoon for each ball and rolling it between your hands until smooth. When you’re finished, place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for an hour, at least.

4. In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. When smooth, remove from heat. Use a toothpick to dip each chilled ball into the chocolate mixture, and place them back on the baking sheet. Use the back of a spoon to smooth over toothpick holes. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.

 

Notes

Keep your Buckeye Balls the same size by using a cookie scoop.

Store your Buckeye Balls in the refrigerator. They taste even better cold!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 ball
• Calories: 292
• Sugar: 28 g
• Sodium: 97 mg
• Fat: 16.9 g
• Saturated Fat: 6.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 32.8 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 4.5 g
• Cholesterol: 10 mg

Keywords: buckeye balls, candy, peanut butter

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Check out some of our other sweet treats:

The Best Snickerdoodles

Peanut Blossom Cookies

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Taylor Pittman Hardy wrote this article.