How to make dreamy, creamy 4 ingredient buckeyes, peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate. Easy small batch buckeye recipe perfect for the holidays! It’s the quintessential must have Christmas candy and holiday dessert.
Every Christmas since I was a little girl, I’ve made buckeye candy, or easy chocolate peanut butter balls with a creamy peanut butter center. If you’ve never had homemade buckeyes, they tie right up there with fantasy fudge and microwaveable peanut butter fudge as #1 must have Christmas candy.
When I was a kid during the holiday season, we’d store all the Christmas candy, including chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls, 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.
It just wouldn’t be the holidays without a small batch of buckeye balls and Ritz crackers with peanut butter. In fact, this small batch buckeyes recipe is one of our family’s favorite Christmas recipes. They’re perfect for Valentine’s Day too, alongside chocolate dipped strawberries, especially if your significant other loves the combination of chocolate and peanut butter.
Sometimes I like to make them crispy too. Rice Krispie peanut butter balls with Rice Krispies are just the ticket. If you want even quicker and easier (no rolling or dipping), you’ll love buckeye bars.
Why I Love This Easy Buckeye Recipe
- Classic peanut butter balls consist of a creamy peanut butter center inside a chocolate coating.
- This buckeye balls recipe is super easy to make and only requires 4 ingredients.
- Kids can get in on the fun of making them too, as it’s a very kid-friendly recipe.
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 few years ago, when a friend from Ohio (where the state tree of Ohio is the Ohio Buckeye tree) educated me otherwise.
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.
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes
You’ll need just a handful of ingredients to make this easy buckeye recipe…
- Salted Butter – Be sure to give the butter time to soften and come to room temperature before mixing. You can also substitute plant-based or vegan butter if you need to make dairy-free buckeyes.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – You can also sub crunchy peanut butter. I do recommend using a regular creamy peanut butter vs. a natural peanut butter, where you have to stir in the oil before using, because the chocolate will coat better with less oily peanut butter.
- Powdered Sugar or Confectioners’ Sugar
- Chocolate Melting Wafers – You can use any type of melting chocolate, but I do recommend using a higher quality chocolate for better flavor. I have used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but an actual melting chocolate has better flavor, in my opinion.
How to Make 4 Ingredient Buckeyes Peanut Butter Balls
- Your first step will be to soften the butter and adding it to a large bowl. You can soften it by either getting it out of the fridge and letting it sit beforehand or putting it in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Add in the peanut butter with the butter.
- Finally, add in the powdered sugar.
- Mix everything together until it’s blended well.
How to Shape the Peanut Butter Balls
- At this point, you’ll need to shape all of the dough into creamy peanut butter balls. You’ll take about a tablespoonful or small cookie scoop of the peanut butter mixture and begin to roll it between your hands. Shape it into round 1-inch balls and place each one on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper.
- Add toothpicks (for dipping) to each ball.
Once all of the dough is rolled into balls, chill the whole sheet in the fridge or freezer for about half an hour.
How to Melt Chocolate for Dipping
While your peanut butter balls are chilling, it’s a good time to melt the chocolate and get it 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.
- Use a fondue pot and make it a family affair.
Also, depending on the type of chocolate used, some people like to add vegetable 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
- Dip the chilled peanut butter balls, leaving the very top part of each undipped, so to resemble an actual buckeye. 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.
- At this point, you’ll need to chill the buckeye peanut butter balls for about 15-20 minutes in the freezer; then remove all the toothpicks and cover up each toothpick hole with your finger (totally optional).
As you can see in most of my pictures, I didn’t really care about the holes being there… But if you do, just smooth it over.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s
For best results, 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.
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.
My homemade buckeyes usually have kind of a chocolate ring around the bottom of the buckeyes. 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 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.
Keep them chilled. Freezing or chilling the dough before dipping, then after dipping, will make the buckeyes sweat if removed from the fridge or freezer. So when not eating, keep them stored in the fridge.
As noted above, be sure to keep this candy in an airtight container, 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.
Yes, you can. You can freeze them before or after dipping. Just be sure to store them in an airtight, freezer-friendly container to avoid freezer burn. They should keep for up to 3 months.
More Easy Candy Recipes:
If you love this small batch buckeye recipe as much as I do, you’ll love these candies too…
- Homemade chocolate covered cherries
- Chocolate covered almond coconut trees
- Chocolate peppermint bark
- Chocolate peanut butter hearts
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Easy 4-Ingredient Buckeyes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter*
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 10 ounces dark chocolate melting wafers (or milk chocolate)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the softened butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar.
- Take about a tablespoonful or small cookie scoop full 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 in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet lined with wax paper. Continue rolling the rest of the dough into balls. (If the mixture is too gooey, try chilling it in the fridge or freezer for 20-30 minutes before rolling into balls.)
- Add toothpicks, for dipping, to each ball.
- Chill the peanut butter balls in the fridge or freezer for about 30 minutes.
- Add the chocolate to a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl; and melt, starting at 30 seconds, then stirring every 15-20 seconds, 'til melted and smooth.
- Remove the peanut butter balls from the freezer, and using the inserted toothpicks, dip every single peanut butter ball, partially immersing each one into the melted chocolate. Place each dipped buckeye back on the wax paper lined cookie sheet.
- Chill the chocolate covered peanut butter balls in the fridge or freezer ’til set, probably about 15-20 minutes.
- Then remove all the toothpicks and cover up each toothpick hole with your finger (optional step).
- Store the buckeyes in a wax paper lined airtight container or festive Christmas tin in the fridge.
Video
Notes
- 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. I like to use my 2-cup Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup for dipping. Whatever you do, put the melted chocolate in a deeper dish for dipping; I prefer my Pyrex measuring cup because I can use it in the microwave, and it’s the perfect depth and breadth for dipping.
- Use a fondue pot and make it a family affair.
Love this small batch recipe!
I am lactose intolerant. Can I substitute something other than butter to use in these? thanks
Wanda, my recommendation would be to try a vegan butter, such as the Earth Balance sticks that are available at Walmart. They are usually dairy free, but be sure to check the label. I can’t recommend using an oil at this time, as I am afraid that the dough would become too greasy and not hold the chocolate very well. I hope this helps!
How long will they last in refrigerator. Want to make ~5 days before Christmas
Veronica, they’ll generally last 10 days or so before they start to go stale. There should be no problem making them 5 days ahead of time, so long as they are stored in an airtight container. Thanks for the question!
I have installed butter, would that work as well or should I add salt?
I meant Unsalted***
Jobeth, I assume that you meant to say unsalted butter. In that case, yes, that’ll work. Since there is no salt in unsalted butter, it is recommended that you add 1/4 teaspoon of salt for every 1/2 cup of unsalted butter. I hope this helps!
You can use nestle chocolate chips. I use semi sweet. I have been making Buckeyes for 30 years for every Christmas, sometimes birthdays. This year I made 30 doz. for gifts.
Thanks for the tip, Joyce! I actually tried using chocolate chips for the first time this past Christmas, and while a I still prefer the melting wafers, the peanut butter balls turned out great!
Can you use chocolate chips to dip the peanut butter into
Yes, you can use chocolate chips. Thanks for asking.
Why do these need to stay chilled?
Thank you
If stored at room temperature, both the chocolate and/or peanut butter tends to “sweat,” resulting in a greasy, somewhat melty peanut butter ball. They keep much better if stored in the refrigerator or freezer. I hope this helps.
Wonderful. Have always wanted to make these. Thank you.
That’s great, Penny! Thank You.
I used a cookie scooper worked great! My issue I’m having is I froze for 30 mins with toothpicks but after dipping only 4 this kept sliding off the toothpick. Froze for another 30 minutes did the same thing.
I used honey peanut butter. Is this the issue?
Angelica, the peanut butter is very likely the problem. It’s best to find a regular creamy peanut butter with a very low oil content. Otherwise it doesn’t like to hold together well.
Reminds me of old school peanut butter balls!
That’s awesome, Versa!