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    Home » Recipes » Bite Sized

    Buckeye Balls

    Published: Dec 16, 2016 · Last modified: Apr 5, 2022 by Leslie Kiszka / This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 2 votes
    Buckeye Balls

    This buckeye balls recipe is a Midwest holiday tradition! Easy, no-bake creamy peanut butter filling covered in rich chocolate that resembles the nut from the buckeye tree. For more peanut butter fun, try my peanut butter eggs.

    Buckeye Balls

    Hey all! So I spent the week in Chicago as a surprise to my father – he thought he was getting a package, but instead he got me. Thankfully, he was okay with the trade off.

    I couldn’t have picked a worse week to go, though – it was like I landed in the arctic circle! Thankfully, he was okay with just hanging around his place and popping out for the occasional meal.

    And I brought treats with me, like some sort of sugar-delivery Santa. One container of Cranberry Bliss Fudge and a container of this Midwest tradition: Buckeye Balls.

    Buckeye Balls

    What are buckeye balls?

    Have you heard of Buckeye Balls? When I moved to New England, I discovered that people had NO IDEA what I was talking about.

    Eventually it came to light that most people knew what they were, just by a more literal name of “Peanut Butter Balls”. It made me feel better to know that other people appreciate these easy, no-bake treats.

    Okay, there’s another key to these – the design of the chocolate coating. If you want them to be truly traditional buckeye balls, you have to leave a small circle of peanut butter exposed on the top so that they look like that poisonous nut.

    I’m not gonna lie – I’m not sure WHY we always wanted to make a food that looks like a nut that could kill you, but I’m still on board with it. They’re just so freaking good.

    Buckeye Balls

    I used to make these with my family every single Christmas. It was the one recipe us kids were allowed to do ourselves, and it always turned the kitchen into a big, peanut buttery, chocolatey mess. It was amazing.

    As I got older though, the idea of the original recipe made my stomach churn a little bit: ½ cup of butter, a pound of powdered sugar, some shortening in the chocolate… eek. I went on a mission to make them as healthy as I could and still retain its creamy, decadent texture.

    Buckeye Balls

    Over time, I’ve put more effort into utilizing the bag of coconut flour (aff link) and coconut sugar (aff link) that I have in my pantry. They’re both so useful in so many things, but they’re not a 1:1 substitution for most things, which means I just have to do quite a bit of trial and error.

    I tried using both the coconut flour and sugar and discovered that the sugar just made things grainy, which is the exact opposite of what I’m going for.

    Eventually I realized that just using a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup maintains the creamy texture, and you can use a lot less than you would with solid sweeteners. Thankfully (noticing a trend here?), I finally got the quantities right for this recipe and they work like a dream. 

    Buckeye Balls

    As for the chocolate, I could definitely have gone the route of trying to use raw cacao powder (aff link) and coconut oil, but it all came back to the texture – it just wasn’t smooth enough.

    So, I kept the chocolate coating simple – just use good chocolate. This is key, and I’m not just trying to sell you on spending more money (trust me, that’s not my goal in life). You have to use a good chocolate in order for these to be a success. Sub par chocolate will just make them… sad. And you don’t want sad dessert, now do you? Of course not.

    Buckeye Balls
    Buckeye Balls

    If you’re like me, you’re going to pop one of these in your mouth every time you walk past your fridge, and then suddenly the container is empty.

    Glass containers where you can see the amount left are essential here to help you with your self control – don’t say I didn’t warn you!

    Buckeye Balls

    After you’ve made this recipe, please consider coming back to share your experience with others by leaving a comment below with a star rating!

    Buckeye Balls

    Buckeye Balls

    5 from 2 votes
    A Midwest holiday tradition! Easy, no-bake creamy peanut butter filling covered in rich chocolate that resembles the nut from the buckeye tree.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes
    Servings 24 to 32 balls

    Equipment

    • Double boiler
    • Baking sheets
    • Parchment paper (precut)
    • Mixing bowls
    • Cookie scoops
    • Candy dipping tools

    Ingredients
      

    Classic Peanut Butter Filling

    • 1 ½ cups peanut butter, creamy
    • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 3 cups powdered sugar, or more, as needed
    • pinch salt

    Healthier Peanut Butter Filling

    • 1 ½ cups peanut butter, organic or otherwise
    • ¼ cup honey, maple or agave syrup
    • ½ cup coconut flour
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pinch of salt

    Chocolate Coating

    • 12 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate
    • 1 tablespoon Coconut oil or vegetable shortening, if needed to thin chocolate out more, a little at a time

    Instructions
     

    Peanut Butter Filling

    • Cover two baking sheets with wax or parchment paper and set aside.
    • In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients together – you can use a spoon or spatula to start, but you'll need to use your hands to really combine it eventually.
    • Use a small cookie scoop (or just measure out 2 teaspoons for each) to scoop out an even amount of dough and roll them in the palms of your hands to form a ball. Place balls an inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Place baking sheets in fridge.

    Chocolate Coating

    • In a double broiler (with a small amount of water in the saucepan that doesn’t touch the bottom of the top pan), bring water to a simmer.
    • Add chocolate and stir constantly until chocolate has melted.
    • Turn heat down to the lowest setting and remove your peanut butter balls from the fridge.
    • Using a candy dipper or a spoon, dip each ball into the chocolate until either completely covered or where only a small circle of peanut butter is exposed on top (this is the traditional process). Transfer to prepared baking sheet to cool.
    • Leaving the completed buckeye balls on the baking sheets, place back in fridge for at least 30 minutes to set completely.
    • Place in airtight containers (with parchment paper between layers) until ready to serve. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Nutritional information listed is for the version with the “healthier” peanut butter filling.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 208mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2mg
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Author Leslie Kiszka
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Janet

      June 02, 2021 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      finally someone else that loves these like i do! i grew up in IL and always made these at the holidays too

      Reply
      • Leslie Kiszka

        June 04, 2021 at 8:02 am

        Aren’t they the best?!

        Reply

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    Hi there! I'm Leslie. I use baking as an outlet for relieving stress and anxiety to provide you with easy to follow homemade recipes and a little humor. About Leslie ⟶

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