Buckeye Balls (Peanut Butter Balls)
Buckeye balls are a classic Midwestern candy for a reason—they're a breeze to make, and they taste like peanut butter and chocolate heaven!
Servings: 36 buckeyes
Calories: 256kcal
Ingredients
For the Peanut Butter Ball
- 1 ⅔ cups creamy peanut butter not natural/unsweetened
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
For the Chocolate Coating
- 8 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
For the Peanut Butter Ball
- Line a baking sheet with waxed paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla extract until very smooth and fluffy.
- Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add as much powdered sugar as it takes for the mixture to form a non-sticky, but solid dough—about the texture of fresh-out-of-a-new-container Play-Doh. Depending on the oil content of your peanut butter, you might need as little as 3 cups of powdered sugar, or as much as 4. Remember, you can always add more powdered sugar, but you can’t take it out.
- Using wet hands, form the dough into 1 ½” smooth balls. Place the balls on the baking sheet. When all the balls are formed, pop the baking sheet in the freezer to set the balls while you make the chocolate coating.
For the Chocolate Coating
- In a double boiler on low or in a mixing bowl fitted over a small saucepan with simmering water on low heat, combine the chocolate and butter. Stir frequently until melted and smooth.
- Remove the peanut butter balls from the freezer, take a wooden toothpick, and insert it into the middle of one of the balls. Dip the ball in the chocolate about ⅔ of the way up the side of the ball. Return the ball to the baking sheet, dropping it off the toothpick. Repeat with the remaining peanut butter balls.
- To close the toothpick holes, dip a finger in water, and smooth over the hole. Once the chocolate is set, remove the buckeyes from the baking sheet, and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Video
Notes
- If the peanut butter balls are getting a little too squishy to easily swirl through the chocolate coating, pop them back in the freezer for a bit to firm up.
- If you don't have a double boiler, you can make your own by fitting a mixing bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water.
Nutrition
Serving: 1buckeye | Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g
