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These Peanut Butter Balls (or “Buckeyes” as their affectionately known by in Ohio and the midwest) are a no-bake treat made with a peanut butter center dipped in chocolate. They’re a classic holiday favorite that’s easy to make with just a handful of ingredients.
Homemade Buckeyes are the ultimate Peanut Butter-Chocolate Duo!
If you love that combo too, than there’s no better treat than this homemade Buckeyes recipe. I love that they’re completely no-bake, easy to make ahead, and perfect for gifting to neighbors or adding to a holiday treat platter. They’re rich, creamy, and perfectly sweet, with a smooth peanut butter center and a delicious chocolate coating. They’re always one of the first treats to disappear!
My biggest tip: Give the peanut butter balls their freezer time before rolling. They are much easier to handle frozen, and a toothpick makes it simple to dip each one in chocolate. Cover them completely or leave a little peanut butter showing for the classic “buckeye” look (they get their name because they look like buckeye nuts from an Ohio buckeye tree). I can’t wait for you to try these!
Don’t miss my other candy recipes, like Oreo Balls, Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge, Peanut Butter Popcorn, Homemade Caramels, Chocolate Covered Marshmallows, and Rocky Road!
A Note About Ingredients for Buckeyes:
Peanut Butter: This recipe was tested with skippy smooth peanut butter. Depending on the brand you use you may want to use more or less powdered sugar. Only add enough powdered sugar to get a very soft cookie dough texture.
Chocolate: I recommend using a high quality chocolate (over melting wafers or almond bark) since it’s a main character here and will melt well. I’d use callebaut melting chocolate (winco carries it in the bulk bins!), or a high quality chocolate bar or chocolate chips (I’d only recommend ghirardelli or guittard chocolate chips).
Butter: salted or unsalted will both taste great (I’d choose based on the brand of peanut butter you’re using and if it tastes very salty).
How to make Peanut Butter Balls
Make the Peanut Butter Mixture: Use electric beaters to cream together the butter and peanut butter. Slowly add the powdered sugar until smooth, then add the vanilla and mix.
Shape and Chill: Scoop about 5 dozen small peanut butter mounds onto a baking sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes or longer! Once frozen, roll them into smooth balls. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate, melting wafers, or chocolate almond bark according to the package instructions.
Dip and Store: Use a toothpick to dip and coat each peanut butter ball in chocolate. Let the excess drip off, place on a parchment-covered baking sheet, and allow the chocolate to set. Store homemade buckeyes in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. For longer storage, freeze the set buckeyes in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge before serving.
Peanut Butter Balls (Buckeyes)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, (2 sticks)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate for melting, (or could use melting wafers, or chocolate almond bark)
Instructions
- Use electric beaters to cream together the butter and peanut butter. Slowly add the powdered sugar until you get a smooth consistency. Add the vanilla and mix.1 cup butter, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Scoop 1 Tablespoon size portions (about 5 dozen small peanut butter mounds) onto a baking sheet and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Once frozen they will be easier to handle and roll into smooth balls.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave on half-power (stirring every 15 seconds or so) until melted and smooth.8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate for melting
- Use a toothpick to dip and coat each peanut butter ball in chocolate. Allow excess to drip off and then place them on a parchment covered baking sheet and allow them to set.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Recipe Variations:
- Paraffin wax: for a more glossy finish or to preserve it longer at room temp, you can use a scoop of paraffin wax melted with the chocolate.
- Fully dipped: you can cover the peanut butter balls completely in chocolate like traditional peanut butter balls or leave some peanut butter showing so they imitate buckeye nuts from a buckeye tree.
- Add candy: You can add mini M&M’s or other chopped candies (or nuts!) to the peanut butter filling before dipping in chocolate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe December 2018. Updated December 2020, October 2023 and October 2026.
This recipe is not the best and I definitely will try a different one next time. Too much sugar and butter so they’re sticky and gooey and I cut the recipe in half so I didn’t make 5 dozen but it only made 13. There is no way you would get 5 dozen out of one batch.
Hi Taylor, the filling is soft, which is why it has to be refrigerated, to help it firm up.
This recipe was okay, but leaving them in the freezer for 30 minutes made them too hard to make into a ball.
This recipe is terrible! Waste of ingredients and time, talk about soft and mushy- knew I should have gone with a different recipe.
I made a batch with a different recipe that used more peanut butter and less sugar…wrong choice! That mixture was too sticky and oily. I immediately tried this recipe and the mixture was perfect!
Better recipes available. This one was difficult. Too soft. Too much oil/fat i suspect, and already calls for a ton of sugar. I ended up tossing all the ingredients I used vs more wasting time.
These were so smooth and creamy. I used dark chocolate instead and it was so good. Mine didn’t look nearly as perfect but still tasted great. Im not too sure how to get them that perfect looking. I can always make stuff taste good but never look so good.
This recipe did t work for me… I think it’s too much butter…. Had to add alot more powdered sugar and still so soft… hard to work with… probably needs even more sugar!!!?😫
After 3 fudge failures I needed to throw away my candy thermometer and have a success. These were just perfect. They were a real treat to make and to eat. I’ll definitely save the recipe for next year’s as well.
Looks delicious! Can it be made with cashew butter? We have a peanut allergy
Forgot the Star Rating, LOL