Simple Buckeye Candies
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Creamy peanut butter, rich chocolate, and no oven required? Buckeye candies are the perfect sweet bite for holiday trays, parties, or just because!
No joke, these little buckeye candies are literally my new obsession. When I made these for the first time a while back, I swear my family ate them all within a day or two. If that doesn’t say something about this recipe for buckeye candies, I’m not quite sure what will! What I love most about these candies is that they are super customizable so you can feel free to experiment and try different things until you find what you like the most! Although, not to mention, they are incredible on their own! I chose to add in two different crunchy add-ins, Rice Krispies and graham crackers - but feel free to just make them as is!
These buckeye candies are super easy and fun to make, which makes them perfect bite-sized desserts for any occasion. Not to mention, this is a perfect dessert to make with your kids as it can get a little messy and who doesn’t love a little mess in the kitchen??
Viewer Suggestions
A lot of my inspiration for my most recent batch of buckeyes actually came from you, my viewers! There were a lot of suggestions on how I can switch up my buckeyes and customize them as well as how I could improve my recipe.
Some of the suggestions were:
Add some sort of crunch. Texture is a super important part of baking and cooking.
Add some wax. This adds a shine to the chocolate shell.
Smaller the better. Bigger isn’t always better, and the same goes for buckeyes.
I really enjoyed reading all of your suggestions and tweaking my recipe, so thank you!
Do’s and Don’ts When Making buckeyes
DO:
Freeze before dipping in chocolate. Otherwise they will be soft and mushy when you go to coat in chocolate. (No one wants that!)
Add toothpicks before freezing. This helps make coating them in chocolate much easier.
Add add-ins. Even though its optional, they’re so much better with a crunch!
DON’T:
Get upset if it gets a little messy. It’s a part of the fun and it’s bound to happen!
Overcoat in chocolate. Typically, you’re supposed to leave a circle at the top with no chocolate to resemble a buckeye nut. Plus, it’s easier to coat them with less of a mess when you don’t drown them in chocolate.
Buckeye storing options
1. Room Temperature (Short-Term)
How long: Up to 2 days
How: Store in an airtight container, in a cool, dry place away from sunlight or heat.
Best for: Serving at parties or gifting shortly after making.
2. Refrigerator (Medium-Term)
How long: Up to 1-2 weeks
How: Place in a single layer (or use parchment paper between layers) in an airtight container.
Best for: Eating them slowly over a longer period of time.
3. Freezer (Long-Term)
How long: Up to 3 months
How: Freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container with parchment between layers.
Tip: Eating them frozen is my favorite! I’d recommend it :)
Buckeye serving options
Serve room-temp. If you’re storing your buckeyes in the fridge, thaw for 10-15 minutes. If you’re storing your buckeyes in the freezer, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or a few hours before serving.
Serve cold. If you’re storing in the fridge, eat them as is. If you’re storing in the freezer, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or a few hours before serving.
Serve frozen (My favorite). The best was to eat them (in my opinion) is frozen!
Variations and substitutions
Allergy friendly options:
Use almond butter or sunflower seed butter instead of regular peanut butter.
Add-in/Topping Options:
Add Rice Krispies or graham crackers into your buckeyes for an amazing crunch!
If you’re looking to spice up the recipe a little bit, I’d start with adding some Rice Krispies for some crunch.
Sprinkle sea salt on top for a little bit of saltiness.
Add paraffin wax to make the chocolate coating shiny!
Buckeyes Serving Suggestions
Buckeyes aren’t just an amazing treat, they’re also versatile and perfect for sharing! Whether it be a gift at the holidays, or bringing them to an event or even a football game watch party, they’re the perfect bite-sized treat!
Ideas:
You can make these buckeyes for a party and serve them on a platter.
These buckeye candies are a hit at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even New Year’s. Serve them chilled for the best texture.
Pop a couple buckeye candies into a small bowl for movie nights, after-dinner treats, or a sweet pick-me-up.
Buckeyes make great gifts
Ideas:
These buckeye candies make thoughtful homemade gifts. Package them in festive tins, mason jars, or cellophane treat bags tied with ribbon.
They’re also perfect for teacher gifts, holiday swaps, neighbor thank-yous, or as party favors for weddings and showers.
Easy Buckeye Candies
These classic Buckeye candies are a no-bake treat made with creamy peanut butter centers dipped in rich chocolate. Perfect for holidays, parties, or gifting, this simple recipe combines sweet, salty, and chocolatey goodness in every bite.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup Rice Krispies (optional)
- 15oz melting wafers
- Toothpicks
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) add the butter and peanut butter and beat until combined and light and fluffy.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar, mixing in between additions, until fully combined. Add in vanilla extract and mix until combined. The mixture should be stiff, and you should be able to form into balls.
- Start forming the mixture into small balls and place them on an ungreased baking sheet. You should have enough for ~50-60 buckeyes.
- Place toothpicks in the center of each buckeye and put in freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour to freeze.
- Before the buckeyes are done freezing, place a medium saucepot over low heat and fill with 1-2 inches of water.
- Place a stainless-steel bowl over the saucepot to create a double boiler. While making sure not to let the water boil below, add the chocolate. Mix and scrape down the sides of the bowl until the chocolate is fully melted. Remove from heat.
- Pour the chocolate into a smaller bowl or tupperware container to make it easier to dip the buckeyes in the chocolate.
- Take the buckeyes out of the freezer and using a fork to aid you, begin dipping them in the chocolate making sure to not fully dip them. (See pictures above for reference) Place the dipped buckeyes onto a separate baking sheet.
- Let the chocolate harden and enjoy!
