Ah, what a classic! These are my less-than-creative take on chocolate covered peanut butter balls, fondly known as “Buckeyes.” I love the sweet combination creamy peanut butter and powdered sugar, doused in smooth semi-sweet chocolate, perfect for popping in your mouth all at once (husband- style), or taking the tiniest bites imaginable, waiting for each one to melt in your mouth (Claire- style). But really- any way you eat them, these are sure to please any mouth. Granted you like peanut butter. And chocolate. And peanut butter chocolate things. But honestly, who doesn’t? Are those like people who actually prefer unfrosted pop-tarts? Am I friends with any of these people? I surely hope not.
But I digress. This recipe can be adjusted SO easily to make it more or less sweet, evidenced by the dozens of completely different recipes you find online when you google “Buckeyes.” Um, can you say “slightly overwhelming”? I’ve found recipes that call for paraffin wax, recipes that use two cups of sugar, recipes that use SIX cups (yikes! my dentist would kill me with his drill!), recipes using chunky PB, and recipes that add crushed graham crackers to the mix to make it less of an “I-can-only-take-one-bite-of-these-and-then-I’m-done-because-this-is-too. darn. sweet” experience. This is really just the most basic version of the classic that I could find, so feel free to take some creative license and find out what works for you and your loved ones!
Have a very merry, peanut butter ball-dipping, Christmas!
*For the chocolate fudge recipe seen in these photos, click here.
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened (not melted!)
- 4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp shortening
- toothpicks
- wax paper
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat peanut butter, butter, and vanilla on medium speed until no chunks of butter are left.
- Add confectioner’s sugar cup by cup, reducing mixing speed to low. The dough should turn into fine crumbs. Turn the mixer off.
- Get in there with your hands! The dough needs to be more packed together than a mixer can do, so you need to roll up those sleeves, remove that Pandora charm bracelet (am I the only one who thinks those things look like a kindergartener’s craft project?), and knead that dough into one big lump!
- Roll into 3/4″ balls and place on wax paper-lined baking sheet. Insert toothpick into each ball.
- Stick in the freezer for at least 30 minutes or until the peanut butter is firm.
- Melt chocolate and shortening in a glass bowl over a saucepan filled about 2″ boiling water. When peanut butter balls are set, use the toothpicks to dip each one into the chocolate, swirling to evenly coat the bottom and sides of each
- Replace on waxed baking sheet.
- Return to freezer (or refrigerator) and chill until chocolate is set, at least 30 mins.
- Remove toothpicks and serve with a big glass of milk!
Claire Tastes 
classic. i like the toothpicks in each one–makes ’em even easier to consume. 🙂
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