I may live in New Mexico, but I hail from the great state of Ohio and in my heart I will always be a Buckeye. What is a Buckeye you ask? Other than the mascot for my Alma Mater, it also happens to be a poisonous nut from the state tree, the Buckeye Tree.
So if you cannot eat the nut…make a candy that looks like one! 😉
The Reese’s Cup cannot hold a candle to the Buckeye, but the really cool thing about a Buckeye is if you make them yourself, you can make modifications should there be a peanut or tree nut allergy in your family! This is the most commonly requested holiday goodie I make, so I make a TON! I have been absent from cyberspace for a couple of days because I have been dipping 600 peanut butter balls into chocolate!
My back hurts.
This is why I only make them once a year. 😉
Buckeyes
Makes approximately 56 Buckeyes
1 1/2 cups Creamy Peanut Butter (Sunbutter works great too)
1/2 cup Butter, softened (or Vegan Butter Substitute)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
4 cups Confectioner’s Sugar
6 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 Tbs. Shortening
- Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper; set aside.
- I use my big heavy duty mixer for this job, but you could also work it all together with your hands (I am not sure how well a hand-held mixer would work, I would be nervous about the motor burning out…the peanut butter mixture gets stiff)!
- In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar with hands to form a smooth stiff dough. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on prepared pan, and refrigerate or freeze (I like to make the peanut butter balls/centers several days in advance and freeze them. I have found that dipping the frozen peanut butter balls to be much more successful for me, they do not fall apart in the hot melted chocolate).
- Melt shortening and chocolate together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.
- Remove balls from refrigerator or freezer. Insert a wooden toothpick (I use a wooden skewer) into a ball, and dip into melted chocolate, leaving a small circle at the top uncoated. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining balls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.
Frozen Peanut Butter Balls.
Dip the frozen peanut butter balls in melted chocolate.
Drain off excess chocolate before placing on a wax paper lined baking sheet.
You know I have lived in Ohio since 1985 and before that I lived in Cleveland for a while. I have never made Buckeyes! I am making them this year for the first time!
Where did you get the Chocoley?
I ordered the Chocoley. The shipping was really fast too, just a few days. It is nice to have the added bonus of knowing it is made in a dedicated facility. Wilton Candy Melts are not made in a dedicated facility and the chocolate quality is not nearly as good as the Chocoley. I have never made Buckeyes with chocolate chips, but I am sure they would be great too, especially if time is of the essence. You will want to use the shortening though to avoid having the chocolate clump up and do other undesirable things! 🙂
I am also a New Mexico Buckeye – grew up in Ohio and went to OSU as well. We always made buckeyes for Christmas – only once a year, like you said! Too rich to keep around.
I might have to make some this year and introduce some more New Mexicans to these.
We always used food grade wax instead of shortening with chocolate chips for the chocolate coating. It hardens up nicely and is shiny – makes beautiful buckeyes! You can buy it near the canning supplies. Sounds gross but almost every mass-produced chocolate candy you eat has wax in it.
Yum!
Hello,
I just have a few questions. I plan on making these for our wedding in april.
Could you tell me how many the above recipe makes?
If I put a little bowl on every table, how many would you put in their? I am having ten people at a table.
How much and which kind of the Bada Bing Bada Boom do I buy?
I am just doing the regular version, not the specialty versions for people with allergies..
Thanks so much!
Hi Mandi!
Very cool idea for your wedding! I was a wedding coordinator back in my days working in hotels so this is right up my alley! Give me a few days to work out some numbers on this recipe for you then I will email you what I come up with!
Congratulations! 🙂
Heidi
Hi Heidi!
Thank you so very much!! Their is only 96 days till the wedding, and right about now, I wish I had a wedding coordinator, LOL…. My mom is helping us, but it requires a lot of time, which is hard to come by!!
I really appreciate you doing this for me!!!
Thanks again,
mandi
My mom used to make these buckeye candies for Christmas every year and I loved them- they bring back such happy memories now! I was looking for a version that didn't use Crisco- thank you! I love your website. (Confession- my family is from Ann Arbor!
Thanks for the Buckeye Recipe….we had never tried Peanut Butter substitutes till now – My daughter is planning an Ohio State B-day party for her boyfriend's 17th b-day and we thought the Buckeye candy would be great but her sister and I have horrible P-nut allergies. We tried the Soy butter and it worked great!!!!!!