Buckeyes are classic peanut butter and chocolate confections from the state of Ohio.
Anyone that knows me knows that I love football. Especially college football and my beloved Iowa Hawkeyes. That’s why for the past couple of football seasons I’ve been making & sharing regional dishes related to some of the teams they have played against. Last year it was crispy pork tenderloin sandwiches for the matchup against Indiana. And the year before it was Maid-rites in honor of the Iowa vs. Iowa State game.
So in keeping with that tradition this year we will be making something associated with Iowa’s next opponent, thee™ Ohio State Buckeyes. And what better dish to make in recognition of the Buckeyes, and the great Buckeye state than, you guessed it, Buckeyes!
What are Buckeyes?
If you’ve never had a buckeye before the best way I can describe them is they are very similar to a peanut butter cup. They both have peanut butter & sugar fillings and are coated in chocolate. The main difference is how they are arranged.
For starters buckeyes aren’t in the shape of a cup, but rather a ball. And secondly, unlike peanut butter cups, buckeyes always leave the top uncoated. This last detail is where they get their name because it gives buckeye candies the appearance of a buckeye nut. But unlike buckeye nuts, which are poisonous, buckeye candies are absolutely delicious.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- What’s the best type of peanut butter to use?: Without a doubt, regular old smooth peanut butter is the way to go. That being said you can use crunchy peanut butter if you want to. Just keep in mind that using crunchy will give you a crunchy texture, obviously. The only thing that I don’t recommend you use is natural peanut butter. They don’t have stabilizers which is why the oil always separates and needs to be stirred back in. And this separation will still happen once the peanut butter is mixed with the other ingredients in your buckeyes. So just stay away from it.
- What type of chocolate can you use?: In my experience, the most common type of chocolate used to make buckeyes is semi-sweet. And that’s what I personally like to use. However, any type of chocolate will work it doesn’t matter if it’s milk, semi-sweet, dark, or even white chocolate. So feel free to use whatever chocolate you enjoy the most when making your buckeyes.
- If you are having trouble portioning out the filling for your buckeyes then use an ice cream scoop. Not only does it make portioning out the filling super easy, but also ensures that each portion is the same size.
- How to properly store your buckeyes?: If you plan on eating your buckeyes within a day or two you can simply store them in an airtight container at room temperature. However, if you want to store them for longer you have two options, your fridge or your freezer. The fridge will extend the life of your buckeyes to at least one week possibly two. While freezing your buckeyes will make them last for months.
- Troubleshooting the filling: Since peanut butter brands differ from one another making the filling isn’t an exact science. And the amounts for each ingredient that I have given for today’s recipe should be viewed as a starting point, not the be-all and end-all. But don’t worry, adjusting the filling to make sure it has a perfect consistency is really simple. 1. If it’s too sticky or won’t keep its shape after it’s formed into balls, then add a little more powdered sugar. 2. If it’s too crumbly or refuses to form into a ball, then add a little more peanut butter. Honestly, that’s it! So just use your best judgment and you’ll have success, I believe in you.
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Buckeye Recipe
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 20 buckeyes
Ingredients
1 Cup of smooth peanut butter
¼ Cup of salted butter, softened to room temperature
¾ Teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 Cups of powdered sugar, sifted
12 oz. of semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Make the peanut butter filling: Use either a stand mixer or a hand mixer to beat the peanut butter, salted butter, and vanilla extract together until they are creamed together. Then add the powdered sugar and mix on low until it is thoroughly combined with the other ingredients.
- Roll the filling into balls: Scoop out roughly 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter filling. Then use your hands to roll this into a smooth ball. Transfer this to a wax paper lined baking sheet, and repeat this process until all of the filling is portioned out into little balls.
- Place this baking sheet in your freezer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the peanut butter balls become firm. You can also do this in your refrigerator however it takes much longer for them to firm up.
- Melt the chocolate: Add the chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate chips for 30 seconds then take them out and give them a good stir. Then microwave them for another 30 seconds and give them another good stir. At this point, the chocolate chips should be starting to melt. So just keep microwaving the chocolate for 10 second increments making sure to stir between each increment until the chocolate is fully melted.
- Dip the balls in chocolate to make buckeyes: Take the peanut butter balls out of your freezer. Pierce the top of one with a toothpick so that it can be held.
Dunk this into the melted chocolate so that the bottom and sides are covered but the top is still exposed.
Transfer this back to the baking sheet and remove the toothpick. Then use either a finger or a butter knife to smooth out the top so that hole is no longer visible. Repeat this process until all of the peanut butter balls are coated in chocolate.
- Place these in your fridge to chill for an hour so that the chocolate hardens up.
- Keep your buckeyes refrigerated and enjoy them whenever you want!
Buckeye Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup of smooth peanut butter
- ¼ Cup of salted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ Teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 Cups of powdered sugar sifted
- 12 oz. of semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Make the peanut butter filling: Use either a stand mixer or a hand mixer to beat the peanut butter, salted butter, and vanilla extract together until they are creamed together. Then add the powdered sugar and mix on low until it is thoroughly combined with the other ingredients.
- Roll the filling into balls: Scoop out roughly 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter filling. Then use your hands to roll this into a smooth ball. Transfer this to a wax paper lined baking sheet, and repeat this process until all of the filling is portioned out into little balls.
- Place this baking sheet in your freezer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the peanut butter balls become firm. You can also do this in your refrigerator however it takes much longer for them to firm up.
- Melt the chocolate: Add the chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate chips for 30 seconds then take them out and give them a good stir. Then microwave them for another 30 seconds and give them another good stir. At this point, the chocolate chips should be starting to melt. So just keep microwaving the chocolate for 10 second increments making sure to stir between each increment until the chocolate is fully melted.
- Dip the balls in chocolate to make buckeyes: Take the peanut butter balls out of your freezer. Pierce the top of one with a toothpick so that it can be held. Dunk this into the melted chocolate so that the bottom and sides are covered but the top is still exposed. Transfer this back to the baking sheet and remove the toothpick. Then use either a finger or a butter knife to smooth out the top so that hole is no longer visible. Repeat this process until all of the peanut butter balls are coated in chocolate.
- Place these in your fridge to chill for an hour so that the chocolate hardens up.
- Keep your buckeyes refrigerated and enjoy them whenever you want!
