Buckeye Candy Recipe
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5
18 reviews
Excellent
Buckeye Candy Recipe
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This Buckeye Candy Recipe combines creamy peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter to create a rich, thick filling with a hint of vanilla. The mixture is flavored with finely ground salted peanuts and a touch of flour for texture. Smooth high-quality chocolate, blended with shortening, coats the peanut balls, yielding a fudgy candy with a balanced sweetness. The candies resemble the nut they are named after and offer a satisfying bite with a tender, creamy interior surrounded by chocolate.
Description
Buckeye Candy is a confection crafted from a smooth peanut butter base mixed with powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. This mixture includes finely ground roasted salted peanuts for a subtle crunch and a flour addition to help the filling hold its shape without adding extra sweetness. The candy centers are then dipped in a blended chocolate coating made from semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips combined with shortening to create a coating that hardens to a smooth, slightly fudgy shell. The preparation involves creaming the butter and sugars, integrating the peanut butter and peanuts, shaping the mixture into balls, and dipping them in melted chocolate. This results in candies resembling buckeye nuts, with a creamy, soft inside and a textured, rich chocolate exterior.
The chocolate coating balances the sweet and salty profile of the peanut butter filling. Using high-quality chocolate ensures a smooth melt and finish, while the shortening or coconut oil added to the chocolate prevents it from becoming stiff and brittle, lending a pleasant chew.
The candies serve as a sweet treat stable enough for parties or gift-giving, offering a combination of creamy peanut flavor with a satisfying chocolate shell. Their size and rich ingredients make them suitable for small servings.
When preparing these candies, choosing regular (non-natural) peanut butter yields a smoother consistency. Replacing flour with powdered sugar can make the treats gluten-free but results in a sweeter texture. Fine-quality chocolate brands melt smoothly, important for successful dipping. The inclusion of shortening or coconut oil in the chocolate aids the coating's texture and bite.
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter not natural, use Jif or Skippy
- 3 tablespoons peanut dry roasted, salted
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips high quality
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips high quality
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons shortening
- Sprinkles optional
- peanut optional, chopped
- peanut butter optional, melted
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.
- Make the peanut butter balls. In a large bowl or stand mixer, add 1/4 cup softened butter (this is a half stick.) Beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat this mixture until it has become smooth and creamy, like frosting (it IS frosting!). Scrape the sides.
- Add 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 cup peanut butter. (Regular peanut butter is better than natural peanut butter because it is smoother from added oils.) Beat this mixture until smooth, scraping sides.
- In a food processor, add 3 tablespoons dry roasted salted peanuts. It's not a lot! Pulse in the food processor until they have turned to crumbs, then keep going until the crumbs start to stick together in clumps. See photos.
- Add the chopped peanuts, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (use 1/4 teaspoon table salt) to the bowl and beat well. The mixture will be very thick! Use a sturdy spatula to scrape down the sides and bring it all together.
- Use a cookie scoop or spoon to shape the dough into buckeye-size balls. This is about 1 or 1 and 1/2 inches across, or if you want to weigh them, between 15-20 grams (or about a half ounce.) Use your palms to roll the dough into a nice ball shape.
- Place the buckeyes on the baking sheet. Place a toothpick into the center of each ball, pushing it all the way down. (Do this BEFORE freezing!)
- Freeze the buckeyes for about 30 minutes. Or if you don't have room in the freezer, chill for at least 1 hour.
- Melt the chocolate. In a glass measuring cup, add 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup dark chocolate chips.** Add 1 and 1/2 to 2 tablespoons shortening.***
- Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. I like to stir with a mini rubber spatula that I can put right in the microwave. Return to the microwave and heat for another 30 seconds, and stir again. Continue until there are still a few lumps of chocolate chips remaining, then don't heat anymore, but instead stir it until the lumps are smoothed out. Chocolate scorches easily, so be careful. Heat in 15 second increments if you are nervous. The chocolate should run off your spatula in a thin, steady stream. It should not glob. (A technical term.) Add a bit more shortening if your chocolate is gloopy. Don't microwave further.
- Dip the buckeyes in chocolate. Take half of your peanut butter balls out of the freezer (leave the rest to continue chilling!)Dip the balls in the chocolate one by one, letting the chocolate drip off, then gently scraping off the bottom of the chocolate on the edge of the measuring cup (so the chocolate doesn't pool at the bottom). Place back on the lined pan to harden. Dip them about 2/3 of the way, so there is a little peanut butter peek-a-boo at the top. This is the signature Buckeye look! Dip them quickly. Don't linger in the chocolate, or the peanut butter will start to melt.
- If your peanut butter balls keep falling off their toothpicks as you are dipping, your peanut butter balls are not cold enough. Stick them back in the fridge, or bite the bullet and clear out your freezer of all of last years fishsticks and freezer burned broccoli florets you intended to eat. Then you can freeze your peanut butter balls, which really is the best method. Continue dipping the second half of the peanut butter balls, keeping any extra balls in the fridge or freezer until the very last minute before dipping.
- Optional dippers. If you want to jazz up your buckeyes (not traditional, but hey it's fun) dip them in chocolate sprinkles or crushed peanuts. Do this just a moment after dipping. Dip your peanut butter ball and hold onto it, letting the chocolate set up for about 5-10 seconds. Then make a well in your bowl of sprinkles or nuts and dip the buckeye into the well. Use your fingers to press the sprinkles into the edges of the candy. Place back on the lined pan and let cool completely.
- Drizzle. If you want a pretty drizzled look, melt peanut butter (or more chocolate) and use a spoon to drizzle it over the top of the buckeyes.
- Place the pan of buckeyes back in the fridge or freezer for about 10 minutes (or longer) to firm up completely.
- Cover the toothpick mark. Once the buckeyes are chilled and the chocolate is nice and hard, remove all the toothpicks. Use the pad of your finger to "heal" the toothpick mark. Move your finger around and use your body heat to melt the peanut butter a bit, then smooth out the hole as best you can. You can smooth with a paring knife or a small spoon too. (Or you can cover the mark with a dot of melted chocolate so you have buckeye boobs, like Sarah's family does.)
- Serving. Serve these buckeyes chilled, straight from the fridge if that is your preference. I prefer to serve them room temperature, which means they need time to weep and recover. (It's tough being a Buckeye.) Take them out of the fridge and lay them out in a single layer. The buckeyes will sweat and release condensation. Just keep waiting. Eventually they will come to room temperature and the moisture will evaporate. Serve right away.
- Storage. You can store these buckeyes at room temperature for about 24 hours, tightly sealed. Then you can skip the whole emotional weeping process. Eventually the peanut butter mixture will get dry and crumbly though, so if you don't plan to eat right away, refrigerate or freeze them.Refrigerating: Store in a single layer in a tupperware or ziplock, or separate layers with wax/parchment paper. When ready to serve, spread them out in a single layer to let them weep a little (it's not much) as they come to room temperature. You can store them in the fridge, remembering to give them time to weep and dry out before serving. Refrigerating is my least favorite way to store. It makes the peanut butter dry out faster. If you need to store for a while, it's best to freeze.
- Freezing. Buckeyes are great for freezing. I have a stash in my freezer right now! They will last 2-3 months, and probably longer, but they might start to get funky freezer smells if you go too long. When completely chilled, place in a ziplock bag and toss in the freezer. Plan time to thaw in the fridge overnight, then lay them out in a single layer so that they can weep and evaporate before serving.
Notes
- Use regular peanut butter rather than natural for a smoother filling consistency.
- High-quality chocolate is important to ensure smooth melting and a successful chocolate coating.
- Adding shortening or coconut oil to the chocolate makes the coating less brittle and more fudgy.
- Flour helps thicken the filling without extra sweetness; substitute with powdered sugar if gluten-free is needed.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
190kcal
(10%)
Carbohydrates
17g
(6%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
13g
(20%)
Saturated Fat
6g
(30%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
(12%)
Monounsaturated Fat
4g
(20%)
Trans Fat
0.2g
(10%)
Cholesterol
5mg
(2%)
Potassium
145mg
(3%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
12g
(24%)
Vitamin A
57IU
(1%)
Vitamin C
0.03mg
(0%)
Calcium
31mg
(3%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 27Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 190 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 190kcal | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 17g | 6% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 0.2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 5mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 145mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
| Vitamin A | 57IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 0.03mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 31mg | 3% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
18 reviews
Excellent
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