I’m taking a very short break before Christmas, so my daughter Elizabeth is sharing her homemade peanut butter buckeyes recipe along with the tips she learned the hard way.
Every year at Christmas, my grandmother, Margaret Drake, invited my brother and me to her house to bake cut-out cookies. We rolled dough, cut shapes, and waited while the cookies baked. While we waited, she played her piano by the big bay window in her living room and we sang Christmas carols. I can still picture her tree in that window. It was covered in silver tinsel. By the time Christmas was over, most of it was on the carpet.
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure statement.
When the cookies were done, we iced them and added sprinkles. We took ours home, and Margaret delivered the rest to her friends. One of those friends was Jane Feller. Jane made buckeyes every Christmas, and buckeyes were the treat she swapped with my grandmother. If Margaret received 20 buckeyes, I probably ate 18 of them. Every year. I have no self-control when it comes to chocolate and peanut butter.
Margaret passed away in 2007. I still use her cookie cutters each Christmas, but a few years ago I told my boyfriend Darren that I missed Jane’s buckeyes. He suggested we try making them ourselves. So I found a recipe online.
Long story short, that recipe left out an entire step. The peanut butter balls fell off the toothpicks. They melted into the chocolate. Nothing looked right. Darren now refers to that day as “Elizabeth’s Great Buckeye Meltdown.” There may have been tears. There may have been dramatic words spoken. Darren even left the house briefly to call his dad. After two pear martinis and a reset, we tried again. This time, we added one critical step that changed everything. Now homemade peanut butter buckeyes are part of our Christmas tradition.
Homemade Peanut Butter Buckeyes Ingredients
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 lb bag powdered sugar
- 4 packages Baker’s semi-sweet baking chocolate bars
How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter Buckeyes
- Cream together the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl.
- Add powdered sugar and mix until fully combined. The dough may seem crumbly at first, but it will come together.
- Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Chilled dough forms smoother balls.
- Use a small cookie scoop to form balls. Roll in your hands until smooth. Place on a wax-paper-lined baking sheet and insert a toothpick into each ball.
- Freeze or refrigerate the peanut butter balls for at least 30 minutes. This is the most important step. It allows the toothpick to set firmly and keeps the balls from falling into the chocolate.
- Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Do not let it boil.
- Holding the toothpick, dip each ball into the chocolate, covering about three-quarters of the surface. Return to the lined baking sheet and refrigerate until the chocolate sets.
Frequently Asked Questions
TipS for Smooth Buckeyes + GIFT IDEA
- After dipping, remove the toothpicks and use a small spoon to gently smooth over the hole left behind. If the little mark doesn’t bother you, you can skip this step.
- We package our homemade peanut butter buckeyes in festive tins and give them to friends and family, just like Jane did for my grandmother. It takes time, but it gets easier each year.
Now all I need is a house with a big bay window, a piano, and some silver tinsel on the tree. And just to be clear, this post is not an endorsement of any particular Ohio football team. Football season can be lively around here.
Homemade Peanut Butter Buckeyes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups peanut butter (creamy)
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks softened)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 lbs. powdered sugar
- 16 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate (4 Baker's bars)
Instructions
- Cream together the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl. A stand mixer works best.
- Add powdered sugar and mix until fully combined. The dough may seem crumbly at first, but it will come together.
- Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Chilled dough forms smoother balls.
- Use a small cookie scoop to form balls. Roll in your hands until smooth. Place on a wax-paper-lined baking sheet and insert a toothpick into each ball.
- Freeze or refrigerate the peanut butter balls for at least 30 minutes. This is the most important step. It allows the toothpick to set firmly and keeps the balls from falling into the chocolate.
- Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Do not let it boil.
- Holding the toothpick, dip each ball into the chocolate, covering about three-quarters of the surface.
- Return to the lined baking sheet and refrigerate until the chocolate sets.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
JOIN THE OSP COMMUNITY
Sign up to get uncomplicated recipes, unlimited seasonal decor, and
understated ways to refresh your home sent straight to your email inbox!
amazon storefront
Discover simple and affordable
ways to refresh your home.
Follow my Amazon Storefront
for all my favorite finds!
What a lovely memory!
Elizabeth, I have been looking for a recipe for these! Thanks, so much! I will definitely make these for my husband! He loves them — me, too!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Elizabeth, I cannot wait to make these. My grandmother used to make these at Christmas, along with fudge and Martha Washington candy. I loved them.
Thanks for sharing your sweet Christmas memories of baking cookies with your grandmother. I remember making ‘Peanut Butter Balls’ with my mother as a child at Christmas. The one difference between hers and yours is she covered the entire ball with chocolate, which is why we didn’t call them Buck eyes.
I Iove your mother’s stories and you have done her justice with yours. Merry. Christmas
Lol! Thanks for sharing your recipe for Buckeyes and your memory of baking with Mrs. Fellers. The Fellers were wonderful people.
Merry Christmas to you and the family!
Kristi
I can’t believe so many people have never had buckeyes! Being from Ohio it’s not Christmas without them! And there are some stores you can get them year round. Also have to say it — GO BUCKS !!
I thoroughly enjoyed your story and going down memory lane. This time of year brings back so many fond memories of my grandmother. She too was a wonderful cook and baker especially her apricot fried pies.
Honestly, I have never heard of buckeyes, I guess because I am a Texan. Thank you for sharing your story and I will give this recipe a try. Merry Christmas!!
Great job Elizabeth! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
I too made these this year for the first time. The first batch turned out good but I didn’t use my mixer and it was so hard to mix up. The next batch I made I used a large jar of peanut butter and adjusted the powdered sugar, I kept adding and adding. Lol When I finished adding the sugar they were still soft so I put them in the freezer. They taste good without the chocolate but today I’m going to dip them. By the way, my grandson was eating them out of the freezer, he loves them so much. Thanks for the review, I really enjoyed your story.
Merry Christmas to all
Angie
What a delightful post! I always enjoy trying new (to me) recipes from the web, but the stories and details behind the recipes make them so much more meaningful. Thank you, and have a lovely Christmas season.
Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth. That photo and your story made me all teary eyed! I miss Margaret. And her piano, by the way, is in my bay window in London and we have also sung Christmas carols on it. xx
Cant wait to try them. Thanks.
Sounds good. I might just have to make some.
I remember making Buckeyes with fourth graders at St. M’s. Judy Hill spearheaded the effort. That refrigeration step is essential!
Because you clarified that this recipe is no endorsement for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team, I will try this recipe. I’ve always loved them and this might be the year I try to make them. Thanks for the story. Roll Tide
I was going to say the same thing! And I live in Ohio! Roll Tide!!!
Thank you for the Buckeye recipe. They are my favorite. I’ll make a batch up for our Christmas. Love your memories too!
Merry Christmas!
I am making these for the first time this year. Thanks for sharing your post. Very well written. I hope you and your mom and family all have a very Merry Christmas!????
Great post! I remember your Grandparents well and loved seeing the picture of your Grandmother. She was so sweet! Loved your story about baking with her. I am with you on the Buckeye thing … would rather eat that candy than cheer the team on! Merry Christmas to all of the Drake family!
These are my Christmas favorites. I’ve been making them for about 40 years but I usually only make them every couple of years now. I have no self-control!
We had one of those mishaps this year making Buckeyes. And our chocolate kept getting too thick and clumpy. We used chocolate chips. Will definitely chill or freeze the peanut butter balls with the toothpicks in next time. Go Bucks!! (Sorry, being from Ohio, I had to!)
Hi Vickie! Elizabeth is at work but she asked me to tell you that your chocolate was too hot and probably starting to burn. Use a little lower heat and stir constantly. She said it actually happened on one of their batches this year and they had to throw it out! Thank you for your kind comment, Ann
I make these every year at Christmas. They are delicious and a family favorite. However being from Michigan we call them Wolverines!!
This cracked me up…brilliant!
Really enjoyed your post and I’ll be sure to make the recipe. My husband has a definite weakness for peanut butter and chocolate. I’ll certainly keep your post in mind while I bake….
I loved your guest post!! I have been the official buckeye maker in my family for 25 years, and I laughed until I cried as I read your saga! I have started to share my buckeye making tradition with my niece. Love the memories! Darren sounds like a good man! Merry Christmas!