You aren’t a true Ohioan if you don’t have an awesome Buckeye candy recipe in your arsenal. Every year when the weather starts getting colder it’s time to grab the peanut butter and chocolate to combine into one of the tastiest candy recipes you will ever make.
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For some families in Ohio Buckeyes are their own food group. ( I may or may not be guilty of that one.) The town I grew up in was just close enough to get amazing fresh Buckeye candy from the local Amish community and oh my. They were always a treat I was excited for. Now that we live in the South I can’t help but still bring out the traditional Buckeye recipe every year once the leaves start to turn and the air gets a little cooler.
How to Make Easy Buckeye Candy
There are several different ways to make Buckeye candy. Some recipes call for using paraffin wax. Other recipes add things like graham cracker crumbs. I use a traditional recipe for Buckeye candy that has no frills but all of the delicious peanut butter and chocolate flavor that these candies are known for.
If you don’t have vanilla, it’s ok! Just leave it out. They will come out just fine. If you don’t have vegetable oil on hand you can leave that out as well. I wouldn’t suggest substituting with olive oil here as I personally believe it changes the taste of your chocolate a little. The only difference in using a little bit of vegetable oil is that your chocolate will be a little thinner. You can still make awesome Buckeye candy without thinning your chocolate though!
In all, this recipe only takes a few ingredients and about 30 minutes. It is definitely an easy candy recipe that just about anyone can do in an afternoon.
Tips and Tricks for Making Buckeye Candy
This candy recipe is super easy. There are a few things you can do to make it even easier though. One of the biggest tips I have is to always make sure your peanut butter mixture is smooth. When you are forming your balls of peanut butter be sure to have a smooth outside. You can knead the peanut butter mixture slightly to smooth out any lumps before rolling into a ball. As you can see in my images I was lazy on a few and it REALLY makes a difference in the final product. The good news is regardless of how they look they still taste just as good lol.
When coating your Buckeye candy in chocolate you want to try to do a quick turn of the wrist to get a thin layer of chocolate. If you get too much chocolate on your peanut butter balls it can be a bit too rich. I find that keeping the top of my double boiler at a slight angle helps me to turn the peanut butter ball quickly and easy off any extra chocolate without too much hassle.
Holiday Buckeye Candy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ C natural peanut butter
- ½ C unsalted butter softened
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 4-6 C powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 12 oz chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar to the peanut butter mixture in the bowl of the stand mixer 1 C at a time. You want a mix that is crumbly but sticks together slightly.
- Form 1½ inch balls of the peanut butter mixture and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler and add the coconut oil.
- Remove the peanut butter balls from the fridge and dip each one into the melted chocolate using a toothpick.
- Place chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls back into the fridge to chill another 30 minutes or until the chocolate has completely set.
