The Daily Plate

Buckeye Balls

Ohio's most famous export that isn't an amusement park: creamy, sweet peanut butter balls dipped in dark chocolate with that signature peek of peanut butter on top, just like the nut they're named for. They taste like the inside of a peanut butter cup — because they basically are — and they take zero baking. Keep a batch next to our 5-ingredient peanut butter cookies and watch both disappear.

Buckeye balls — chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls with peanut butter tops peeking out — piled in a dark bowl
Prep time35 min
Cook time0 min
Total1 hr 5 min
Yield36 balls
CuisineAmerican
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🧺Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil or shortening
  • Flaky sea salt for finishing (optional)

👩‍🍳Instructions

  1. Beat the filling. With a mixer, beat the peanut butter, softened butter, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar and salt until a firm, rollable dough forms.
  2. Roll the balls. Scoop tablespoon-size portions and roll into smooth balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill 30 minutes until firm.
  3. Melt the chocolate. Microwave the chocolate chips with the coconut oil in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until glossy and smooth. Pour into a deep mug for easy dipping.
  4. Dip — leave the buckeye eye. Insert a toothpick into each ball and dip, leaving a small circle of peanut butter exposed at the top. Let the excess drip off, then set on the parchment.
  5. Chill to set. Refrigerate 20 minutes until the chocolate is firm. Smooth over the toothpick hole with your fingertip if you like.
  6. Serve. Keep cold and let sit 5 minutes before serving so the centers soften to a fudgy bite.

💡 Buckeye smarts

If the dough is sticky, chill it 15 minutes before rolling — warm dough makes ragged balls. A deep mug of chocolate gives you full-coverage dipping without the ball scraping the bottom. Classic Ohio trick: smooth the toothpick hole closed with a fingertip dipped in a little warm water.

❓Common questions

Do buckeye balls need to be refrigerated?

Yes — the butter-based centers soften at room temperature. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for 3 months.

Can I use natural peanut butter?

Not here. Natural peanut butter is oily and the balls won't hold their shape. Use a standard creamy peanut butter.

My chocolate is too thick for dipping — help?

Stir in another teaspoon of coconut oil or shortening at a time until it flows like warm honey.

Can I make these ahead for the holidays?

Absolutely — they're an ideal make-ahead candy. Freeze in a single layer, then bag; thaw in the fridge overnight.

Buckeye balls — chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls with peanut butter tops peeking out — piled in a dark bowl
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