You can’t grow up around Ohio or Herd country without getting buckeyes shoved in your face. They were created by a graduate of Marshall University in 1964 named Gail Tabor Lucas. You can read her son’s blog about it here.

The long story short, her mother sent her a recipe for peanut butter balls and being OSU fans, when she dipped one part way she exclaimed to her husband how they looked like buckeyes. And a legend was born. In reality, it’s a half-covered peanut butter bon-bon. Still, they are lovely and wonderful.

Except…the original recipe still used around here today is absolutely grainy and sugary sweet. I can’t stand the amount of sugar and how dry they are but love peanut butter. So over the winter months, I started messing with ratios and tweaking ingredients. These are more expensive to make but much more pleasant to eat and better for you! I wait for sales and can usually make them for about $2 more a batch which makes about 72 small or 36 large ones.

Also, I highly recommend learning how to temper chocolate over the candy wafers and go for a semi-sweet or even a dark chocolate for an even more decadent dessert. If you are going to make buckeyes or Ohio’s peanut butter balls, you deserve the best.

Go Buckeyes! Ohio’s Favorite Candy

If you are a fan of OSU or grew up in Herd country, you have likely eaten dozens of these peanut butter balls.  For the rest of the country, you are in for a treat!

Print Recipe

Prep Time30 minutes minutes

Cook Time5 minutes minutes

Chill Time1 hour hour

Total Time1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings4 dozen

Calories 167.3

Ingredients

• 1 pound (454g) peanut butter
• 1 pound (454g) powdered sugar
• 12 ounces (340g) chocolate or chocolate candy wafers
• ½ cup (113g) softened butter
• 1 tsp (5mL) vanilla
• 1 tsp (5g) salt

Instructions

• Beat together butter, peanut butter, vanilla and salt until smooth.
• Gradually add sugar until a thick dough forms.
• Roll into 1" (20g) balls using your fingertips to avoid melting. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or silicone.
• Cover and chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes (preferably overnight.) 
• Insert tooth picks into the center. 
• Melt chocolate or candy coating. If using a microwave, heat 15 seconds at a time and stir well. Repeat until chocolate is melted.
• Dip in peanut butter balls, leaving the top exposed and let excess chocolate drain off.  Set on parchment, wax paper or a silicone mat.
• Chill in fridge until firm.
• Store in an air tight container up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 6 months. It's a tradition to eat these chilled.

Notes

This is a naturally gluten-free dessert.

Unless you temper the chocolate or use candy coating, it will not harden unless you store them in the fridge. This is typical for buckeyes.  You can melt 1 tbs of shortening in with the chocolate to thin the chocolate and make the coating shiny.  

Nutrition Facts

Go Buckeyes! Ohio's Favorite Candy

Serving Size

 

1 buckeye

Amount per Serving

Calories

167.3

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

9.8

g

15

%

Saturated Fat

 

4.3

g

27

%

Sodium

 

88.6

mg

4

%

Carbohydrates

 

20.1

g

7

%

Fiber

 

0.6

g

3

%

Protein

 

2

g

4

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

* Calories provided as a courtesy and not guaranteed.