Easy peanut butter buckeyes recipe doesn't require shortening. If you need to thin the chocolate coating you can use a little coconut oil if you wish. Creamy peanut butter balls are dipped in dark chocolate for an old fashioned treat everyone will gobble up!
1 ½cupscreamy peanut butterdo not use natural peanut butter or the kind with oil floating on the top
1cupbutterroom temperature
1tablespoonbrown sugar
¾teaspoonvanilla
½teaspoonkosher salt
5cupspowdered sugar
Chocolate Coating
2cupsdark chocolate chips
2cupdark chocolate candy melts
1 ½tablespoonscoconut oilmay use crisco shortening or other light vegetable oil.
Instructions
Peanut Butter
Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt until very smooth and creamy. If you rub a little between your fingers there should be no granules.
Slowly add the powdered sugar.
Beat until the mixture holds together and is smooth.
Roll into 1-½ inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Freeze for 20 minutes. You can also cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Chocolate Coating
Mix the chocolate chips and candy melts.
Melt in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring after every interval.
Continue until the chocolate is creamy and smooth.
If the chocolate seems too thick you may add a little coconut oil, a teaspoon at a time until you get the right consistency. Stir in until completely blended.
Insert a toothpick into the top of the chilled peanut butter balls.
Dip it in the chocolate coating leaving a circle of peanut butter at the top that is not covered with chocolate.
Allow excess chocolate to drizzle off for a few seconds.
Place it on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Storage:Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three weeks. I recommend separating each layer of buckeyes with a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper so they don't stick.Freeze:Once the melted chocolate is set, freeze the buckeyes in a freezer-safe bag or sealed container for up to three months. Then, thaw frozen peanut butter buckeye balls in the fridge overnight before serving.Tips:
Sift powdered sugar if lumpy.
Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature.
You can use a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer to blend the peanut butter filling.
Feel free to use a small cookie scoop to form the buckeye balls, so they’re all the same size.
If you need to thin out the melted chocolate, use refined coconut oil so you don’t get a coconut flavor.
You don’t have to melt chocolate chips and candy melts in a double boiler. It'll melt just fine in the microwave as long as you do it in short intervals.
Make sure you leave a small circle of peanut butter exposed—if you cover the entire ball with chocolate, they won’t look like buckeyes!
Let excess chocolate drip off the peanut butter balls before placing them on the lined cookie sheet so they look nice ‘n neat.
Line baking sheets with waxed paper or parchment paper so the buckeye balls don’t stick to the pans.
Don’t store buckeye candies at room temperature—warm peanut butter will separate from the chocolate coating!