November 25, 2018 By Sara 36 Comments

Buckeye Balls (Peanut Butter Balls)

Name: Buckeye Balls
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 62 min
Yield: 20 buckeye balls
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter; 1/2 cup butter (at room temperature); 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted); 8 ounces chocolate chips or candy melts/almond bark (can be dark chocolate, white chocolate or both); 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening; optional: 1/2 cup holiday sprinkles

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This recipe for buckeye balls is classic peanut butter balls dipped in dark or white chocolate and coated with sprinkles. An easy no bake holiday dessert!

Rich and creamy peanut butter balls are dipped in chocolate and decorated with festive sprinkles for a no bake treat that’s perfect for a special occasion. These buckeye balls make a great gift and are always a welcome addition to any holiday dessert table.

The holidays are here and we are busy decorating, crafting and creating delicious treats! Our lights are up and I’ve made quite a few batches of these amazing peanut butter buckeye balls to give out to family and friends. These chocolate covered peanut butter balls are a classic holiday treat that I make every year. They’re a great project to do with the kids, my kids call it “peanut butter play doh” which is actually pretty accurate!

How to make peanut butter balls

All you need for these easy peanut butter balls are a handful of ingredients that you probably already have at home, like peanut butter, powdered sugar and butter. After the ingredients are initially mixed together, you’ll want to knead the peanut butter mixture with your hands to get all the powdered sugar incorporated so that you can form the peanut butter balls.

Tips and Tricks for Buckeye Balls

I typically use a measuring spoon to portion out my peanut butter “dough” so that all of the balls are the same size.
The traditional way to do buckeye balls is to dip them in semisweet chocolate. I decided to mix things up a bit, and dipped half my balls in semisweet chocolate and the other half in white chocolate and holiday sprinkles. You can either use chocolate chips with shortening, or simply use candy melts, no shortening needed!
You can use whatever type of sprinkles you like, it’s fun to switch out the sprinkle colors to match whatever occasion you’re celebrating. Or you can leave off the sprinkles altogether, there are so many ways to decorate buckeye balls!

How long do peanut butter balls last?

You can store peanut butter balls in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. You can also freeze your buckeye balls for up 2 months. Just be aware, if you choose to freeze your buckeye balls, when you thaw them, the chocolate may have a little condensation on it. That being said, they’ll still taste great!

How do you dip peanut butter balls?

The easiest way to coat your peanut butter balls in chocolate is to stick a toothpick into each ball, then lower the ball into a bowl of melted chocolate. This works best if your peanut butter balls are very cold, so make sure you chill them first. You can use your finger to smooth over the little hole that the toothpick leaves behind.

Peanut butter balls are a classic treat that never goes out of style – I have been eating them as long as I can remember! There’s just something amazing about the peanut butter chocolate combo, and I urge you to try these with the white chocolate too, you won’t regret it.

More no bake treats

Buckeye Balls Video

This recipe for buckeye balls is the classic peanut butter balls dipped in dark or white chocolate. A holiday treat that's both easy and energy efficient to make!

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4.84 from 6 votes

Buckeye Balls

This recipe for buckeye balls is the classic peanut butter balls dipped in dark or white chocolate.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword buckeye balls, peanut butter balls

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 2 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes

Servings 20 buckeye balls

Calories 212kcal

Author Dinner at the Zoo

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
8 ounces chocolate chips or candy melts/almond bark can be dark chocolate, white chocolate or both
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
optional: 1/2 cup holiday sprinkles

Instructions

Place the peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Mix until the ingredients are incorporated, then knead with your hands until a smooth dough forms.
Shape the dough into tablespoon sized balls and place on a sheet pan that's been lined with parchment paper.
Refrigerate the peanut butter balls for at least 30 minutes.
Place the chocolate chips and shortening in a medium bowl. If using 2 types of chocolate, place 4 ounces of each chocolate with 1 tablespoon shortening into 2 bowls.
Microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals or until melted. Stir until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Remove the buckeye balls from the fridge. Use a toothpick to pick up each ball and and dip it into the melted chocolate. Quickly roll the ball in sprinkles if using (optional). Repeat with each ball. Use your finger to smooth over the top of each ball to remove the mark from the toothpick.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set, then serve.

Nutrition

This post was originally published on December 7, 2016 and was updated on November 25, 2018 with new content.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PG&E. The opinions and text are all mine.