An easy buckeye recipe, these chocolate coated peanut butter truffles are perfect for the holiday season! What makes them stand apart from every other buckeye candy recipe? You mix toffee into the peanut butter filling and top each buckeye with a honey roasted peanut.
Peanut Butter Buckeyes
Can you think of a better combination than chocolate and peanut butter? I cannot! Creamy peanut butter fudge, homemade peanut butter cups, and chocolate peanut butter truffles are all proof the flavor combo works brilliantly!
My latest chocolate & peanut butter obsession? Peanut Butter Buckeye Candy! They look like they came from a fancy candy shop and are easy to make. And they make a great homemade holiday gift!
What Does Buckeye Candy Taste Like?
- Flavor: The first flavor to hit you will definitely be peanut butter! But these buckeyes also have notes of toffee, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, salt, and espresso. The flavors are all subtle and don’t overwhelm one another.
- Texture: The peanut butter filling is creamy and crunchy, and the dark chocolate coating adds even more crunch. There’s also a honey roasted peanut on top of each buckeye for even more crunch! If you love crunchy and creamy candies, you’ll love these!
Ingredients for this Buckeye Recipe
- Peanut Butter: I do not suggest using natural peanut butter for this recipe. Instead, I recommend a standard creamy peanut butter like JIF or Peter Pan.
- Butter: Unsalted butter works best for this recipe. You’ll want it slightly softer than room temperature, so that it easily blends into the peanut butter filling.
- Vanilla Extract: As always, I recommend using pure vanilla. Not imitation or artificial vanilla, which will give your buckeye candy an odd taste.
- Salt: Just a dash helps balance sweetness and enhance the other flavors in this buckeye recipe.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Aka powdered sugar. Be sure to sift the powdered sugar before using it so your peanut butter filling is smooth and lump free.
- Milk: Whole milk aka full-fat milk works best in the peanut butter filling, but any milk will technically work.
- HEATH Bars: These milk chocolate English toffee candy bars are easily available at most grocery stores. If you can’t find them, feel free to use an equal amount of toffee bits and chopped milk chocolate instead.
- Dark Chocolate: If you don’t like dark chocolate, feel free to use milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate instead.
- Espresso Powder: This enhances the dark chocolate flavor, but is an optional ingredient. You can 100% make this recipe without using it.
- Honey Roasted Peanuts: We top the buckeyes with nuts and it’s absolutely delicious! Not only do the nuts add crunch and sweetness, but they make the buckeye candy look extra pretty.
Creamy Peanut Butter Filling
- Equipment: You’ll need a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to make the peanut butter filling! And be sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before beginning.
- Advice: When you add the powdered sugar, only add a 1/2 cup at a time. Otherwise the powdered sugar will fly up and make a huge mess. Slow and steady is the way to go when adding powdered sugar.
- How to Fix the Peanut Butter Filling: If your filling looks too dry, add in a little extra milk. And if your filling looks to sticky, add in a little more powdered sugar. I suggest adding in a teaspoon of milk at a time, and a 1/4 cup of powdered sugar at a time. The peanut butter filling should look like play dough.
- Use a Cookie Scoop: A small cookie scoop will make it easy to portion out 1 tablespoon-sized rounds of filling. Be sure to place the balls on a pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper so they don’t stick! And chill until firm, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Dip the Peanut Butter Balls
- Melt the Dark Chocolate: I like to melt the chocolate in the microwave. But if you don’t have one, you can use a doubler boiler or make one.
- Dip the Buckeye Candy: Once the buckeyes have firmed up in the freezer, they’re ready to be dipped in chocolate. Carefully dip the bottom of each ball in the melted chocolate, leaving a small round of peanut butter still visible.
- Allow Excess Chocolate to Drip: The secret to less messy buckeyes? Let any excess chocolate drip back into the bowl before placing the buckeyes on the lined baking sheet.
- Chill until Solid: Place the peanut butter balls to the refrigerator to set, about 1 hour. This buckeye recipe is best served chilled, but will be ok at room temperature for a few hours.
Toffee Crunch Peanut Butter Buckeyes
An easy buckeye recipe, these chocolate coated peanut butter truffles perfect for the holiday season! What makes them stand apart from every other buckeye candy recipe? You mix toffee into the peanut butter filling and top each buckeye with a honey roasted peanut.
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce jar creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter very soft
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 and 1/4 cups (371g) confectioners’ sugar sifted
- 2 Tablespoons (28ml) milk
- 4 full-size HEATH milk chocolate English toffee candy bars finely chopped
- 12 ounces 72% dark chocolate finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 1/4 cup honey roasted peanuts optional
Instructions
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In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, or in the body of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low-speed until combined.
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With the mixer on low-speed, add in the confectioners sugar, a 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the milk and continue to beat until the mixture becomes a workable dough. It will be a little sticky, but scoop-able and easy to work with.
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Add in the chopped chocolate toffee and mix on low until just combined.
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Scoop 1 tablespoon-sized rounds of filling out onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll each round into a smooth round ball. Press a peanut on top of each ball.
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Place the baking sheet in the freezer to firm up for one hour. During the last few minutes of the chill time, make the chocolate coating. You will make the chocolate coating in the microwave.
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Place the chocolate in a small heatproof glass measuring bowl and melt, on low-power, in 30 second increments, stirring after each increment, until completely melted. Stir in the espresso powder and whisk smoothly. Let this mixture slightly cool before dipping.
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Remove peanut butter balls from the freezer. One at a time, carefully dip the bottom of each chilled ball in the melted chocolate, leaving a small round of peanut butter (and the peanut) still visible. You want about 3/4 of the peanut butter truffle covered in chocolate.
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When lifting the peanut butter ball out of the chocolate remember to allow excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Transfer the chocolate covered balls back to a parchment paper lined baking sheet after dipping each one.
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Transfer the peanut butter balls to the refrigerator to set, about 1 hour. Serve chilled.
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