Make these easy no-bake peanut butter balls (buckeyes) for your next holiday gathering. All you need is a few ingredients and about 20 minutes, plus chilling time. They are so delicious; the kids will love them too. It’s one of my favorite recipes to make with my family, they always request I bring them to every get together we have.
The holidays are just around the corner, and you know what that means: family, friends, and food.
One of my favorite holiday treats is peanut butter balls. If you love peanut butter cups, you are sure to love these little chocolate covered treats.
These are perfect for busy moms like me who want something decadent but lack the time and patience for complicated recipes. Lucky, this recipe does not require any baking, so they are super quick to put together.
Get the peanut butter ball filling mixture combined and let chill until you are ready to make balls and dip them into melted chocolate.
The Holidays are six weeks away and I just mixed three batches of the filling today. Tomorrow, we will dip the peanut butter balls in chocolate. Any excess chocolate is used to make our other Christmas candies. It’s an annual family tradition.
No-Bake Buckeyes are a classic holiday dessert recipe. They are easy to make and perfect for any occasion. This no bake treat can be whipped up in minutes, store well in the freezer, and taste delicious!
Have you ever heard of a Buckeye Milkshake? Just think of all these delicious flavors in a ice cream drink.
Chocolate Christmas Candy Ingredients
There are just five ingredients used to make these scrumptious peanut butter balls.
Confectioner’s Sugar. Powdered Sugar is the same thing. For a low-sugar peanut butter ball, use powdered monk fruit or your favorite no-sugar alternative.
Graham Crackers. They need to be crushed fine or the peanut butter filling will not be smooth. If I can find them, I will get a box of crushed graham crackers. It saves time. All I do is pour and measure. If you are not able to fine any, you can use a food processor to get them finely ground. Or if all else fails, put the graham crackers in a plastic bag and pound them with a mallet or roll a rolling pin over them.
Peanut Butter. I prefer a creamy peanut butter. However, you can use any kind. Any nut butter works for this recipe. If you prefer an almond or cashew butter, go ahead and swap that out for the peanut butter.
Butter. I use a grade A butter.
Chocolate. If you can get melting chocolate, that is my first choice. However, you can use chocolate flavored melting wafers or milk chocolate chips. If you plan on being fancy and drizzling a different chocolate on top, then I use a white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or dark chocolate to drizzle. It is so easy to create a fancy look.
How to Make Easy No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls
This recipe is super easy. Just combine the peanut butter filling ingredients, let chill, melt the chocolate, make peanut butter balls, and dip them in chocolate and let the chocolate harden.
However, let me go into a bit more detail for you so you have fun making these little tasty gems.
First, in a large bowl, add softened butter, graham cracker crumbs, and powdered sugar and mix. Add the peanut butter and continue to mix until smooth. If you want to speed things up, you use a food processor or hand mixer. Just add the ingredients all at once and mix until smooth.
Next let the peanut butter dough chill. Some recipes will have you making the peanut butter balls at this point and freezing it. I find that the mixture is quite soft to work with if it is room temperature at this point. It is easier to let the mixture chill and then make the balls. I usually let the filling chill for approximately an hour.
Next melt the chocolate for dipping. There are a few ways to melt the chocolate.
How to Melt Chocolate
Option 1. If you will be using the chocolate for dipping things into, the chocolate will stay smooth the entire time if you use a double boiler. A double boiler are made up of two pots. The bottom one is filled with a bit of water and the top pot is set on top. When the water heats up in the bottom pot, it also warms the top pot and anything in it. This works great for melting chocolate and Hollandaise sauce.
Option 2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Use a microwave safe bowl. I use this method because it is quick and easy. Just heat one pound of chocolate at a time at one-minute increments, making sure to stir between. After about 3 minutes, the chocolate will be smooth and ready for dipping.
Pro Tip: Make sure that there is NO water in any of the containers you will be using the melt the chocolate in. If the water touches it, the melted chocolate could seize up. Once it has seized up, you need to start over with a new batch of chocolate. I know, unfortunately, I learned this lesson the hard way years ago.
Dipping the Peanut Butter Balls in Chocolate
Once your peanut butter filling has chilled, use a 1-inch cookie scoop to make the balls. Using a fork, spoon, or toothpick, dip the peanut butter balls in the melted chocolate.
Place the chocolate covered peanut butter balls on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Set some place cool to let the chocolate harden.
How to Make Buckeyes
The filling and chocolate coating for the buckeye balls are the same as for the peanut butter balls. The only difference is that part of the peanut butter filling is showing. Therefore, I use a toothpick inserted into the peanut butter ball to gently lower it a little bit into the melted chocolate. Make sure not to cover the whole thing. Let cool on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.
Recipe Success Tips
Use a creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy for this recipe. It will keep the filling creamy, and the filling will set properly.
Mix the nut butter filling completely. If the crushed graham crackers are not fully incorporated, the batter will not form into little balls.
Place the peanut butter and chocolate candies on wax paper lined cookie sheets. This makes it easy to place them in a cool place until the chocolate hardens. The wax paper assures that the Christmas candy will remove easily from the paper.
What to do With Leftover Dipping Chocolate
If you find that you did not use all the melted chocolate, make sure to have some mixed nuts and dried fruits on hand. Just add to the chocolate, stir and use the cookie scoop to make small mounds of the chocolate, nut, and fruit mixture on waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
Let the chocolate set up and you have another Christmas candy ready for eating or serving your guests.
These are the perfect treat and a little filler on a cookie and candy Holiday snack tray. It’s actually one of my husband’s favorite treats.
Make These Easy Peanut Butter Balls (Buckeyes) Ahead of Time
If your family is like mine, they start asking for these already at Thanksgiving and they are great for game day too. Make multiple batches and freeze them. They will also keep for one month in the refrigerator. So go ahead and make extra for future events.
Can Peanut Butter Balls Be Frozen?
Yes, just place the chocolate covered peanut butter balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper and place in the freezer. Once frozen, remove from the tray and put in a freezer bag or airtight container. They will last for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and enjoy.
This easy recipe is a family favorite that I have been making for decades during the Holiday Season. If fact, sometimes, it becomes a family event to dip balls in melted chocolate.
Easy No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls (Buckeyes)
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 2 ½ Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
- 2 Cups Graham Crackers crushed fine
- 24 Ounces Peanut Butter
- ¼ Pound butter Soft, 1 stick
- 1-2 Pounds Chocolate can be chocolate wafers, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or melting chocolate
Instructions
- First, in a large bowl, add softened butter, graham cracker crumbs, and powdered sugar and mix.2 Cups Graham Crackers, ¼ Pound butter, 2 ½ Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
- Add the peanut butter and continue to mix until smooth. If you want to speed things up, you use a food processor or hand mixer. Just add the ingredients all at once and mix until smooth.24 Ounces Peanut Butter
- Next let the peanut butter filling chill. Some recipes will have you making the peanut butter balls at this point and freezing it. I find that the mixture is quite soft to work with at this point and it is easier to let the mixture chill and then make the balls. I usually let the filling chill for approximately an hour.
- Melt the chocolate using your preferred method.1-2 Pounds Chocolate
- Once your peanut butter filling has chilled, use a 1-inch cookie scoop to make the balls. Using a fork, spoon, or toothpick, dip the peanut butter balls in the melted chocolate.
- Place the chocolate covered peanut butter balls on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Set some place cool to let the chocolate harden.
Your Own Private Notes
Notes
There is a Short Video for This Recipe
Can Peanut Butter Balls Be Frozen?
Yes, just place the chocolate covered peanut butter balls in a freezer bag or airtight container. They will last for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and enjoy.How to Make Buckeyes
The filling and chocolate coating for the buckeyes is the same as for the peanut butter balls. The only difference is that part of the peanut butter filling is showing. Therefore, I use a toothpick inserted into the peanut butter ball to gently lower it into the melted chocolate. Make sure not to cover the whole thing. Let cool on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.Nutrition
Alternative add-ins
This recipe as written is just the way my family prefers, the combination of peanut butter, powdered sugar, crushed graham crackers, and butter with a chocolate mixture over the top. I have had other chocolate treats with peanut butter filled with rice krispies, crushed cornflakes, coconut, or crunchy peanut butter.
Here are a few other delicious recipes you should try.
