This recipe for buckeye balls is a Midwest Christmas classic! No-bake creamy peanut butter filling enrobed in rich chocolate to imitate the buckeye tree nut. Try my peanut butter eggs for more peanut butter fun.

I once traveled home and spent a week in Chicago as a surprise for my father, who believed he was receiving a parcel but instead received me. Fortunately, he was OK with the trade-off.

Moreover, like some kind of sugar-delivery Santa, I brought cookies with me. One container of Cranberry Bliss Fudge and one container of Buckeye Balls, a Midwest tradition.

What are buckeye balls?

Buckeye Balls, have you heard of them? When I went to New England, I realized that no one understood what I was saying.

Most people eventually realized what they were, but under a more precise moniker of Peanut Butter Balls. It made me feel better to know that these simple, no-bake goodies are appreciated by others.

Now, the pattern of the chocolate covering is another key to them. To make them appear like a dangerous nut, leave a little circle of peanut butter exposed on top.

I’m not going to lie. I’m not sure why we always wanted to produce a snack that looks like a poisonous nut, but I’m still on board. They’re simply so damn delicious.

Ingredients for traditional buckeye balls

You’ll need the following ingredients to make the traditional buckeye ball recipe:

• Peanut butter that is creamy
• room temperature unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Dark or semisweet chocolate
• If necessary, use coconut oil or vegetable shortening to thin down the chocolate.

Buckeye balls are a holiday tradition

Every Christmas, I used to make these with my family. That was the one dish we were permitted to make on our own as kids, and it always converted the kitchen into a giant, peanut buttery, chocolaty mess.

That was incredible.

What kind of chocolate should I use?

As for the chocolate, I could have tried using raw cacao powder (aff link) and coconut oil, but it all came down to the texture, which wasn’t smooth enough.

As a result, I kept the chocolate coating basic by using just premium chocolate. This is critical, and I’m not simply trying to get you to spend more money (trust me, thats not my goal in life).

To be successful, you must utilize high-quality chocolate. Subpar chocolate will just make them unhappy. And you don’t want to eat sad dessert, do you? Obviously not.

Making a healthier peanut butter filling

If the amount of butter and powdered sugar in the peanut butter filling makes your stomach turn, I have some good news: I embarked on a quest to make them as nutritious as possible while still retaining their creamy, luscious feel.

• I’ve put more effort into using the bag of coconut flour and coconut sugar that I keep in my cupboard over time. They’re both really valuable in so many ways, but they’re not a 1:1 substitute for most things, which means I’ll have to perform a lot of trial and error.
• I experimented with both coconut flour and sugar and noticed that the sugar only made things gritty, which is the reverse of what I’m trying for.
• I eventually found that utilizing a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup maintains the creamy feel and allows me to use far less than I would with solid sweeteners.

Luckily, I finally got the amounts for this recipe correct:

• 1 cup organic or regular peanut butter
• cuphoney, maple syrup, or agave syrup
• 1 cup of coconut flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt

How to store buckeye balls

Refrigerate or freeze your set buckeye balls in airtight containers (with parchment paper between layers).

If you’re anything like me, you’ll put one of them in your mouth every time you go by your fridge, and then the container will be empty.

Utilize transparent containers so you can see how many are left to aid you with your self-control. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!