These Peanut Butter Balls are a no bake peanut butter truffle covered in chocolate! Made with just a few ingredients, buckeyes are the perfect make ahead treat for the holidays! Step by step recipe video down in the recipe card.

Love chocolate and peanut butter together? Try this No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pinwheels, this Puppy Chow or this Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie next!

overhead image of peanut butter balls coated in chocolate

Why are they called Buckeyes?
Tips and Tricks for making Peanut Butter Balls:
Melting chocolate on a double boiler:
Variations on these Peanut Butter Balls:
How to store Peanut Butter Balls:
Peanut Butter Balls Recipe

I could start this post off by confessing how many of these Peanut Butter Balls I ate in one sitting, but why embarrass myself like that?

It’s no secret that peanut butter and chocolate is our kryptonite here, for all 5 of us!

It’s a combination we just can’t resist.

These Peanut Butter Balls (you might call them Buckeyes) are one of the easiest no bake Christmas treats, and one of the most addictive.

They are just the right amount sweet and salty, and covered in a chocolatey coating that makes them irresistible.

Why are they called Buckeyes?

These peanut butter balls are often called Buckeyes because they look exactly like the nut from the Ohio Buckeye tree — mostly dark with one lighter spot.

I promise these are much more delicious, though!

chocolate peanut butter balls stacked on white plate

Tips and Tricks for making Peanut Butter Balls:

This recipe uses conventional peanut butter and not natural peanut butter, which can be more runny and more oily. Attempting to swap the peanut butter for natural peanut butter will affect the results.
Make sure your peanut butter mixture isn’t too dry or too moist: your peanut butter mixture may appear crumbly at first, but should hold together when you squeeze it. If you’re not sure, make a test peanut butter ball (no chocolate coating required) and take a bite to test the consistency.
Chill your peanut butter balls before coating: I’ll admit, I’m impatient so I usually opt for 20 minutes in the freezer instead of an hour or two in the fridge, but you can refrigerate up to several days before coating if you prefer.
Use solid chocolate bars: when melting and coating candy, solid chocolate bars are the way to go. Chocolate chips are designed to hold their shape in baking, so they contain stabilizers that can prevent them from melting smoothly.

two layers of peanut butter balls stacked on white plate

Melting chocolate on a double boiler:

The most foolproof way to melt chocolate for coating is to use a double boiler.

It might sound intimidating, but you don’t need any special equipment to make your own double boiler.

Simply find a small pot and a glass bowl that fits over the top of the bowl and can sit on top. You will want the bottom of the bowl not to be within a couple inches of the bottom of the pot. If it is too close to the bottom, find a larger bowl (so that it doesn’t sit as low), or a smaller pot.

Place one inch of water in the pot and heat to a low boil over medium-high heat.

Place your chopped chocolate and oil in the bowl — the oil keeps it from getting too thick.

Reduce heat to low and place the bowl over the top of the simmering water.

Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

To dip your peanut butter balls, I recommend leaving your bowl of melted chocolate over the pot to keep warm, but removing the pot from the heat.

peanut butter buckeyes with one bite taken out

Variations on these Peanut Butter Balls:

Use crunchy peanut butter for a bit of extra texture! If the peanut butter mixture becomes too thick, simply add a tablespoon of butter at a time to compensate for the added nuts until the consistency is right.
Extra salt: you know I love a sweet and salty treat, and these peanut butter balls hit the mark. If you like, you can sprinkle a bit of coarse or flaked salt on the top after dipping in chocolate for an extra salty punch.
Add some colorful sprinkles: add a festive spin to these buckeyes with some holiday themed sprinkles after coating.
Swap out your chocolate coating: you can use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or even white chocolate to coat these peanut butter balls, as long as you choose the solid chocolate bars.

How to store Peanut Butter Balls:

Although there are no ingredients in these peanut butter balls that require immediate refrigeration, I recommend storing in the refrigerator long term to keep them at their best.

The kitchen is often one of the warmer places in the house, and the extra heat could cause the chocolate coating to soften or slide.

These buckeyes are absolutely fine left out at room temperature to serve, and can even be frozen up to 3 months.

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