Friends, I come to you today with news you can use. Christmas is basically tomorrow and that’s an absolute brain bender seeing as yesterday was April. BUT, here we are upon Christmas. I’ll tell ya – the best thing about this time of year at the Wilson house is Mom’s Famous Peanut Butter Balls. I use the word “famous” rather liberally but if you know my mom you have probably enjoyed her peanut butter balls several times over the last five decades.
Peanut Butter Balls are also called Buckeyes in Ohio because they resemble the Buckeye tree. We’re born and raised Californians and have lived without Buckeye trees our whole lives, so we call them peanut butter balls instead. My mom’s recipe has been kicking around our clan since well before our clan existed as she inherited the recipe from an ex-boyfriend’s mom. Bless it all.
When my sisters and I were living at home, we’d have a casual PBB factory. Picture that episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy and Ethel take jobs in a candy factory. You remember how much candy they shoved in their face? Most of it, if we’re being honest.
These days my mom and dad handle most of the PBB production and each ball is portioned out as gifts with tender care. My aunt and uncle have empty holiday tins they bring to the house and shake like paupers hoping for a refill. It’s a whole thing.
Here you are, friends – our family holiday balls for your sharing and caring.
And if you’re really into a grand chocolate peanut butter moment, see: Chocolate Peanut Butter Birthday Cake or Peanut Butter Cup Christmas Cookies.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Peanut Butter Balls:
• creamy peanut butter – I like to use a Skippy or Jiff peanut butter (the sort with added oil) for these balls. Of course you can use natural peanut butter if you prefer!
• softened unsalted butter. Malleable enough to massage and mash.
• plenty of powdered sugar.
• vanilla extract and kosher salt.
• semi-sweet chocolate and coconut oil. The coconut oil will help the chocolate harden to a shell on the outside of the ball. But, long before we knew about coconut oil my mom used edible parrafin wax to make a chocolate shell. No lie.
Let’s get started! Mix together the softened butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar until it forms a still dough.
I use a wooden spoon to start to incorporate the mixture but always end up washing my hands and massaging the dough to cohesive with food safe gloved hands. You can also use a stand mixer and paddle attachment!
While the peanut butter mixture is at room temperature, shape into round balls. I measure beach ball to a heaping tablespoon then roll between my palms to a tight and smooth ball. Refrigerate the balls for at least an hour to make them more sturdy to handle for the dipping.
With the balls rolled, melt chocolate and coconut oil over a double boiler.
A double boiler is a heatproof bowl set atop a pot with a few inches of simmering water. The steam from the water heats the bowl and gently melts the chocolate and coconut oil without it seizing. The double boiler will also keep the chocolate warm and you dip and dip and dip.
Dip each ball halfway or fully submerged and allow to rest on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Wax paper also works in place of parchment. Place the tray in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so to set the balls and store in a large bowl or right on the tray loosely covered.
Set aside at least three of these peanut butter truffles for yourself. Store in an airtight container before gifting. We store them in the freezer with success. They’re sweet little treats and well earned if you made it this far into the year.
More holiday cookie bakes for you soon! Happy Baking!
And here’s My Top 10 Peanut Butter Recipes to keep you on the peanut butter kick!
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Mom’s Famous Peanut Butter Balls
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: about 3 dozen balls 1x
- Category: dessert, holiday
Description
Seven ingredients to heaven.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (I used not the all-natural peanut butter)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups powdered sugar (This is the amount of sugar my mom uses but truly you could use less – I’ve used 4 cups with success.)
- 18 ounces dark chocolate chunks (about 1 1/2 bags chocolate chips)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine peanut butter, butter, vanilla, salt, and half of the powdered sugar. You can also do this by hand with a wooden spoon and clean hands.
- Blend on low speed until the mixture begins to come together. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the remaining powdered sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined. The mixture will be very thick, but not dry. The powdered sugar should incorporate easily.
- Remove the bowl from the stand and use a small cookie scoop to scoop dough and roll peanut butter balls between your hands to make a tight, round ball. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- In a heatproof bowl combine chocolate chunks and coconut oil. Place the bowl over a small pot of simmering water and let sit until chocolate begins to melt. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and reduce heat so the water is just at a low simmer.
- Remove the balls from the refrigerator and using your fingers, dip half of each ball into the melted chocolate, and return to the parchment lined sheet. Repeat until all balls are dipped and place in the refrigerator to chill and harden the chocolate.
- Keep peanut butter balls covered and stored in the refrigerator, or pack them in holiday tins and stored in the refrigerator for gifting. Peanut butter balls last up to 2 weeks if not longer covered well and cool.
Photos with Jon Melendez.
77 Responses
I also have this recipe from my mom and YES we added wax to the chocolate to make it smooth & shiny. LOL. Can’t wait to try it with the coconut oil—sounds so much better. Do you have any tips for the dipping? I usually end up either burning my fingers or dropping the balls in the chocolate. Thanks!!
I usually stick toothpicks in the balls before they get refrigerated. Yes there will be a tiny hole but it saves your hands!
Brilliant!
Very nice cookie. Best part is easy to make. I highly recommend using your hands to mix as very good exercise for the arms!!! Cookie stays nice and softer even with long refrigeration time. Thanks for a great recipe. Will be nice addition to the cookie platter.
Absolutely easy to make and very delicious I will definitely be making them again thank you for posting this recipe
So easy to make!!! They look great on a cookie platter in decorative paper cups.
I made these to include in cookie boxes for my coworkers, and they were absolutely fantastic! I popped several of them throughout my day of baking. Just couldn’t resist! Thank you for sharing this delightful recipe!
I’m so glad I’ve found your recipe! I used to eat peanut butter balls like these when I was a kid. And now, I’ll share the pleasure with my own kids.
Absolutely delicious. I made 1x recipe and ended up with over 100 balls not counting the ones I ate. I thought it would only make about 3 doz but no complaints here. Very very good!!
Could I mail these? Will they tolerate not being refrigerated for three days?? Thank you!!
The perfect treat coming to you directly from Grandmas kitchen. My mom’s famous peanut butter balls are so delicious and chewy that they’re hard to stop at just one. They’re a must make recipe!
I love you Joy, and your recipes are usually top notch (I’ve made a ton of them!), but these were a disappointment. I followed the instructions to the letter and made these for my husband’s coworkers as part of a huge cookie platter. My husband and I both tried one and we felt they were cloyingly sweet, with the overarching flavor being powdered sugar, and not PB + chocolate. It’s the only one of your recipes I’ve made and haven’t been over the moon about. ?????
They look perfect!!
I love how the recipe says to store in the refridge and will last up to 2 weeks….yeah, right !! They won’t last 24 hours in this house.
This is similar to a recipe that’s been in our family for at least 3 generations. Our recipe ads rice crispy cereal to the butter/peanut butter/powdered sugar mixture. It also uses paraffin.
Any chance of getting this with the weights listed? Looking forward to making these. I had a friend that made these growing up, she did the full dip in chocolate and they were always peanut butter bon bons. She and her MIL would jokingly argue about whether the correct name was bon bons or balls. My family in Ohio always did the 3/4 which is what makes them a Buckeye IMO. No matter what you call them or the PB to Chocolate ratio, they are delicious!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
These are indeed Buckeyes!!!! OH
How do you dip them to get them 3/4’s covered?
Very tasty. I had way too much chocolate. No photo from me because mine were not so neat.
I don’t have any coconut oil any good substitution? I’ve use the paraffin wax as well but I don’t have that either lol
Do you have vegetable shortening? That will work!
Love up buckeyes
1 tablespoon Crisco melted with your chips works perfect.
I’ve made peanut butter balls for years, same recipe my mom made and my grandmother before her. My son grew up with these at the holidays. He walked in to my kitchen a few years ago (well into his 30’s) while I was adding the paraffin wax in the chocolate and was stunned!
MOTHER! What are you doing!?!? I’m making pbb’s. YOU put WAX in them? You are feeding me and my children WAX!
Settle down and get out of my kitchen, you’ve been eating these since you could put solid food in your mouth and they haven’t killed you yet, I think you and your children’s innards will be fine.
He still eats them by the bucket full but must tease me about the wax.
LOVE your recipe Joy, no matter where your from or what they are called from your area – they are a delicious treat!
Native Pennsylvanian here and they were always PBB in my house. And were always my favorite at Christmas.
My family always called them Peanut Butter Balls, but that’s probably because we are from Texas and wouldn’t know a buckeye if it hit us upside the head! Lol! My Meemee always added Rice Krispies….so good!! Thank you, Joy, for answering negativity with a smile & an appropriately worded response ???
Lol, the app replaced my smiley face emojis with question marks! It was definitely not a question!
My husband has been making “peanut butter balls” since the first grade with PB, Sweetened Condensed milk and pwd sugar, then pouring melted chocolate over the top. I make “buckeye balls” but they are the graham cracker added version others have been mentioning. Options are good ??
Hey Jodi, please share your recipe that has sweetened condensed milk! I’d love to try it also! My email is kathybuzz88@gmail.com
Or u can text 205-800-9941… I’m afraid I may miss the reply here . Thank you so much! Have a blessed holiday season!!
These are a long time treat my grandmother used to make. I’ve been using a recipe that uses crisp rice cereal in the peanut butter mixture. My family prefers the crisp rice recipe but I love them both!
I am astounded by the negativity thrown your way by some people based off what you called a sweet treat, but I digress. I have never made cookie boxes and doing my first batch this year. I’ve added this to my list of recipes. I can’t wait to share the peanut butter balls/buckeyes/peanut butter sweet treats with family. Thank you!!!!
Easy cookie recipe! I love it!
I make something very similar, but i use crushed up very fine graham crackers in the peanut butter mixture, then i use 4 different types of chocolate melted in a ceramic dish, i keep warm in the oven. I fond a simple dinner fork works great for dipping
, just place ball on fork dip or drop in chocolate mixture roll it around till its covered and drag fork across the top lip of dish and let it drip off a bit then place them to dry.. i call mine peanut butter bon bons. The recipe cam e from a christmas recipie book. Ive been making these for 40 years now. I can never ever make enough.
My recipe uses graham crackers crushed Extra crunchy peanut butter box of butter then one large Hershey bar package of semisweet chocolate chips and a quarter piece of wax may try coconut oil
I have made these with nut free Wow butter ( available on amzn) and they came out great.
What does the coconut oil do? I’ve never used it or the other wax
YUM. Would there be a way to make these without a double boiler? I assume it would just be trickier to go without?
Yes absolutely. You can gently melt chocolate in the microwave in 15 second burst, stirring between each burst until warm and melted. Just pop back into the microwave for a burst when the chocolate starts to harden to thick.
I’m cracking up because my mom and I STILL use paraffin wax for dipping, Oops! I am going to use coconut oil this year instead. I will have to keep it a secret from her and see if she notices ;)
Honestly, I support you and your paraffin wax!
Ugh I hate it when people try and take things that aren’t there’s and pass it off as it were. You even admit you know they are buckeyes but some how being from California allows you to claim them as something different? GTFO. They look horrible and paraffin is trash. I’ve literally been making BUCKEYES for decades and I have to deal with disrespectful people like you. Get back in your lane lady.
Hey hi. Me reporting from well within my lane. You know we’re talking about holiday candy, right? Just checking. Happy Holidays to you, my favorite BUCKEYE.
1. *their’s
2. You are not the inventor
of this confection.
3. Go Michigan Wolverines!
Are you this nasty to everyone who tries to share free recipes? Sounds like maybe you are this nasty to everyone in your life. Get a hobby (and therapy).
I am deeply sorry for whatever challenges you are facing in your personal life. You must be navigating some pretty stormy waters. Right? Because why else would you attack a blogger over a dessert recipe. You should probably take note that this is Joy’s blog, and therefore, it is *her* lane. Feel free to get off at the next exit.
First, as a person from Ohio, you’re an embarrassment. Stop being a troll. These look great and maybe try passing positivity instead of taking the time to be a nasty person. In no way was she being disrespectful. Perhaps eat a “buckeye” and hopefully you’ll feel better. <3 Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Imagine your life being so sad that you have to gate-keep a dessert and insult a recipe from a mother. You need a nap. Or maybe a hug.
well Jeannie, your comment made it to Joy’s instagram stories so congrats on picking fights with people who make candy slightly differently than you. Happy holidays gatekeeper!
Growing up, we shaped the balls a bit more oblong and called them “acorns”. They are my favorite.
Buckeyes are big in my family too, but our recipe mixes rice krispies into the sweetened peanut butter centers. Grandma’s recipe uses parrafin wax too!
I’m a Toledo, OH native and now live in CO- been making these for over 4 decades! If using coconut oil I strongly suggest refined coconut oil- unrefined tastes like coconut and changes the whole flavor of the chocolate!! I still use Gulf Wax, but barely 1/2” thick piece for a triple batch of chocolate. It’s the holidays- I eat less than 6 of them- a little wax won’t hurt.
This is exactly how my Grandma made them and we called always them peanut butter balls. Her recipe made a gazillion balls of bliss that freeze exceptionally well and are fabulous eaten straight out of the freezer. :)
Favorite Christmas treat ever!
Yum! They’re also “peanut butter balls” in my family (in New Mexico). My grandma also used paraffin wax and dipped them all the way; I generally temper my chocolate instead, and dip them halfway. I may try your coconut oil tip this year! They are such a treat and everyone loves them!
……these can really be enjoyed year round. These “Buckeyes” or “Buck Acorns” freeze very well. Perfect enough to bring out 1-2 at a time for that midnight sweet LOL. Once frozen try to eat within 6-months and be sure to wrap them securely in freezer paper. I will generally put mine into like a Tupperware contain and use wax paper between the layers. I freeze them all first. In other words once made I place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper than freeze them. No need to cover them at this point. Than transfer them to containers (preferably aka Tupperware) and line each layer with parchment paper/wax paper. When you take them out to thaw these will look beautiful and taste as if you made them that morning. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing your recipe I am going to try it this next week. Merry Christmas
Diane
I make something similar to these at Easter. They are SO ADDICTIVE. Worse than potato chips. Definitely worth the effort!
It was my first time making them because they’re not a thing where I’m from, but it won’t be the last! I made a double batch (I trust you, obvs) to share with neighbours and everybody loved them.
We are a buckeye family, and I look forward to my mom’s labor of love every single year. I eat so many buckeyes and pecan thumbprints that I make myself sick, proving that when at home you really do regress into your childhood form. I love recipes like this that are basically the same but everyone’s family has one slightly different tweak that makes them their own <3
I love these cookies! Will work really hard to get these treats! Good job Joy!!
Love, uncle dan
Thanks Uncle Dan!
I can’t believe your mom gave permission for you to put our this “secret” recipe! Now I, too can make them. They are delish. Much love.
love that you shared the recipe and I’m excited to mark these! There is one typo: refrigerate for at least a “house”, but that’s charming ? Happy Holidays!
Lifetime peanut butter baller over here! :D My gram always put rice krispies in them, so that’s how I’ve always made them, but last Christmas I went a wee bit peanut butter ball bonkers and added POTATO CHIPS because the pandemic makes one do funny things. (It will probably be another potato chip peanut butter ball Christmas this year, too. teehee!)
I am not sure why you would not call the candy by its name. You almost make is sound like it is something bad? The name Buckeye is for the candy’s resemblance to the Buckeye tree nut. Take a look sometime.
I don’t think it’s something bad, Donna. Just going with my own family’s tradition.
Hi Joy! I came across this PBB recipe by accident and am soooo glad I did! They look incredible and we are going to make them this year as part of our Christmas Cookie Gifts (for neighbors & friends). I am sure they will be a big hit! Thanks again for sharing!! Merry Christmas?
Lol wow rude Donna
My Mom used to always make these around Christmas time. ?
Thank you for sharing.
?
There are several cookies/confections that have different names in different regions (Russian tea cakes and Mexican wedding cakes, for example.) This shouldn’t be something to get hostile about. Good grief…
Love making buckeyes and sharing, by giving these treats you are wishing the person good luck. People from Ohio are known as Buckeyes and very proud of that name as some believe it means to be the light that conquers the darkness and brightens the way. The candies are usually almost completely covered in chocolate so a small amount of the tan peanut butter mix shows, the same as the buckeye nut that is thought to look like a deer eyes. But anyway you make them they are melt in your mouth good. Thanks Joy for sharing your Moms love.
We usually cover them entirely in chocolate but I’ve been dipping them halfway when I make them on my own.
Can’t wait to make these. I haven’t made them in years. I wanted to change a few of the cookies I put in my cookie boxes. Thank you. Happy Holidays.
I live in Ohio. These are most definitely called buckeyes up here! We cover them three fourths of the way so that they resemble buckeyes! Use a toothpick to hold the ball when dipping in chocolate, then use your finger to cover up the hole!
Sounds great!
I make these in my café and they fly out the door. We say Buckeyes are our cultural contribution to California!
I find melting the chocolate and coconut oil in one of those little $25 Wilton pots is the best and easiest way to mass produce them. Happy holidays!
These look wonderful! Do you know if margarine would work in the place of butter? My mom is vegan (due to food intolerance) and I’m always looking for things i can share with her.
I’ve actually never made these with margarine but YES I think it would absolutely work. I would suggest making a half batch to taste before going the full mile!
Jeannie really needs to try these peanut butter balls… then maybe they wouldn’t be so angry?! It’s rude to rate someone’s recipe without even making it. It’s also sad when someone puts more hate into the world when they are clearly in pain. I made these tonight with my kids tonight and they were fantastic! You’ve done it again, Joy! ?