Healthy Peanut Butter Buckeye Balls Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my peanut butter balls too soft? ›

If your butter was too soft or if the peanut butter you're using is too thin, the filling can get a little soft and sticky as you're rolling. The refrigerator can fix that—stop what you're doing and chill the bowl of filling for 15 minutes in the refrigerator before trying again to roll into balls.

Why are my Peanut Butter Balls so sticky? First, make sure you're using regular peanut butter (rather than the natural peanut butter that's more runny). If it's too sticky still, you can simply add a little more powdered sugar until it's a nice consistency for rolling into small balls.

Once you're done, stick a toothpick into the center of each one and pop them into the freezer until they're nice and firm, about 30 minutes. You want them to be able to withstand being dipped into warm melted chocolate, and not start to fall apart. This amount of time does the trick!

Here's what's in buckeye balls: The peanut butter balls are made with confectioners' sugar, creamy peanut butter, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract. The coating comes together quickly with just semi-sweet chocolate chips and shortening.

1. To avoid a dry, crumby dough . . . Mix together the peanut butter and butter first, and then stir in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, until you reach the right consistency. Usually about 3 cups of powdered sugar will do for approximately 1 1/2-2 cups of peanut butter.

The mixture should be easy to roll into balls that stay together while not being sticky. If it is sticky, add just a little more powdered sugar. If it won't form into a ball, add just a little more peanut butter.

The buckeyes are beautiful as is. You can store them in an air-tight container in the fridge or you can freeze them, though I will warn you if you keep them in your fridge you will be tempted to eat one every time you pass by. I like to give them away as gifts in cute bags or Christmas Chinese-like takeout boxes.

How to Store Buckeyes. Buckeyes are fine to sit out at room temperature on holiday cookie plates for up to 24 hours, though if you're keeping them around for longer than that, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator where they'll stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. Buckeyes also freeze super well.

Dry the fruit for 1 or 2 days at room temperature until the capsules split, then remove the shiny, brown seeds. The seeds of buckeyes and many tree species will not germinate until they are exposed to cool temperatures and moist conditions for 3 to 4 months.

Removing the shell and roasting the nut neutralizes its harmful tannic acid content and makes for a protein-packed snack. If not prepared properly though, buckeye nuts are toxic to humans, causing symptoms including weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, paralysis, and death.

Why are they called Buckeye balls? ›

The buckeye candy resembles the nut of the buckeye tree, with a shiny, dark brown exterior and light brown "eye." The story goes that buckeye's name came from Native Americans who thought the glossy, chestnut-brown seed resembled the eye of, you guessed it, a buck (that's a male deer, for you city folk).

During September, buckeyes, which are large, shiny brown seeds, can be found underneath Aesculus trees. According to legend, carrying a pocketful of buckeyes brings good luck. Early Native Americans called these seeds buckeyes for their resemblance to the eyes of male deer, known as bucks.

Poisonous Plant: All parts of the plant (leaves, bark, fruit) are highly toxic if ingested – because of the glycoside aesculin, the saponin aescin, and possibly alkaloids. Symptoms are muscle weakness and paralysis, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, paralysis, and stupor.

The buckeye nut can only be eaten if it is removed from the shell and roasted. The nut cannot be consumed raw, since it contains tannic acid and other chemicals that are mildly poisonous to humans and animals.

There are many different methods for processing and cooking buckeye seeds for food, depending upon the tribe. The seeds have medicinal properties and were cut into pieces, mixed with water, and made into suppositories for hemorrhoids by the Costanoan and Kawaiisu.

How do you make natural peanut butter more solid? refrigerate it and eat it before it warms up. If anyone has another answer, that would be the peanut butter holy grail.

Want to fully stop the separation cycle? Store your jar of peanut butter in the fridge when it's all mixed together. Separation anxiety, gone!

1. Microwave Method: Scoop the desired amount of hard peanut butter into a microwave-safe container. Microwave on low power (30% to 50%) for 15 to 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between.

I have experimented heating the candy between 285-300 degrees. I like heating to 300 if it is immediately taken off the heat and cooled. It hardens quickly if you go over 300 even a little bit. Most people have had success with the brittle at any temp in between 285-300, but like I said, I prefer closer to 300 degrees.