White Chocolate Buckeyes (White Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles)

If you’re on the hunt for a quick, crowd-pleasing treat, look no further than these White Chocolate Buckeyes. This easy Buckeyes recipe takes the classic peanut butter buckeyes candy to a whole new level by adding a smooth white chocolate twist. Made with creamy peanut butter, these delightful truffles are the perfect blend of sweet and salty, making them an irresistible addition to any dessert table. Whether you’re a fan of homemade candies or simply in the mood for a simple yet indulgent treat, these white chocolate peanut butter truffles are sure to satisfy your cravings.

My White Chocolate Buckeyes Backstory

Every Christmas season when my boys were younger we would make buckeyes, or peanut butter balls, as we called them. The simple recipe of peanut butter and powdered sugar dough dipped in melted milk chocolate was a fun and easy treat. I will admit, the taste of the peanut butter dough always left me a little underwhelmed. I decided to experiment with a mashup to improve upon the recipe.

Since I’m a huge fan of white chocolate and peanut butter, I decided to make white chocolate buckeyes, and for the filling use my favorite peanut butter fudge recipe. For the coating on the outside, I decided to use my basic white chocolate truffle coating. One thing I love about this recipe is that you can make the buckeyes the traditional way with a toothpick hole in the center to look like an eye. You can also dip the peanut butter fudge balls into the white chocolate coating as you would a truffle to create a white chocolate peanut butter truffle. Whatever you decide to do, the peanut butter white chocolate flavor combination shines. Let’s get started!

Equipment for White Chocolate Buckeyes

The first time I made chocolate truffles, my truffle-making friend brought a little gadget that I still use for truffle making today. It’s a little scooper, size 100, that is the standard size used for scooping the balls of chocolate truffle filling. 

It’s not essential for truffle making, but it sure makes the shaping process easier, and the truffles all turn out the same size. Whenever I use this scooper, I think of my friend and those long-ago days of making chocolate truffles during precious afternoon nap time.

Here are some other items you will want to have on hand for your truffle-making experience.

1 medium-sized heavy-gauge saucepan

1 cookie sheet (depending upon how closely you space the truffles, you may need another cookie sheet)

1 9-by-9-inch or 8-by-11-inch baking pan for the peanut butter fudge

Measuring cups and spoons

Spatula

Wooden spoon

Candy thermometer (optional)

1 small-sized saucepan

Wax paper

Toothpicks (for traditional buckeyes)

1 heat-resistant mixing bowl that will fit over a saucepan or a double boiler

Ingredients for White Chocolate Buckeyes

For the peanut butter fudge filling:

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter (real butter is best in this recipe if you have it)

5 ounces evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup, and please do not use sweetened condensed milk)

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the white chocolate coating:

2 cups (1 package) white chocolate chips or white chocolate bars broken into small chunks

4 teaspoons shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco)

Directions for White Chocolate Buckeyes

Bring sugar, butter, and evaporated milk to a rolling boil in a large (mine is 2 and 3/4-quart-sized) saucepan on medium heat.

Stir the mixture constantly.

Keep stirring and boil for 4 minutes or until a candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees.

Remove the pan from the heat.

Stir in the peanut butter and marshmallow creme and keep stirring until both are melted. Add vanilla and mix well.

Pour into pan, spreading to cover the pan completely.

Cool for an hour before scooping the filling into balls for making the white chocolate peanut butter buckeyes or truffles.

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Using the 100-sized scooper, drop scoops of the mixture onto the baking sheet. If the mixture is too soft, stick the pan of peanut butter fudge filling in the freezer for 5 minutes. (You do not want to have the mixture harden too much or it will be difficult to scoop.) When the pan is filled with rounded scoops of peanut butter fudge, place it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

No scooper? No problem! You could also drop teaspoonsful of the mixture onto the baking sheet, then shape into balls. Freeze until firm (about 15 minutes).

While the peanut butter scoops are chilling, heat water in a saucepan. Place a mixing bowl over the hot (not boiling) water. Melt the white chocolate chips and shortening, stirring until smooth. Slow and easy is the key here. If you have to add a bit more shortening for a smoother consistency, go right ahead.

If you are making white chocolate peanut butter truffles, save the scrapings from the pan (you can leave them in the pan) for using as little peanut butter dollops on top of the finished truffles for decorating purposes.

For traditional buckeyes:

Remove the baking sheet with the chilled peanut butter scoops from the freezer. Poke a toothpick into the top of a peanut butter ball, lift the ball off of the sheet and swirl around in the white chocolate coating. There should be a spot of the peanut butter filling showing to make the coated buckey look like an eye. Repeat with remaining peanut butter balls.

For white chocolate peanut butter truffles: 

Drop frozen truffles, one at a time, into the melted coating. Stir quickly to coat. Remove with a fork or spoon, shaking off excess coating.

Place coated truffles on the cookie sheet. Decorate with an optional topping like a small dollop of extra peanut butter filling scraped from the pan as a clue about what is inside the white chocolate coating. I always appreciate flavor hints on top of truffles so I know what I’m biting into.

Common White Chocolate Buckeyes or Truffles Questions

How do you melt chocolate for dipping?

To melt chocolate for dipping, use a gentle heat method to avoid burning. Break the chocolate into small, uniform pieces (as with the chocolate chips in this recipe) for even melting. You can melt it using a double boiler or microwave. For the double boiler method, as shown in the recipe photos, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Adding shortening, as in this recipe, improves the smoothness. Although you can melt chocolate in the microwave for dipping, using short bursts, stirring between each, to prevent overheating, that is not the preferred method for this white chocolate peanut butter buckeyes or truffle recipe. You would be having to continually reheat the melted chocolate until all of the truffles were coated in chocolate.

Do truffles need to be refrigerated?

Yes, white chocolate truffles store best in the refrigerator, at least the homemade variety. However, if the chocolate coating is too thick, chilled white peanut butter buckeyes or truffles may be difficult to bite into. When you are coating the white chocolate truffles with melted chocolate, try to make sure the melted chocolate is not too thick. You could always set the covered container of white chocolate truffles out on a counter for a few hours, then see what you think of the difference.

How long do homemade white chocolate peanut butter truffles last?

White chocolate peanut butter truffles last about 3-4 days at room temperature. They last longer when they are refrigerated, about 2 weeks. White chocolate truffles may also be frozen up to 3 months, but you would want the truffles to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then come to room temperature before eating. If you want your truffles to last for a couple of weeks, but find that they are too difficult to bite into when eaten straight from the refrigerator, try selecting a few truffles from the refrigerator and letting those truffles come to room temperature before enjoying them.

Is it OK to freeze white chocolate truffles?

Whiter chocolate truffles may be frozen for up to 3 months. Before enjoying white chocolate truffles that have been in the freezer, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Before serving, let them come to room temperature, then enjoy every delicious bite.

More Food Inspiration

Thinking of making this white chocolate buckeyes recipe? Maybe you are inspired to make an entire homemade candy gift basket with dark chocolate peppermint bark, peanut butter fudge, chocolate scotcheroos, and milk chocolate toffee. Whether you are making a treat or making a meal, it’s always nice to have a plan. If you’re looking for a way to get more organized with your food planning efforts, I’ve got something for you. Free, editable meal planners! The templates can be used over and over, as often as you need them. You can make as many duplicates as you like, and you’ll be able to save old meal plans for future reference. I hope it simplifies things for you.

Get my digital, editable, printable templates!

I hope you enjoy making white chocolate buckeyes. May all of your treat-making endeavors meet with great success!

 

 

Lisa Mitchell is a wife, mom, and school librarian who likes to create and share recipes, often using fresh ingredients from her family’s small Pacific Northwest farm. To learn more about what this website has to offer, click on over to the Food page.

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