If you like your peanut butter with a little texture, these crunchy buckeyes with rice krispies are the thing for you. The crispy peanut butter centers pairs so wonderfully with the chocolate shell to make the perfect homemade candy.
Crunchy buckeyes are a fun twist on the classic buckeye candy recipe. They add crisped rice cereal for extra texture with the same great taste.
Our family has always been big buckeye fans. That classic flavor combination of chocolate and peanut butter is hard to beat.
They taste a lot like a Reese’s peanut butter cup, but in a more fun package. We make a batch or two every Christmas.
So it doesn’t take a lot of convincing for me to make a batch. I mean, there is no reason we can’t enjoy them outside of the holiday season.
When a coworker mentioned that his mom’s buckeyes were the best because they included rice krispies, I was intrigued. Of course I had to try them for myself!
My husband, who is both a huge buckeye fan and purist/traditionalist, was dubious at first. But after one bite, he was hooked.
And that is saying something! He couldn’t pick a favorite, so now I guess we have to make a batch of each.
Making Rice Krispie Buckeyes
If you are familiar with making regular buckeyes, you will know this process well. It doesn’t change much to add the cereal.
Start with room temperature butter to make the process easy. You want it to readily mix into the peanut butter.
Stir in a little vanilla and powdered sugar. It will look a little crumbly at first, but it should come together.
Then, fold in the crisp rice cereal. I like to use a small cookie scoop to portion out the filling.
But because you aren’t baking them, you can make the balls as big or small as you would like. Put the centers in the freezer for a bit to firm up a bit.
That helps to keep them sticking to your hands while rolling them into balls between your palms. Pop them back into the freezer again for a few minutes to firm them up again before dipping them in chocolate.
I like to insert a toothpick into the top and gently roll the ball in the melted chocolate. Leave a small circle at the top of the ball to look like the namesake nut.
Then, just let them firm up. It really is that easy.
I usually go back and smooth the ball with a finger to cover the toothpick hole. You can transfer them to an airtight container once the chocolate is set.
The Rice Krispies stay nice and crunchy in the peanut butter, and it really does add a little something to the mix. Try them to see for yourself!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you store buckeyes?
If you are going to enjoy the buckeyes within a few days, they can be stored at room temperature. Put them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Can buckeye candy be frozen?
Yes. You can put them in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
What kind of chocolate should I use for buckeyes?
I like using good quality dipping chocolate to make candies like this. It coats well without having to temper the chocolate. They taste great with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or even white chocolate.
If you tried this recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments. Hungry for more? Be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Crunchy Buckeyes With Rice Krispies
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 pinch salt
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1¼ cups Rice Krispies cereal
- 10 ounces dipping chocolate
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the peanut butter, salt, and butter together until smooth.1 cup creamy peanut butter, 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 pinch salt
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until smooth. It may look crumbly at first, but it should come together.1½ cups powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Add the rice cereal and mix by hand until uniformly distributed.1¼ cups Rice Krispies cereal
- Line a sheet pan with wax paper or parchment paper. Scoop 1 Tablespoon balls of peanut butter mixture onto the wax paper, a small cookie scoop works well for this.
- Place sheet pan in freezer for about 10 minutes. Remove from freezer and roll the scoops of peanut butter mixture between your palms to form balls. Return to freezer for 10 more minutes or until firm.
- Melt the dipping chocolate in a small bowl.10 ounces dipping chocolate
- Insert a toothpick into the top of a chilled peanut butter ball. Dip into the melted chocolate coating all but a small circle on the top of the ball. Return the ball to the lined baking sheet and remove the toothpick. Repeat until all of the peanut butter ball centers have been coated in chocolate.
- Chill the chocolate coated peanut butter balls in the refrigerator until set, about 10 minutes.
Paula W.
Tuesday 23rd of April 2024
In a large pan, I melted on low the peanut butter, butter and salt until smooth and then mixed in the confectionary sugar and vanilla and found the consistency just right and then mixed in the rice krispies off the heat.
Carlee Scharnhorst
Tuesday 23rd of April 2024
That's a great idea!