Buckeye Bites: a perfect dessert for parties and potlucks

Peanut butter and chocolate are a match made in heaven. There are dozens of wonderful ways to combine the two, but one of the all-time most popular peanut butter and chocolate recipes out there is buckeye bites. The name comes from this toothsome sweet's resemblance to the buckeye nut. Made with a soft, chocolatey cake with a rich, creamy peanut butter filling topped in a decadent chocolate ganache, buckeye bites are pleasing to the eye and super satisfying to the taste buds. This easy recipe yields over 2 dozen bites, which makes them great for parties, potlucks, or as a homemade sweet treat you can give to loved ones over the holidays.

How to Make Buckeye Bites

To make buckeye bites, you'll need the usual pantry staples like flour, sugar, baking soda, butter, and so on. This is a three-part recipe and the first step is to make the chocolate cookie cups. Whisk your dry ingredients together and set them to the side. Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugar together, then beat in the egg, vanilla, and coffee. Gently mix the wet and dry ingredients together then spoon a little dough into a mini muffin tin lined with liners. Make a small indent in each bit of cookie dough – this is where you'll put the filling. Bake them for a quick 6 to 8 minutes then let them cool completely.

Next up is making the peanut butter filling. Just beat the ingredients together and pop a teaspoon on top of each cookie cup. Finally, whip up the ganache and gently top each cookie with a generous dollop of chocolatey goodness. Place your buckeye bites in the fridge for at least half an hour to let everything set, then serve.

Expert Tips for Making the Best Homemade Buckeye Bites

– Using room-temperature ingredients allows everything to blend more smoothly.

– Coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor in your buckeye bites without adding a coffee flavor. If you don't want to use coffee, swap it for water.

– If you want to impress people, decorate your buckeye bites with a little chocolate peanut butter drizzle. Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once melted and stirred smooth, use it to decorate your bites and give them a professional-looking touch.

– There are loads of variations to try. You can use brownie mix instead of cookie dough for fudgier buckeye bites. Garnish them with crushed pretzels for a salty-sweet flavor that will have everyone's mouths watering.

– If you're on the keto diet or generally watching your carb intake, you can make keto-friendly buckeye bites by making the following substitutions: almond flour for flour, sweetener (such as erythritol) for sugar, and sugar-free chocolate instead of regular chocolate. Opt for natural peanut butter as they have less sugar than many other supermarket brands.

How to Store Buckeye Bites

Store buckeye bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Frozen buckeye bites last up to 3 months.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a mini muffin tray with liners.

Stir flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl, then set to the side.

Using a handheld blender, cream butter, sugar, and peanut butter until light and airy.

In another bowl, beat in the egg and coffee.

Add in the vanilla extract.

Slowly add in the flour mixture, mixing until combined.

Spoon the dough into the muffin liners.

Make a small indentation in the middle of the dough.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, then take them out of the oven and arrange them on a cooling rack. Once cool, make an indentation in the center of the cookie.

Beat the peanut butter, sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth.

Place a teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture on each cookie.

Place chocolate chips in a bowl. In the meanwhile, heat the heavy cream until it's just about to boil. Pour it over the chocolate chips and let the mixture stand for several minutes. Whisk until blended. Allow it to stand for 5 or so minutes to thicken.

Spoon over the top of each cookie cup.

Decorate each cookie cup drizzling chocolate.

Place the cookie cups in the fridge for at least 45 minutes or overnight to set.

Notes

Level out your measuring cups or use a kitchen scale for accurate measurements.

Don't overbake the cookie cups.