Buckeyes
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Quick Bite
Buckeyes are peanut butter candies dipped in chocolate, leaving a little circle of peanut butter showing so they resemble the nut of Ohio’s buckeye tree. They are sweet, creamy, chocolatey, and basically Ohio’s edible mascot.
History
Buckeye candy is one of Ohio’s most recognizable sweets, tied directly to the buckeye tree and Ohio State Buckeyes pride. The candy looks like a real buckeye nut: dark brown on the outside with a lighter tan circle showing.
The candy became especially popular in home kitchens, holiday trays, football parties, and candy shops. The formula is simple but hard to resist: peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter, and chocolate. It tastes like a peanut butter cup that decided to get regional loyalty.
The exact inventor is often credited in modern stories to Gail Tabor of Ohio, who reportedly made the candy in the 1960s and helped spread it through friends and football gatherings. Whether every detail of that story is perfectly documented or not, Ohio claimed the candy with full confidence.
Today, buckeyes are sold by Ohio chocolatiers, campus shops, candy trails, bakeries, and grocery stores. They are especially popular around football season, holidays, and any moment when someone says, “I’ll just have one,” while lying to themselves.
Fun Facts
- Buckeye candies are shaped to look like the nut from Ohio’s buckeye tree.
- They are especially popular during Ohio State football season.
- The peanut butter center should stay visible on top — fully covering it would ruin the whole visual joke.
Where to Try
A major Ohio chocolatier selling classic and Ohio State-themed buckeyes.
An Ohio candy and coffee company known for chocolate treats, including buckeye candies.
A beloved Ohio candy maker with classic chocolate-and-peanut-butter sweets that fit right into the buckeye tradition.
About the Game
This recipe is part of Van Life Challenge, a travel-themed board game from Gray Dog Games where players explore the United States, discover regional foods, and collect memorable experiences along the way.
Each featured food celebrates a real place, a local flavor, and the kind of delicious roadside discovery that makes every trip feel like an adventure.
Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make the peanut butter base: Beat peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar: Add powdered sugar gradually and mix until a firm dough forms.
- Shape: Roll into small balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Chill: Chill for at least 1 hour.
- Melt the chocolate: Melt the chocolate with shortening or coconut oil if using.
- Dip: Insert a toothpick into each peanut butter ball.
- Leave the eye: Dip into chocolate, leaving a small circle of peanut butter visible at the top.
- Set: Place back on parchment.
- Finish: Smooth over the toothpick hole with your finger.
- Chill again: Chill until set.
