buckeye pretzel bites;

Originally posted February 21, 2016. Updated September 23, 2023 for content and clarity.

These little buckeye pretzel bites pack whallop of all your favorite salty-sweet flavors. Sweet creamy peanut butter sandwiched between two snappy, salty pretzels and dipped in chocolate. These buckeye pretzel bites are bite-sized and oh-so-poppable, they’re dangerous. You’ll find yourself eating the bowl of buckeye pretzel bites before you know it!

This is a great recipe to get kids involved in, provided you don’t mind some finger-licking. Though I lick my fingers too (only if I’m not sharing). Lucky for me, I also have the husband (boyfriend the first time I posted this recipe)! He and I posted up on the couch and watched Friends as we assembled our buckeye pretzel bites. We might’ve eaten just a little bit of the filling too…so maybe that “finger-licking” isn’t confined to just children.

“Buckeye candy” is traditionally from Ohio, and so named because it resembles the nut of the buckeye tree. Usually they’re round peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate, but these buckeye pretzel bites have all the same ingredients, plus a few more. And you can’t have buckeyes without the peanut butter!

I personally prefer smooth peanut butter, but for a bit of added texture, use chunky peanut butter. It’s an easy one for one swap.

secret to success

I personally prefer smooth peanut butter in my buckeye pretzel bites, but for a bit of added texture, use chunky peanut butter. It’s an easy one for one swap, and it adds a little squeaky peanut crunch to each bite. I think the pretzels add enough snap and contrast to the smooth sweetened peanut butter, but chunky is just as tasty!

When it comes to pretzels, I like to use the “snaps” or what I also call “windows”. They’re little crosshatched square pretzels, that I find easy to stuff with peanut buttery goodness and make look cute.  The original recipe by Christina over at Sweet Pea’s Kitchen uses just regular mini pretzels, so really, you can do this with any shape pretzel you feel like filling. You’ll just want some decent surface area to keep your buckeye pretzel bites filled. So maybe skip the pretzel rods. You can also use gluten free pretzels!

I like using pretzel “snaps”, but this would work with any small hard pretzel with reasonable surface area to keep the peanut butter filling contained.

secret to success

When it comes to chocolate, I always always prefer dark or semi-sweet chocolate. It gives a nice contrast against the sweetness of the peanut butter filling and the saltiness of the pretzels. But if you’re feeling the chocolate rainbow, get out your dark, milk, and white chocolates and make these festive! Dark chocolate is classic, but white would look festive for snowy days, and milk chocolate can be a hit for a sweeter taste.

If your chocolate is too thick for dipping, add vegetable shortening or coconut oil to thin it out.

secret to success

If your chocolate is too thick for dipping, add a bit of vegetable shortening or coconut oil. It will help you thin out the chocolate while melting. Since both of these are solid at room temperature, they shouldn’t affect the texture too much when they set up. You could also use a candy coating which is made for melting. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could even skip these options and temper your own chocolate. Tempered chocolate will come out snappy and shiny and is perfect for gifting!

I can’t officially say I endorse it since everything is better with chocolate, but there’s no law saying you even have to dip these in chocolate! They’re pretty tasty as peanut butter pretzel sandwiches. But they can’t be classified as buckeyes without the chocolate. And in my opinion, why would you want to leave off the best part?!

Throw on some festive sprinkles for a little extra flair!

secret to success

You can also grab some sprinkles or festive add-ons to spruce these up even more brightly! White chocolate with some red and green sprinkles can make for a great holiday gift. Or toss some crushed up candy canes on your dark chocolate if you don’t mind peanut butter and mint together. Or you know, dig up your favorite colored sprinkles and make yourself smile. Really there’s no limit!

secrets to success;

Want all the best tips and tricks to make this recipe a success? Check out the blog post above to find out more!

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more recipes;

Check out these other easy recipes perfect for gifting!

• hot chocolate bombs are great gifts for winter. There’s so many fun flavor options like peppermint, raspberry, and more! Check out the post for step-by-step instructions and even more flavors!
• These butter sprinkle cookies come out perfect every time, and with colorful sprinkles, are great for party favors, gifting, or potlucks.
• For chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate, check out all of the bonbons I’ve shared and find the perfect flavor combination and recipe complexity for your gifting needs: the ultimate holiday truffle guide.