Peanut Butter Truffles, stuffed with M&M’s leftover from Halloween, are covered in chocolate to make the perfect treat after the trick or treating is over. These truffles, aka Buckeyes, are so easy to put together!
Every year at Christmas I make Buckeyes. I always have to make three to four batches so that I have enough for all of the trays of goodies that I put together for different groups. Of course, we also need to have a bowl that we keep here at the house as well, to snack on as the urge strikes.
Buckeyes are really just like homemade Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups rolled into balls. They are a simple no-bake treat that lasts for at least a week – if they aren’t snatched up and eaten before then!
I have a neighbor who adores these. When our subdivision was much smaller, I would make treats for each household and deliver them just before Christmas. For one special neighbor, I dropped off two packages – one for the family to share and a special one, just for mom, full of her favorite buckeyes.
Our subdivision has grown by leaps and bounds over the past several years and I just can’t bake for all the neighbors anymore. But I still make Buckeyes every year. I think my family would revolt if I didn’t!
What to do with leftover Halloween candy?
The day after Halloween (just last week) I looked at the bowl of candy that we had left. It was FREEZING and rainy on Halloween this year and we didn’t have as many kids trick-or-treating as we expected. My kids are too old to trick-or-treat now so at least I don’t have three huge bags to deal with! Just one huge bowl!
I knew we would sit and snack on the bowl of individual-sized candy bars until we had all gained 10 pounds! It is so easy to grab one and then another and loose track of how many you have had.
In years past, I would take the candy to work where the military guys that I worked with would devour it in days. But I left that position in July and don’t go to an office anymore.
So I had to come up with a way to use up the bags of Snickers and M&M’s! The most common recipe that I have seen is to add the candy to brownies, blondies or cookies. While that is a GREAT way to use up the candy, I wanted to do something different. My first thought was to add the oodles of M&M’s in the bowl to my usual Buckeye’s recipe.
An inspired choice, for sure!
Easy no-bake treat
One of the reasons that I have always loved this recipe is because it is so easy to put together. I can make the mixture and move on to another recipe, or just take a break, while the peanut butter balls chill.
Using a cookie scoop ensures that all of the truffles are the same size. Cookie scoops are invaluable to have around the kitchen. I have several sizes that I use for everything from candy, cookie dough and cupcake batter!
I have included the instructions on how to temper chocolate in this recipe. I just think that crisp chocolate that snaps when you bite it provides the perfect contrast to the soft, creamy center. The M&M’s also provide a bit of crunch but tempering is not hard and gives the truffles a professional finish!
Keep in mind that different types of chocolate have different temperature requirements when tempering. If you go for a darker chocolate, the temperatures below will change. Be sure to look up the temperatures for the type of chocolate that you have chosen.
You can just melt the chocolate, coat the truffles and let them set. If you do this, I would store them in the refrigerator as the chocolate will not set hard at room temperature. They will still taste amazing though!
The method of tempering that I have used is called seeding. Keeping half of the chocolate out of the pan when melting it is a method to help cool the chocolate gently but more quickly than if you melted it all at once.
Keep a close eye on the temperature and ensure that you do not overheat the chocolate! If you do, it will not temper and give you the snap that you want. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to temper chocolate after you do it once or twice!
Now, I have decided to call this recipe Peanut Butter Truffles with M&M’s. They are still Buckeyes but I just wanted a fancier name! Truffles seem upscale and expensive while Buckeyes seem more, well, old school and downhome, if you know what I mean. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that! But calling these truffles just makes them seem suitable for any dessert table or as a gift for a special friend!
Give this recipe a try – with or without the M&M’s! Let me know how much you love them and tag me in a photo with #globalbakes and @globalbakesbytanya.
Be sure to check out some other perfect recipes for your Holiday Table in this roundup post HERE.
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Peanut Butter Truffles with M&M’s
32
servings30
minutesIngredients
70 grams (5 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
250 grams (1 cup) creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250 grams (2 cups) powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
About 1 cup of M&M’s, 12 to 14 mini packages leftover from Halloween, optional
340 grams (12 ounces) chocolate, milk or semi-sweet bars, diced
Directions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the butter and peanut butter together using the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix to blend in.
- Sift in half of the powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Sift in the remaining powdered sugar and mix just until combined. The mixture will be crumbly.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and pour in the M&M’s. Stir in by hand with a silicon spatula or a wooden spoon.
- Using a #100 cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out the mixture and roll into balls with your hands. The mixture starts out pretty crumbly but the heat of your hands and a little squeeze will make it come together.
- Lay the balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight.
- In a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan with simmering water, place half of the chocolate. Stir the chocolate constantly until it is melted and reaches 118℉. Immediately remove from heat and add the remaining chocolate. Turn off the heat but leave the hot water in the pan.
- Remove the peanut butter balls from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.
- Stir in the chocolate until it has all melted. Allow to cool until it reaches 81℉.
Stirring can help the chocolate to cool faster. - When the chocolate reaches 81℉, place the bowl back over the hot water and stir until the temperature reaches 86℉. Remove from heat and immediately begin to dip the balls in the chocolate, one or two at a time, rolling to coat them completely. Use a fork to remove the balls from the chocolate and drain off as much of the extra chocolate as possible before laying on a sheet of parhcment paper to set.
- Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.