Buckeyes are one of my favorite candies to make (and, of course, eat). Peanut butter? Check. Sweet and salty balance? Check. Fast and easy to make? Check and check. One of the few truly great things to come out of the state of Ohio. My daughter’s father hailed from Ohio, and he had always promised to gift me his family’s recipe for them. Unfortunately, he passed away before he got around to it, but I do think of him anytime I make my own.
These buckeye brownies may not be traditional, but they are delicious. The best that a peanut butter-chocolate combination can offer, really. And that’s coming from a real peanut butter lover here. Anyone who knows me will tell you about my love for any and all peanut butter desserts. It’s not a declaration that I make lightly. The brownie portion is rich, chocolatey, and chewy(as a brownie should be). The buckeye filling is creamy with a punch of peanut flavor. Not a speck of disappointment to be found for any peanut butter and chocolate lover.
FAQs and Science
Why freeze the buckeye filling?
Spreading the filling out on parchment and freezing it just makes it easier to assemble! If you’ve ever tried to spread a batter on top of another batter while keeping them totally separate components, you’ll know how much of a headache that truly is. You can skip this step if you really want to, but you’re in for a frustrating time.
Can I substitute the dutch-processed cocoa with natural cocoa powder?
If you’ve already got natural cocoa powder or you can’t find dutch-processed cocoa powder, then go for it! The flavor will be slightly different, but delicious all the same. I’m a proponent of using what you have whenever you can.
I don’t have any oil, can I use melted butter instead?
In this case, no. The water content in the butter will throw off the consistency of the brownies. Grab the oil.
Could I use natural peanut butter instead of processed in the filling?
No, this recipe wont work correctly if you use a natural peanut butter that separates after sitting for a while. The filling wont come together if you do.
Why the extra egg white?
Egg whites aid in giving baked goods a chewy texture! As the best brownies are chewy, the egg white is necessary.
What You’ll Need
- 8×8 Baking dish
- Parchment paper
- Nonstick baking spray
- Baking sheet
- Dry measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer
- Sieve or sifter
- Offset spatula or butter knife
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
The Process
Make the Filling
Begin by mixing the filling, so it will have time to freeze solid by the time you’re ready to assemble. Line a baking sheet small enough to fit in your freezer with parchment paper, and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the peanut butter and softened butter for 2-3 minutes on level 3. You could also do this in a large mixing bowl with just a whisk and a little elbow grease, it will just take longer to cream together!
Sift the powdered sugar into the creamed peanut butter. If you don’t sift and instead just mix the sugar in straight from the bag, you’ll end up with lumps of sugar. That’s not what anyone wants in their buckeye. Beat them together on level 1 until the sugar has been completely absorbed. Mixing on low initially like this well help prevent the sugar from flying everywhere. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add in the salt, whole milk, and vanilla extract. Beat on level 3 for another minute until you have a smooth mixture, scraping the sides down as needed.
Grab the lined baking sheet and scoop the filling into the center. Spread it out into a 7×7 inch square, and place it in the freezer to firm up while you make the brownie batter. To get exact measurements, you can draw a 7×7 square in sharpie on the parchment to use as a guide. Just be sure to flip the parchment over after drawing it, so you don’t poison anyone.
Alternatively, you could also use the pan to eyeball approximately how large the square needs to be to fit in the center of it. As long as the buckeye square can comfortably be covered by the batter during assembly, goal achieved.
You can throw together the buckeye square up to 2 days ahead of time. If it’s being left for more than a few hours, be sure to cover it with plastic wrap! That way, it wont get freezer burn.
Make the Batter
While the buckeye square freezes, prepare the batter. Preheat the oven to 325F, on the convection setting if possible, and prepare your pan. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, so it covers the bottom and up two sides, extending 1-2 inches above the top. Spray the two uncovered sides with a nonstick baking spray. This way, the brownies will lift out of the pan easily once they’ve cooled. Set this pan aside.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. Add in the granulated sugar, salt, and peanut butter chips, and whisk them all together. Create a well in the center and set this bowl aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg white, neutral oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Grab the dry goods and pour the wet mixture into the well. Gently stir the two together with the rubber spatula, until all of the dry goods are absorbed and you’re left with a smooth batter.
Assemble the Brownies
Time to assemble and bake! Take your prepared baking dish and pour in half of the brownie batter. Take care to spread it out evenly to the edges and corners, or they may not bake evenly.
Remove the buckeye square from the freezer. Gently peel the parchment away from the frozen filling, and place it in the center of the batter. Pour the remaining half of batter over the top of the buckeye filling, spread it out evenly, and place it in the oven.
Bake the brownies for 85 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Allow the brownies to cool completely to room temperature in the pan. Gently take a butter knife or offset spatula and run it between the brownie edge and sides of the pan to loosen it. Lift the slab out of the pan by the flaps of parchment paper, and transfer it over to a cutting board.
Using a chef’s knife, cut the slab into a 4×4 grid, leaving you with 16 even brownies.
Store the brownies in an airtight container on your counter for up to 4 days, and enjoy!
Buckeye Brownies
Bake Time: 325F for 85 minutes
Servings: 16 servings, 8×8 square pan
Total Time: 2 hours
Prep Time: 45 Minutes
Ingredients
Buckeye Filling:
- ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Brownie Batter:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons dutch processed cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup peanut butter chips
- 2 large eggs + 1 large egg white
- ⅔ cup neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola
- 3 Tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Buckeye Filling:
- Begin with the filling. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the peanut butter and butter for 2-3 minutes on level 3.
- Sift the powdered sugar into the creamed peanut butter. Beat them together on level 1 until the sugar has been fully absorbed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add in the salt, whole milk, and vanilla extract. Beat on level 3 for another minute until everything has combined smoothly, scraping the sides down as needed.
- Grab the lined baking sheet and scoop the filling into the center. Spread it out into a 7×7 inch square, and place it in the freezer to firm up while you make the brownie batter.
Brownie Batter:
- Preheat the oven to 325F, on the convection setting if possible, and prepare your pan. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. It should cover the bottom and up two sides, going 1-2 inches above the top of the pan. Spray the two uncovered sides with a nonstick baking spray, and set this pan aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. Add in the granulated sugar, salt, and peanut butter chips, and whisk them all together. Create a well in the center (as shown above) and set this bowl aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg white, neutral oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Grab the dry goods and pour the wet mixture into the well. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir the two together until you’re left with a smooth batter.
Assembly:
- Take your prepared baking dish and pour in half of the brownie batter. Take care to spread it out evenly to the edges and corners.
- Remove the buckeye square from the freezer. Gently peel the parchment away from the square and place it in the center of the pan of batter. Pour the remaining half of batter over the top of the buckeye filling. Spread it out evenly, and place it in the oven.
- Bake the brownies for 85 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the brownies to cool to room temperature in the pan. Gently take a butter knife or offset spatula and run it between the brownie edge and sides of the pan to loosen it. Lift the slab out of the pan by the extended parchment paper, and transfer it over to a cutting board.
- Using a chef’s knife, cut the slab in half. Then, cut each of those halves in half, so you’ve got 4 equal lines of brownie. Turn the slab 90 degrees and repeat, leaving you with 16 even brownies. Store the brownies in an airtight container on your counter for up to 4 days, and enjoy!
Tips
- To get your parchment paper to stay in place, crumple it into a ball then unfurl it before placing it in the pan.
- When it’s time to remove the frozen buckeye filling from the parchment, peel the parchment away from the filling. Do not try to peel the filling off of the paper. It’s much less likely to break this way.
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