The buckeye candy originated in Ohio (a.k.a. the Buckeye State). According to legend, sometime in the 1960s, Ohio resident Gail Tabor invented buckeyes while trying to dip peanut butter balls in chocolate.
Going through a huge box of my mother’s papers — personal, financial and some of her newspaper clips — I came across a column she wrote for the Arizona Republic in 1983 (under the byline Gail Tabor) claiming to be the person who first made a dessert that became popular among Ohio State fans, Buckeye Balls, which are peanut-butter balls dipped in chocolate with just a circle uncovered on the top so they look like buckeyes. A portion of the clipping was torn, and the whole was too long to fit on my flatbed scanner, so I’m typing in the text below. Note that if you try making them, the key in the recipe is “6 or more tablespoons peanut butter.” You start with six, then keep adding peanut butter to taste.
It all began in 1964, when I married a rabid Ohio State fan whose idea of fun was sitting in the rain and snow watching football games. Oh, those memories: Finding the seat, wrapping sock-and-boot-clad feet and legs first in plastic, then in a layer of newspapers, and covering everything with a blanket. You didn’t dare move an inch the rest of the game for fear of disturbing the wrappings and letting in the cold air.
That took a back seat. In the confusion during and following divorce and resettlement, the Buckeye ball donnybrook was forgotten until it came time to make them again. Every year, for 17 years, it has been a tradition in my house to make the delicacy on the day of the Ohio State-Michigan game. And every year my children, who have heard the story a million times, would help me make the balls and dip them in chocolate, saying all the while, “Mom, why in the world did you trust that woman?”
“We’re returning to Oklahoma, and you will still be the only one over here who knows how to make them,” she said. “I promise I’ll never tell anyone else. Please, please, please,” she said, or words to that effect. All I know is, she pledged a solemn oath to keep her mouth shut. I relented.
Dates get fuzzy in retrospect, but it may have been 1973 when a visit was paid to Columbus during football season. Imagine my surprise when I picked up the local newspaper and saw an entire story on Buckeye balls. How in the world, I wondered, did somebody else figure them out?
Buckeyes are an fundamental part of the Ohio experience. In Ohio elementary schools, future corn-hole champions learn about the states official tree, the Buckeye, and can identify its leaves before the age of six (although they will likely become confused that every stoner sporting a pot leaf t-shirt is an avid Ohioan…or maybe that was just me?). We learn about the state buckeye tree, we watch Buckeyes play football, and, best of all, we eat lots and lots of delicious peanut butter-chocolate buckeye likenesses.
Isnt that basically the same thing as a peanut butter cup, you may ask? Nay, nay, I say! First off, the ratio of peanut butter to chocolate is much greater than that of a peanut butter cup. Second, the filling is slightly firmer and smoother, giving the buckeye a longer, more satisfying bite—its something you can really sink you teeth into. If the dipping chocolate is tempered, the coating also provides textural contrast with a nice snap.
Most Ohioans have their own buckeye recipe, but the confection is also available for purchase at virtually every chocolate shop in the state. As a Clevelander, Im partial to Malleys Chocolates, which has been around since 1935, but whether you make them at home or buy them from the store, one bite and youll cheer O-H-I-O!
The buckeye candy resembles the nut of the buckeye tree, with a shiny, dark brown exterior and light brown “eye.” The story goes that buckeyes name came from Native Americans who thought the glossy, chestnut-brown seed resembled the eye of, you guessed it, a buck (thats a male deer, for you city folk). While the actual nut is poisonous, the candy variety is sugar-spiked and non-toxic*.
The Documentary of a Buckeye
FAQ
Is buckeye candy only in Ohio?
Where did the buckeye originate?
What candy originated in Ohio?
Can you eat a buckeye?
Where did Buckeye Candy come from?
The candy dates back to 1919, when the Buckeye Candy Company opened in Brooklyn, Ohio. Three women who were wives of the company’s owner and a salesman went into business making Buckeyes. Since then, they have become a hit, especially for football fans, because the candies resemble the nut of Ohio’s state tree.
Where did Buckeyes come from?
Where Did Buckeyes Originate? The origin of buckeye candy dates back to 1919. The Buckeye Candy Company opened in Brooklyn, Ohio, which is located just hours north of Ohio State University. Three women, who were the wives of the candy company’s owner and a salesman, decided to go into business making Buckeyes.
What is Buckeye candy?
Created and celebrated in Ohio, buckeye candy is a sweet ball made with a combination of peanut butter, regular butter, and powdered sugar, dipped in melted chocolate, but not all the way, as the final result should be visually reminiscent of buckeye nuts.
Where can I buy Buckeye candies in Ohio?
If you’re visiting Ohio, you can find buckeye candies sold in many gift shops and specialty stores in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and throughout Ohio. There are also shops that specialize in Buckeye candies. If you’re looking for a favorite Ohio souvenir to take home, buckeye candies are a great choice and a delicious one at that.