So-called because of the candy's resemblance of the nut of a Buckeye tree, which was thought to look like a buck's eye (deer's eye). Buckeyes are poisonous nuts, so these peanut butter and chocolate treats are a better choice for eating! There are a lot of variations of buckeyes out there, and I have spent years refining our version to what it is now - so a big thanks to everyone who served as guinea pigs ;) We like it real simple - just sweetened peanut butter and chocolate. There are a couple other 'basic' recipes on here, but none of the proportions matched this one - a factor that I consider important for ease of rolling the peanut butter balls. If they are too soft/sticky, you can't roll them, and you don't want them too hard. So I find this proportion to work quite well for us. A friend asked for this recipe to use for her wedding favors - came out wonderfully! Recipe is also easily halved - I do that frequently, with excellent results.