This Is My Favorite Food in Ohio—This Is the One Place You Have to Go to Try It

Ohio’s food scene has some serious range. You can sit down for a white-tablecloth meal at The Refectory in Columbus, where French cuisine meets an award-winning wine list. Or you can dig into a plate of Cincinnati chili: a mound of spaghetti covered in spiced meat sauce and a blizzard of shredded cheese.

No matter where you land on the fine dining-to-comfort food spectrum, one thing is certain. You will want dessert. And in Ohio, that means buckeyes.

Buckeyes are peanut butter fudge balls dipped in chocolate, leaving just a circle of peanut butter exposed. They look like the nut of the Ohio buckeye tree, though fortunately, they taste much better and contain zero toxins. Unlike some classic treats with histories dating back centuries, buckeyes only emerged in the 1960s or 70s, when home cooks in Ohio started making them in their own kitchens.

Peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter, and melted chocolate formed the foundation of the recipe, and the combination quickly became a favorite. People made them for parties, holidays, and tailgates. Soon, candy shops and mail-order catalogs spread them beyond Ohio’s borders, but the heart of the buckeye tradition still beats strongest in the Buckeye State.

For a taste of the best, head to The Buckeye Lady in Columbus. This business did not start with a storefront or a business plan. Rather, it started with a simple act of generosity. In March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down restaurants and bars across Ohio, service industry workers suddenly found themselves out of work. The woman behind The Buckeye Lady had always been known for her homemade buckeyes, so she decided to sell them and donate the money to friends in need. What began as a small, one-time effort quickly grew into something much larger.

As she built her business, she was also grieving her brother Jeremy, who loved Ohio State football and her homemade buckeyes. The Buckeye Lady became a tribute to him, spreading joy through sweets while supporting local charities, especially those helping homeless dogs. Jeremy never met a dog he didn’t love, and now, his memory is tied to a business that helps pups find homes.

This is not just a place to grab a basic peanut butter and chocolate treat. The Buckeye Lady has taken the founder's classic recipe and expanded it into an entire menu of flavors. There are traditional buckeyes with their perfect balance of salty peanut butter and smooth chocolate. There are stuffed versions that hide fillings like coconut almond, cheesecake, and cold brew buttercream inside the peanut butter center.

Seasonal flavors rotate throughout the year, bringing options like Cadbury Crème Egg, key lime pie, maple walnut, and pecan pie. Around the holidays, flavors like candy cane buttercream and eggnog make an appearance. Vegan versions exist too, both traditional and stuffed, so nobody has to miss out. The options go far beyond the standard buckeye, making every visit an opportunity to try something new.

The Buckeye Lady’s shop feels like a place built by someone who truly loves what they do. It is warm, welcoming, and filled with people who are just as excited about buckeyes as they are about sharing them. Columbus has plenty to explore, and if you are already in the area, it is worth stopping by Franklin Park Conservatory. The gardens provide a perfect excuse to walk around for a bit before picking up a box of sweets.

For those visiting with dogs, The Buckeye Lady has a surprise. She sells pup-safe buckeyes, made without chocolate and packed with peanut butter flavor. The Cakehound, a local all-natural dog bakery, creates these treats so furry companions can enjoy a bite of the buckeye tradition without any worry.

Since Ohio is known as The Buckeye State, visiting The Buckeye Lady feels like an essential part of the experience. It is worth making a weekend out of it. A nearby vacation rental with a pool table adds the perfect ending to a day of exploring Columbus and sampling local flavors.

If an in-person visit is not an option, The Buckeye Lady ships her confections nationwide, so anyone can have a taste of Ohio’s favorite candy delivered to their doorstep. Whether you grew up eating buckeyes or are trying them for the first time, this is the place to experience them at their very best.