You won’t miss the butter or sugar in these healthy buckeyes! They’re made with wholesome ingredients like coconut flour and maple syrup, and make a delicious alternative to a traditional favourite! {gluten-free, vegan, paleo}
Is a buckeye still a buckeye if it’s made without peanut butter?
Because according to the internet, buckeyes are:
- several tree species of the genus Aesculus
- a nickname for residents of the U.S. state of Ohio, the “buckeye state” (you weren’t kidding, Meg!)
- a breed of chicken originating in Ohio
- a peanut butter and chocolate candy made to resemble the nut of a buckeye tree <–
Sooo… going by that last point, I’m going to assume that the answer to my question is a resounding “NO,” but I’m going to go ahead and call these little guys buckeyes anyways because I’m a healthy food blogger and we’re notorious for our misleading names.
I mean… banana ice cream. ‘Nuff said.
So! The reason I’m asking about the peanut butter thing is because, as you guys [might] know, this girl can’t do peanuts. I’d love to, but I was blessed with a peanut allergy when I popped into this world, so I’m kind of stuck playing that card for life.
Luckily, my allergy doesn’t extend to any other nut, so I swapped the peanut butter for some almond butter* and voila! Healthy buckeyes.
Also… I should probably mention that I kind of, sort of, maybe swapped out most of the original ingredients in the process. Butter? Gone. Confectioners’ sugar? Gone. Chocolate? G… No wait, the chocolate is very much still there.
But I wanted to make a healthier version of a holiday treat, so I used things like almond butter, coconut flour*, maple syrup, and… nope, that’s pretty much it. There’s literally only 4 ingredients in the base of these buckeyes, and while I can’t claim they taste exactly like the original (mostly because I have no idea what the original tastes like), they look the part and taste fantastic, so what more can you ask for?
How about the fact that these healthy buckeyes are friendly for gluten-free, vegan, and paleo lifestyles? You can even make them nut-free by replacing the almond butter with a roasted soy nut butter.* Apparently that stuff tastes “just like peanut butter,” but again… I’m not the right person to ask. It’s good, though!
And so are these bites buckeyes. They have a soft and doughy center surrounded by a slightly crisp chocolate shell. And you know the choco-nut combo is to.die.for. They kind of make a perfect healthy alternative for a traditional favourite and I hope you love them!
Happy eating!
I’d love to know if you make this recipe! Leave a comment and rating down below to let me know what you think, and subscribe to our mailing list to receive new recipes in your inbox!
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Healthy Buckeyes
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 12 candies 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (128 g) almond butter
- 6 Tbsp (42 g) coconut flour
- 3 Tbsp (45 ml) maple syrup*
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- optional: 1/4 tsp salt**
- 1/2 cup (85) dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Add the almond butter, coconut flour, maple syrup, and vanilla to a medium-size mixing bowl and mix until all the ingredients are well combined and form into a dough.
- Using a heaping tablespoon, roll the dough between your hands to form individual balls. Set them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and repeat with the remaining dough. Transfer the baking sheet to the fridge for 20 – 30 minutes to allow the balls to set.
- To prepare the chocolate coating, add the chocolate to a small bowl or cup and melt it in the microwave or over a double broiler, stirring periodically to ensure no clumps remain.
- Using a toothpick, dip each ball into the melted chocolate, gently tapping the side of the bowl to remove any excess. Place back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat until all the buckeyes have been coated.
- Refrigerate for ~15 minutes, or until the chocolate has set. Store the candies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
* You can also use honey. ** If your nut butter isn’t salted, you might want to add a bit of salt to bring out the sweetness even more.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
Looking for more no bake snack recipes? Try one of these!
No Bake Salted Caramel Pretzel Bars
No Bake Almond Fudge Protein Bars
No Bake Brownie Batter Truffles
No Bake Chocolate Sunflower Seed Granola Bars
Healthy Chocolate Fudge Bites
*Disclosure: Some of the links included in this post may be affiliate links, meaning I’ll earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and believe will add value to my readers. Thank you so much for helping support Spoons!
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Chocolate covered PB balls are my all-time favorite Christmas dessert. Of course, my mom always made them with confectioners sugar and all the bad stuff, but they just taste SO good. I like your version too, though, definitely way healthier! Camping NSW
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Well poor of those who still not tasted a healthy buckeyes yet :p
Wow ! i have seen new buckeyes and before saw your past i was know about butter buckeyes, vegetables buckeyes and milky buckeyes. Now i have decide i will prepare these buckeyes recipe on Sunday. I am so excited for making it.
I just made these and they are super yummy! I didn’t have any protein powder, so I used 4 tbsp. of flax seed. Also, I didn’t want to take the time to dip the balls into the chocolate (Buckeye-style), so I just threw the chocolate chips into the dough. These are really good!
HI,
Awesome dish ! Love that I already have all jujitsu glendora of the ingredients too! 🙂 I know what I’ll be doing today instead of studying for finals…;)
thanks for nice sharing 🙂
Wow, I had no idea about the “breed of chicken originating in Ohio” business, but I’d say you nailed the buckeyes. They look just like the nipples we have here…er I mean candies. Also I love that they’re only four ingredients.
I’ve enjoyed almond butter every time I’ve had it but I gravitate towards the peanut butter usually.
bahahaha I love you.
I’ve actually never made buckeyes before, which is weird considering they are my favorite college football team AND are literally one of my all time favorite combos of chocolate and PB. Totally going to make these puppies for when my Daddy and Bro come over this weekend for football, though I think I’ll make a batch for me with almond butter and a traditional batch [just swap out the AB for PB] for my family. Then I’ll let them decide which one they prefer. They are 100% more of a PB fan than AB but I must say there are certain cases when AB is just a better fit. I’ll be sure to let you know how these beauties turn out!! <3
Chocolate covered PB balls are my all-time favorite Christmas dessert. Of course, my mom always made them with confectioners sugar and all the bad stuff, but they just taste SO good. I like your version too, though, definitely way healthier!
I suppose I’m the only one that has never heard of these before. My mind went straight to Ohio when I read the title.
I think you hit the bullseye when it comes to this recipe 😉 Looks delicious as usual!
Looks like buckeyes, and they still have chocolate! Definitely buckeyes in my definition!
um you know my answer 🙂
Not gonna lie – PB is delicious and I ate it in sandwiches with bananas for YEARS. But now, I honestly don’t miss it and I’m really used to almond and cashew butter it usually tastes strong to me! I really love the maple/almond butter combo and chocolate makes it perfect so I definitely LOVE these!
These are going to be what I eat for the rest of the year. With a salad, of course. Gotta be balanced, right? 😉
Do you think you could substitute coconut flour? I’ve never worked with it? Is it similar to regular flour?
Maybe 1/2 cup oat flour would work?
Buckeyes are one of my favorite things! I will definitely have to try these. Sadly, I’m almost out of almond butter at the moment!
Amanda these look awesome! Love that I already have all of the ingredients too! 🙂 I know what I’ll be doing today instead of studying for finals…;)
Mm I love the use of coconut flour! The recipe my family uses has wax in the chocolate coating …… so yeah, definitely happy to have a new recipe. xx Happy Tuesday!
I don’t like pb so I’ve never made these but the fact that they are healthy may sway my decision on holiday treats. Always good to have healthy options!
I haven’t had buckeyes in a while and now I’m craving them. Thanks for sharing and these look delicious!