Healthy Buckeyes Recipe (2024)

By: Erin3/3/20

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This Healthy Buckeyes Recipe is a dream come true. Made with chocolate, peanut butter, maple syrup, and other mouth watering ingredients, these vegan buckeyes are just too good. You can’t eat just one!

Deliciously healthy buckeyes

I’m a peanut butter cup kinda gal. Put me in a room filled with all of the different candies in the world, and I’m reaching for the mouth watering peanut butter cups!

With a love that strong for a classic chocolate and peanut butter combo, I’m sure you can guess that I’ve always loved buckeyes. I was absolutely blown away with the first bite! The peanut butter to chocolate ratio is larger than with regular peanut butter cups, which means they’re even better (because we all know that the peanut butter is the best part)!

What is a buckeye, exactly? Well, it’s peanut butter, almond flour, maple syrup, and some other ingredients rolled into a ball of absolute deliciousness. It is then dipped in melted chocolate! Mmmmm.

Trust me, I didn’t have to convince myself to put together a healthy buckeye recipe. When these treats crossed my mind, this recipe became a non-negotiable on my to do list. The results didn’t disappoint!

I love that these buckeyes are made with healthy ingredients but remain delicious and flavorful. That’s hard to achieve with healthy alternatives, but I’ve done it! If you love a good chocolatey, peanut buttery snack, you’ll love this healthy buckeyes recipe.

If you still need more peanut butter and chocolate combo recipes, try my Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread and Protein Peanut Butter Cups too!

Ingredients included in buckeye candy

I always seem to have a stash of almond flour and a jar of coconut oil on hand. Plus, I’ve got a huge sweet tooth, so there’s always a bag of chocolate in my pantry waiting to be transformed into a recipe! If the same goes for you, you probably have most (if not all) of these items in your kitchen already!

* Salt is only needed with unsalted peanut butter.

Tools used to make peanut butter balls

Peanut butter balls are an easy snack to whip together that simply require a bit of mixing, rolling, and coating in chocolate. To make this recipe, there are just five items that you’ll need:

How to make this healthy buckeyes recipe

Peanut butter balls are an unbeatable treat perfect for quick snacking. You’ll be tempted to pop one into your mouth each time you walk through the kitchen!

Though buckeyes require a bit more “labor” than cookies, the extra attention and love is well worth it. The taste is like nothing else!

This buckeye candy will require about 15 minutes of actual prepping/work. Other than that, they just need time to chill in the refrigerator!

To begin making this peanut butter balls recipe, start by mixing the almond flour, peanut butter, salt*, maple syrup, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.

When the ingredients are well combined (some lumps are ok), roll into balls. About 1 inch across is fine.

Refrigerate the balls for 30 minutes.

Next, in a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in 30 second increments in the microwave.

Once melted, use a fork to lower the balls into the chocolate, covering 2/3 of the ball. Lift back out and place on the tray.

Then, place the balls in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before eating.

Enjoy, and keep the extra peanut butter balls refrigerated.

How to make vegan buckeyes

If you’re looking to veganize this recipe, keep reading! Only one ingredient in this recipe’s lineup isn’t vegan: the chocolate chips. Luckily, they’re the easiest swap in the world. Just use dark chocolate chips (or another vegan type of chip) instead!

Yep, just switch up your bag of chocolate and you’ll be well on your way to vegan buckeye bliss. Here are some delicious vegan chocolate options.

Peanut butter ball recipe substitution options

Within this peanut butter balls recipe are a few ingredients that come with substitution options. If you’ve got certain ingredients on hand that you think you may be able to use, check this list!

Peanut butter: You can use any nut butter in place of peanut butter including almond, cashew, or walnut! Use the same measurement, and your peanut butter balls will turn out just fine.
Maple syrup: If you aren’t a fan of maple syrup, try using honey!
Chocolate chips: If you’re in the mood for something a little different, you could use white chocolate chips for the coating! This makes an equally delicious treat that tastes just like a white chocolate peanut butter cup.
Coconut oil: You can use any similar fatty oil in place of the coconut oil in this recipe. Canola oil is a common swap.

A healthier buckeye treat

The best part about this recipe is that the buckeyes are healthy. I intentionally chose these ingredients to make these buckeyes healthier than the standard recipes. These often consist of peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter, but not my recipe!

Here are the ingredients that make this buckeye candy next-level.

Almond flour
I pretty much always use almond flour in my sweet recipes. With a few exceptions, it’s always my go-to for its flavor combined with its nutritional properties! Almond flour is a good alternative for all-purpose flour as it’s lower in carbs and contains more protein and fiber.

Tips for making unbeatable buckeye candy

Here are some tips that will help you make the most delicious buckeyes ever!

Don’t skimp out on the chilling
After forming the balls, it’s crucial to chill them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. It can be tempting to go right to dipping, but this will result in a crumbly, melted mess. Nobody wants that!

The same goes for the post-dip chilling. After dipping the balls into the melted chocolate, they need to chill again. Do not skip this step! Give the buckeyes about 15 minutes to firm up.

Dipping the peanut butter balls
I recommend using a fork to dip the buckeyes into the melted chocolate, but you can also use a toothpick! To cover the holes that the toothpicks make, just lightly dab the top of the peanut butter ball to gently close it over.

Sprinkle with sea salt
Sometimes, adding a dash of saltiness to a sweet treat tastes just perfect! Try adding a *very* small pinch of sea salt to the top of a buckeye, and see how you like it! You may decide to do so for your entire batch.

How to store buckeyes
I recommend keeping these this healthy buckeyes recipe refrigerated to ensure that they don’t melt. Sometimes, just room temperature can make these a little too soft! Keep them in a securely sealed container, and make sure they’re in an easily accessible spot inside the fridge. My guess is that you’ll be reaching for these pretty often.

How to freeze buckeyes
Freeze buckeyes to enjoy at a later date. Place them in a freezer bag or other well-sealed container and enjoy within 3 months.

Some more dessert ideas for the chocolate peanut butter lovers

Chocolate and peanut butter is an unbeatable flavor combo. Here are some more recipes that feature the dynamic match! Hint: The fudge is absolutely to die for!

Healthy Peanut Butter Pie
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Healthy Peanut Butter Blossoms
Healthy Peanut Butter Fudge

★★★★★5 from 9 reviews

Healthy Buckeyes Recipe

This Healthy Buckeyes Recipe is a dream come true. Made with chocolate, peanut butter, maple syrup, and other mouth watering ingredients, these buckeyes are just too good. You can’t eat just one!

Prep: 10Cook: 30Total: 40 minutes

Yield 18 balls 1x

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Ingredients

1 1/3 cup almond flour
1 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 tsp salt only if peanut butter isn’t salted*
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp coconut oil

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Instructions

In a bowl, mix together almond flour, peanut butter, salt*, maple syrup, and vanilla.
Roll into balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil on 30 second increments in the microwave.
Once melted, use a fork to lower the balls into the chocolate, covering 2/3 of the ball in chocolate. Lift the balls back out and place on tray. Repeat until all are dipped.
Place balls in fridge for at least 15 minutes before eating.
Store in fridge.

Notes

* You can also use oat flour, however there will be an adjustment for amount. Start with 3/4 cup and add more as needed until you are able to roll into balls.

Author: Erin MorrisseyCategory: snacks, gluten-free, dairy-freeMethod: No-bakeCuisine: American

There may be affiliate links in this post!By purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. Thank you for supporting Erin Lives Whole, it helps keep this blog afloat 🙂

FAQs

How many calories in a homemade Buckeye? ›

There are 180 calories in 2 pieces (35 g) of Marsha's Homemade Buckeyes. * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet.

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What is the nutritional value of buckeyes? ›

Without collagen peptides, each buckeye is: 100 kcal, 11 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 5 g total ft, 2 g saturated fat, 4 g protein, 141 mg potassium, 91 mg sodium, 0.2% DV Vitamin A, 2.7% DV calcium, 2.7% DV iron.

Do you keep buckeyes in the fridge? ›

Storage Tips

Make sure your buckeyes stay fresh for as long as possible! The buckeyes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep them nice and fresh. Stored in this way, they will keep for about 1 month (although good luck keeping them that long without eating them all, ha!).

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What are Buckeye balls made of? ›

Buckeyes are peanut butter fudge balls dipped in chocolate. Unlike classic peanut butter balls, a circle of peanut butter is left visible. The finished product resembles the nut that grows on the Ohio buckeye tree.

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What are the benefits of buckeyes? ›

As well as the belief in the good fortune of its storied seed, the buckeye has been held to cure rheumatism and other, more minor ailments. Pioneering farm families also made soap from the kernels of buckeye seeds, and many a child's cradle was carved from the wood of this tree.

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Are buckeye nuts good to eat? ›

Removing the shell and roasting the nut neutralizes its harmful tannic acid content and makes for a protein-packed snack. If not prepared properly though, buckeye nuts are toxic to humans, causing symptoms including weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, paralysis, and death.

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What is the toxicity of buckeyes? ›

Poisonous Plant: All parts of the plant (leaves, bark, fruit) are highly toxic if ingested – because of the glycoside aesculin, the saponin aescin, and possibly alkaloids. Symptoms are muscle weakness and paralysis, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, paralysis, and stupor.

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Are buckeyes medicinal? ›

There are many different methods for processing and cooking buckeye seeds for food, depending upon the tribe. The seeds have medicinal properties and were cut into pieces, mixed with water, and made into suppositories for hemorrhoids by the Costanoan and Kawaiisu.

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What animal can eat buckeyes? ›

While gray squirrels and other animals do eat buckeyes, it is never a preferred food. In fact, both the seeds and tender young leaves of the plant are said to be poisonous to humans and livestock alike. Humans have long made use of the red buckeye. Native Americans were known to crush buckeye branches to catch fish.

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Why do people keep buckeyes? ›

During September, buckeyes, which are large, shiny brown seeds, can be found underneath Aesculus trees. According to legend, carrying a pocketful of buckeyes brings good luck. Early Native Americans called these seeds buckeyes for their resemblance to the eyes of male deer, known as bucks.

How do you prepare buckeyes to eat? ›

Place the dried buckeye nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast them in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they become fragrant and slightly browned. Cooling and Enjoying: Once the nuts are roasted, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely.

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Why are my buckeyes oily? ›

Unfortunately I don't recommend using natural peanut butter, which could make the buckeyes too oily. Butter. This is essential for creating a rich and creamy texture. You can use salted butter or use unsalted and add salt.

Get More Info Here ›

What is the superstition of a buckeye nut? ›

Superstitious thinkers believe carrying a buckeye nut in your pocket will ward off bad luck. But, for the most part, the trees and their nuts are relatively impractical. The bark smells bad. The wood does not burn well and the nut is poisonous.

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Why are they called buckeyes? ›

The term buckeye has widely been used to describe residents of Ohio in general since the mid 1800s. It became popular when supporters of William Henry Harrison's successful presidential campaign carved souvenirs out of buckeye wood.

What does buckeye taste like? ›

Sweet, salty, crumbly-yet-smooth peanut butter balls dipped in dark chocolate, buckeyes are the retro no-bake confections that taste like peanut butter cups and look like seminude chocolate truffles.

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How many calories in a Buckeye cookie? ›

Nutrition Facts (per serving)