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Kicking off the start to football season 2017 with these healthy 5 ingredient buckeyes.
I don’t know if any of you follow me on Instagram stories, but if you do, then you may or may not have seen both my brother and my dad sitting on MY couch last week doing their NFL fantasy football draft picks. Don’t ask me why they chose my house to do their draft night, but the excitement over this whole fantasy football thing is kind of beyond me.
Don’t hate me, but I just do not get it. I mean, I get that it’s fun, and that’s cool and all, but man this group just takes it to an extreme. My brother, who never, ever, has a pen and paper in hand, had not only pen and paper, but a thought-out printed list of his draft pick players. Meaning he spent time writing up a list.
Like tell me, is this normal? Are your boyfriends, brothers husbands, maybe even girlfriends this into it?
They have a giant group text going with their fantasy league and I swear between the two of their phones the messages were constantly going off for at least an hour. And during this time I was sitting at my computer trying to work. Again, no idea why they were at my house (good internet? good snacks? no wife, kids, or girlfriends? combo of the three? Probably, but either way it reminded me that football season is here, and to me that always means that buckeyes are in order.
Growing up in Ohio, I’ve made, served, and eaten more than my share of buckeyes over the years. If you happen to be unfamiliar with buckeyes, you should probably familiarize yourself, because if you don’t, you’re missing out. Buckeyes are the unofficial dessert of Ohio…home to the Ohio State Buckeyes (the buckeye tree is also the state tree). Buckeyes (the dessert) are a pretty simple concept. Peanut balls, dipped into chocolate. AKA, the Ohio State way to eat a peanut butter cup. You gotta admit, as simple as the concept is, the combo of peanut butter and chocolate will just never be boring.
As I was working on recipes, and realizing I had almost nothing planned for game day, I decided that a healthy..ish buckeye was the right move. I wanted something creamy and delicious, but minus the processed sugars. So I created this recipe that’s so simple you could probably make it with your eyes closed.
OKAY. Don’t make these with your eyes close, but you get the idea…very simple recipe.
Hello to five of my favorite ingredients: creamy peanut butter, honey, butter, vanilla, and dark chocolate.
And yes, these do have butter. And yes, I am calling them healthy. <–it’s my kind of healthy. Roll with it.
Here’s the deal.
These buckeyes are loaded with protein rich peanut butter and are made with just FIVE ingredients.
My favorite part though? These require ZERO processed sugar, which I think is pretty awesome considering that a traditional buckeye recipe calls for about two and half cups of powdered sugar…I think you can safely say sugar coma.
On my first try at this recipe I omitted the butter completely, but after testing the recipe over and over, and having multiple friends and family members try them, we all decided that a little butter was needed. Sure these were still great minus any butter, but they were a little on the dry side.
So butter was added and we ended up with the perfect healthy..ish buckeye, that everyone loved, and was Game Day approved.
Seeing that yesterday was the official kick off to football season, followed by college football on Saturday, a full day of NFL on Sunday, and of course, all wrapped up with…Monday night football. I figured what better dessert than a buckeye!
SO, what does all this mean?
Let me tell you. Tonight you should probably make this pasta for dinner and while that’s cooking, do what my mom would do, and get started on dessert. Meaning, make these buckeyes and get them into the fridge before dinner is even ready so they can set up.
Then maybe enjoy some wine or a cocktail in the process.
Eat said pasta.
Then go on to devour your guilt free buckeyes…
Oooppps.
If your Game Day party dessert plate ends up on the lighter side just blame the kids, or the dog, or your significant other. Or maybe just double the recipe…yes, double the recipe, that’s definitely the better option!
Healthy 5 Ingredient Buckeyes
Servings: 36 buckeyes
Calories Per Serving: 83 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2-4 tablespoons softened butter, to your taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups chopped dark chocolate, melted
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the peanut butter, honey, butter, and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy. The mix will be runny.2. Scoop tablespoon size amounts of dough out and roll into a rough ball. Place on the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, cover and place in the freezer for 20 minutes.3. After 20 minutes, remove the balls from the freezer and roll them once more between your hands to smooth the balls out. Return to the freezer for at least 45 minutes, being sure they are very cold before coating in chocolate.3. Stick a toothpick into the top of each ball. Working with one ball at a time, dip the frozen balls into the chocolate leaving a small opening at the top so the peanut butter can peek out. Place the balls back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining balls. Store in the fridge until ready to eat. These are best straight out of the fridge. Enjoy!
And just like that your Friday is made…pasta, cocktails, and a Ohio State classic, but healthier.
Have always loved Buckeyes but cannot have dairy. Do you think these would work with Earth Balance instead of butter?
I think earth balance should be great!
Do you think coconut oil instead of butter or a butter substitute would work?
Coconut oil would work great! I think a butter sub would be fine too. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love these!
Very peanut butter obsessed here lately…looks terrific!
thank you! 🙂
I graduated from OSU in May. and these are bringing back serious memories to so many different times from both my childhood and college! So much Ohio pride 🙂
Yeah! that makes me so happy! thank you 🙂
BUCKEYES! You just sent me straight back to my childhood again! I remember eating my Ma’s homemade buckeyes during every bowling competition on tv! Thanks for the new (healthy 😉 ) recipe, will definitely try it when I get home!
yeah! Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂 🙂
These look amazing! AND, I am so excited for your new COOKBOOK!! I can’t wait…
awe! THANK YOU so much!
For some one who’s obsessed with peanut butter + chocolate and eats PB twice a day more often than not, it’s a little shocking that I have never made Buckeyes, but it’s the truth. I think these will be my inaugural buckeyes! Love that you took out the 2.5 cups powdered sugar. I love all things sweet, but that’s precisely why I jump at opportunities to cut down on the added sugar when I can 😉
SAME HERE! haha! Thanks so much, Molly!
Chocolate and peanut butter – a winning combo. These buckeyes look amazing!
Thanks Deborah!!
We’ve been grinding honey roasted peanuts at Whole Foods for peanut butter, so I think I’ll try using that and maybe even skipping/reducing the honey. It’s pretty runny so the texture might be ok.
Love that idea! Thank you!!
I grew up on buckeyes for Christmas desserts! Love them! But they are my little brother’s favorite will have to make a batch of these for him soon!
Thank you!
Never heard of these before, where have I been???!
Peanut butter & chocolate never get old! Love it.
Agree, never gets old! Thank you!
Love these healthier buckeyes Tieghan. But we’d be calling them Wolverines for the University of Michigan!!
Now way! I have never heard of that, very cool!
I made peanut butter balls years before I ever heard of buckeyes. It is the same thing just not totally covered in the chocolate. Butter is not a bad thing like I used to think. I need to try this with the honey.
Could not agree more! Thank you!
Hot DAMN these look good! And YASS QUEEN, spread that butter gospel, healthy doesn’t have to mean tasteless or low fat!
haha! thank you!!
I’m going to pin this recipe but I don’t know if I can make it —-I would eat the whole recipe. I usually go to Graeter’s and buy 2-4 at a time.
Thanks Nancy!
Yeah, I don’t get it either, haha. But onto these Buckeyes = Ohio pride, chocolate-peanut butter realness.
ha! Thank you!