Dark Chocolate Nut Butter Buckeye Bites
I didn’t know anything about buckeyes until a few years ago, when I saw the flavor at a local ice cream shop, even though I love the combination of nut butters and chocolate. These bites are ideal for anyone with a sweet tooth, because they’ll satisfy your craving without spiking your blood sugar, and they don’t have any refined sugar or crazy ingredients.
Easy to make, I sometimes double the recipe because they’re the perfect afternoon or after-dinner snack. If you’re in a rush, you could also melt down chocolate chips instead of making the coating from scratch, which will also make for a thicker, candy-like coating (that’s also a little sweeter). Hope you enjoy!
dark chocolate nut butter buckeye bites
ingredients
Makes 14-20, depending on the size of the bites
For the bites:
¼ cup creamy almond butter
¼ cup cashew butter
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon coconut flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (make your own with my recipe here)
pinch of salt
optional - sprinkle of cinnamon or espresso powder
For the chocolate coating
¼ cup virgin coconut oil
¼ cup raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
You’ll also need:
to prepare:
Start by lining a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the chocolate coating first, since you want it to cool down to just about room temperature for dipping/ coating the bites.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Whisk in the cacao powder, maple syrup, and vanilla until combined and smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the chocolate to cool until almost at room temperature.
In a large bowl, combine all of the bite ingredients (both nut butters, the maple syrup, coconut flour, vanilla, and a pinch of salt). Roll the mixture into bite-size balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, until the bites have hardened.
Take the bites out of the freezer. Roll one between your hands for a second, then place a toothpick in the center.
Holding the toothpick, dip the bite in the chocolate, covering as much as you want (you can do a full coat if you have a sweet tooth; just a light drizzle is good, too). If you don’t have toothpicks, you can always drizzle the coating on top for a marbled effect (like I did in the photo above).
Place the chocolate-coated bites back on the baking sheet, without the toothpick. Repeat with the remaining balls.
Put the chocolate-coated bites back in the freezer for about 15 minutes, until the chocolate has hardened.
Transfer the bites to the fridge, where they’ll keep for up to 10 days. Don’t leave them in the freezer; it change the texture and makes them crumbly.
