Buckeye Balls are a classic Christmas dessert. Imagine a smooth and creamy peanut butter center nestled inside of a chocolate dipped coating. And these don't just taste decadent - they're also incredibly quick and easy to make.
You'll want to write these down on your dessert list now.
Why You'll Love These Dairy Free Buckeye Balls
The chocolate and peanut butter combo is a favorite of ours anytime of the year. They're comparable to a glorified version of our peanut butter cup recipe.
However these Peanut Butter Balls have twice the peanut butter. With this in mind, all peanut butter lovers should make a double batch... one for you and one to share.
Maybe even triple it and freeze some for later--- trust us, they're almost even more delicious when frozen.
It's equally important to bring up you probably have these simple ingredients in your pantry. Or are we the only one stockpiling creamy peanut butter and chocolate morsels?
Plus, the recipe is so easy the kids can help too!
Ingredients to grab
Get all the quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Just scroll down some more- we can't fit all the brand info and recommendations in that section.
- dairy free butter- we love using Earth's Balance Buttery Sticks. These dairy free butter sticks are also soy free which is something we like to use when we can get a hold of them. But, any dairy free butter should work.
- creamy peanut butter
- vanilla extract- use your favorite brand or some of your Homemade Vanilla Extract.
- confectioners' sugar
- coconut oil or shortening
- dairy free semi-sweet chocolate morsels- you can use whatever brand of dairy free chocolate chips you like. There are so many more options now a days than they had 5 or even 10 years ago. Some of our favorite brands are Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips, Enjoy Life Chocolate Morsels, Nestle TollHouse Allergen Free Chocolate Chips, and our all time favorite baking chips from Guittard- they're free from 14 allergens! We sneak these by the handful when we need a sweet treat. Shhhh.
- toothpicks
How to Make Gluten Free & Dairy Free Buckeye Balls
Place parchment paper or silicone mat on large baking sheet and set aside.
With a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until smooth.
Add in vanilla and powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. This mixture will be thick as it comes together. Scrape down the bowl often.
Form balls from 2 tablespoon of dough. Roll the mixture between your hands and place balls on the baking sheet.
Place baking sheet in the refrigerator for an hour to harden or the freezer for 20 minutes.
After an hour melt dairy free chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave or over the stove top on low heat.
After chocolate is melted remove 4-5 buckeye balls at a time from the refrigerator.
Stick a toothpick in the middle of the buckeye and dip it in the melted chocolate. Swirl it around in the chocolate as needed. Carefully scrape off extra chocolate from bottom of buckeye balls. Then place onto parchment paper.
Remove toothpick and gently smooth over peanut butter where the hole was.
Transfer back to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
Place in an airtight container up to a week. Keep refrigerated when not serving.
More Christmas Desserts and Cookies
- a Christmas dessert board that covers all your Christmas desserts needs on one board for everyone
- chocolate peppermint cookies are not only festive, but delicious. You will love the chocolate and peppermint aftertaste these holiday cookies have.
- these chocolate kiss cookies will be the hit of every party. And did I mention these have a dairy free Hershey kiss on top?
- softest sugar cookies perfect for your Christmas cookie cutters
As you can tell just because you're eating gluten and dairy free this Christmas doesn't mean you'll be eating hard, tasteless cookies.
You have countless allergen safe recipes at your fingertips.
For more holiday recipes that can all be at your fingertips, grab our Holiday Recipes ebook cookbook!
This cookbook has over 50 gluten and dairy free recipes for various holidays all throughout the year. It gets delivered straight to your inbox in just a few minutes with just a few clicks.
Grab your Holiday Ebook Cookbook with over 50 recipes here.
Ingredients
- ½ c dairy free butter, Earth Balance Buttery Sticks work great softened
- 1½ c creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 c confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or shortening
- 11 oz bag dairy free semi-sweet chocolate morsels or about 2 cups
- 4-5 toothpicks
Instructions
- Place parchment paper or silicone mat on large baking sheet and set aside.
- With a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until smooth.
- Add in vanilla and powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. This mixture will be thick as it comes together. Scrape down the bowl often.
- Form balls from 2 tablespoon of dough. Roll the mixture between your hands and place balls on the baking sheet.
- Place baking sheet in the refrigerator for an hour to harden or the freezer for 20 minutes.
- After an hour melt dairy free chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave or over the stove top on low heat.
- After chocolate is melted remove 4-5 buckeye balls at a time from the refrigerator.
- Stick a toothpick in the middle of the buckeye and dip it in the melted chocolate. Swirl it around in the chocolate as needed. Carefully scrape off extra chocolate from bottom of buckeye balls. Then place onto parchment paper.
- Remove toothpick and gently smooth over peanut butter where the hole was.
- Transfer back to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
- Place in an airtight container up to a week. Keep refrigerated when not serving.
Nutritional Disclaimer
These Nutritional Facts are ESTIMATED. Your actual nutritional info with this recipe may vary depending on the brands you choose. “Eating Gluten and Dairy Free” is not a registered dietician or nutritionist. The provided nutritional info above is based on a generic calculator, if you want more accurate info, use your nutritional calculator of choice where you can choose brands and get more info that way.
Hey, It's Victoria!
Welcome! Victoria creates yummy gluten and dairy free recipes to make mealtime more delicious and less stressful without breaking the bank.