Keto Peanut Butter Buckeyes are the ultimate homemade sugar-free candy!
Peanut butter and chocolate come together in one peanut butter ball of heaven for a rich, fudgy, decadent dessert. These buckeyes are perfect for gift giving or sharing throughout the holiday season (and beyond!)
This easy chocolate-covered peanut butter ball recipe can easily be made vegan (or dairy-free) by replacing the butter with coconut oil.
Peanut butter and chocolate lovers, I see you!
What you have stumbled upon is the easiest peanut butter ball recipe in all the universe. It requires minimal ingredients, hardly any fussing, is a blast to make (especially with friends, family, and children!), and results in the tastiest goof-proof candy you’ll ever make!
The only difficult part about this recipe is you must exercise your patience virtue and wait for the peanut butter balls to chill in the refrigerator.
Aside from the patience, anyone can make these buckeyes! There are no barriers to entry, no prerequisites, no candy experience needed.
Let’s talk.
What Are Buckeyes?:
Buckeyes are a candy made of peanut butter fudge dipped in chocolate. The soft, sensual peanut butter just melts in your mouth and the dark chocolate coating created a rich bittersweet counterbalance as well as some texture for the ultimate drool-worthy experience.
In order to make classic buckeyes keto, I simply combine all natural (unsweetened) creamy peanut butter, grass-fed butter, and sugar-free confectioners sugar. This combination makes for that super sweet, creamy, peanut buttery fudgy yum.
Keeping the chocolate portion low-carb and sugar-free as well, I melt sugar-free chocolate chips (I use Lily’s) with a small amount of coconut oil to make the coating.
Ingredients for Keto Chocolate Buckeyes:
Creamy Natural Peanut Butter: Keeping it refined sugar-free and free of any funny business, we use all natural unsweetened and unsalted peanut butter. Yes, this is the kind that comes with the oil on top and you must give it a thorough stir first.
I promise, it is worth the elbow grease! While I haven’t tried the recipe using any other nut butter, I think anything will work as long as it is well-stirred. So if you don’t do peanuts, give almond butter a shot!
Grass-Fed Butter or Ghee: In order to add rich creaminess to the peanut butter fudge portion of this recipe, we mix melted butter (or ghee) with the peanut butter and sugar. This ensures the fudge has that iconic fudge flavor! If you’re dairy-free, swap out the butter for coconut oil. It will still taste rich and amazing 🙂
Sugar-Free Confectioners Sugar: Keeping these buckeyes low-carb and sugar-free, we use sugar-free confectioners sweetener. I used Truvia Confectioners Sweetener this time around, but I also love Swerve!
Pure Vanilla Extract: Providing a warm essence to the treat, pure vanilla extract goes a long way in making the dessert extra inviting.
Sea Salt: Sea salt brings out all of the flavors in this ball o’ bliss! It makes the peanut butter extra peanut buttery, brings out the sweetness, and rounds out the flavor so that the buckeyes are extra addicting.
Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips: The chocolate portion of these buckeyes is nothing more than melted sugar-free chocolate chips mixed with a smidge of coconut oil. I use Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips and absolutely love how the chocolate coating turns out.
If you’d like, you can make your own sugar-free chocolate coating from scratch, but I find store-bought sugar-free chocolate chips to just be so easy and tasty!
Coconut Oil: In order to help melt the chocolate chips into a nice, creamy smooth texture, I add just one tablespoon of coconut oil to 2 cups (one bag) of chocolate chips. This simply ensures the texture of the melted chocolate is extra sultry and easy for dipping. You can replace the coconut oil with butter or ghee if you don’t have coconut oil on hand.
How to Make Peanut Butter Buckeyes:
In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, melted butter, vanilla extract and sea salt until completely smooth and incorporated.
Add the confectioners sugar and beat until combined. Note: if doing this by hand, it will take some elbow grease! This process is easiest in a stand mixer.
The peanut butter mixture should be thick and slightly sticky but not easily stick to your hands. If it is at all gooey or too sticky, add more confectioners sugar.
Form balls about 1 to ½ inches in diameter and place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate at least one hour.
Once finished refrigerating, give each peanut butter ball a roll to make it perfectly round. By this time, the peanut butter mixture will have set up better and will stay in the shape of a ball easier.
Microwave the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second increments, stirring well in between, until melted.
Dip each peanut butter ball in the melted chocolate mixture and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate or freeze until chocolate has set up.
Vegan Peanut Butter Buckeyes:
Simply replace the butter in the peanut butter fudge portion of this recipe to make vegan buckeyes.
How to Store Peanut Butter Buckeyes:
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. The buckeyes are stable at room temperature, but if you keep your house warm, you wouldn’t want them to melt! So it’s best to keep them in a tupperware container in the refrigerator (or freezer!)
More Keto Dessert Recipes:
- Keto Eggnog
- Keto Chocolate Pie
- Dairy-Free Keto Pecan Pie
- Keto Shortbread Cookies
- Low-Carb Peanut Butter Fudge
- Keto Cranberry Orange Bread
- Keto Snickerdoodles
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Fudge/Truffles:
- 1 cup Natural Peanut Butter
- 3 Tbsp butter, or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, to taste
- 2 1/2 cups sugar-free confectioners sugar
Chocolate Coating:
- 1 1/4 cups sugar-free dark chocolate chips
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Note: if you have a stand mixer, this recipe is easiest to make using a stand mixer.
- In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, melted butter, vanilla extract and sea salt until completely smooth and incorporated.
- Add the confectioners sugar and beat until combined.
- The peanut butter mixture should be thick and slightly sticky but not easily stick to your hands. If it is at all gooey or too sticky, add more confectioners sugar.
- Form balls about 1 to ½ inches in diameter and place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate at least one hour.
- Once finished refrigerating, give each peanut butter ball a roll to make it perfectly round. By this time, the peanut butter mixture will have set up better and will stay in the shape of a ball easier.
- Microwave the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second increments, stirring well in between, until melted.
- Dip each peanut butter ball in the melted chocolate mixture and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate or freeze until chocolate has set up.
Nutrition
Holly
Thursday 23rd of March 2023
If each ball is 4 carbs and you subtract 1 fiber and 1 sugar alcohol, shouldn’t each ball be 2 net carbs and not 3 net carbs as it’s currently labeled to be?
Shirley
Saturday 12th of December 2020
Nice recipe to make in a day the oven is going non stop! We all love peanut butter and chocolate!
Julia
Monday 14th of December 2020
They're just so great!