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First published 12/17/13
I have created a new-and-improved buckeye recipe since this one, and I highly recommend that you check it out!
In our house, “Christmas” is synonymous with “buckeyes.”
If you do not know what a buckeye is, I am sorry for your loss.
So what was I to do when all the THM buckeye recipes I found contained either defatted peanut flour or granulated sweeteners, neither of which I had? Well, I had to get a little creative, that’s what. It happened like this…
On the Trim Healthy Mama Facebook group, a wonderful lady named Lisa Hansen Record shared a recipe for peanut butter cookies. I made these cookies, with a few tweaks; and after sharing them at a church function, I put the leftovers in the freezer. Yesterday when I ate some of these frozen cookies, the thought hit me, “These taste a *lot* like buckeyes!” Of course that immediately set the cogs of my brain spinning, and the results are pretty tasty.
If you don’t think these taste like buckeyes, just call them “Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites.” Who cares-they’re awesome.
Another Christmas favorite in our house is peanut clusters. Just stir peanuts into Skinny Chocolate and freeze in blobs on waxed paper:
- 2 cups natural peanut butter
- ⅓ cup + 2 T ground unsweetened coconut flakes
- 4 T sour cream
- ⅓ cup pasteurized egg whites
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 T unsweetened almond milk
- THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder to taste
- Skinny Chocolate for coating (recipe found in the book Trim Healthy Mama)
- Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Chill dough, then roll into 1" balls.
- Freeze the balls, then dip into the Skinny Chocolate. Freeze again, and dip again once the first coat has hardened.
- Store in the freezer, but let them thaw a few minutes before eating. Stored in the refrigerator, these buckeyes can get mushy.
Check out my other, new-and-improved buckeye recipe here!
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Is the measurement of the coconut before or after you grind it up?
After. 🙂 I actually have a new and improved buckeye recipe here: https://www.briana-thomas.com/healthy-buckeyes/
Alot of our THM Recipes call for baking powder, this Recipe calls for baking soda, is baking soda what you actually need in this recipe. These are 2 different products so wanted to make sure before I start making these for the holidays. Thank you!!!
I use both baking soda and/or baking powder in my recipes; and yes, this one calls for baking soda. This year I posted a new buckeye recipe that I actually prefer over this recipe, so you might want to check it out here: https://www.briana-thomas.com/healthy-buckeyes/
Hmmmm I LOVE buckeyes, but I HATE the taste of coconut. Would could I do to not have a “coconutty” taste to these?
I find that the peanut butter flavor covers up the coconut flavor. Depending on what brand of coconut you use, that might vary, though (I use Let’s Do Organic Reduced-Fat Finely Shredded Coconut Flakes). You could probably substitute almond flour for the ground unsweetened coconut flakes and you might even get a better result because it will be smoother textured.
Do you always use imitation vanilla? And if so why?
Not always, but most of the time because that’s what my mom buys (I’m not the one that does the shopping). We get it in a big bottle from Sam’s Club and it’s cheaper than the extract. Feel free to substitute vanilla extract, but use less.
Ok, thanks. I understand.
These look yummy! But, is there an alternative to the egg white? My son can’t have eggs. I know you can do flax in place of egg, but not sure if it would work here. Thanks! Love your recipes by the way!
No, I definitely wouldn’t use flax here as I’m sure you would taste it. The egg whites are there to give liquid as well as help hold the cookies together. You could try substituting almond milk and more sour cream to make up for the loss of liquid, but they may not hold together as well.