Healthy Vegan Peanut Butter Balls

This healthy vegan peanut butter balls recipe is the ultimate healthy take on a classic. It's made with simple and clean ingredients and tastes just as good as traditional buckeyes. This recipe is vegan, oil-free, refined sugar-free, and gluten-free.

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These Healthy Vegan Peanut Butter Balls are the perfect alternative to a Holiday classic. This delicious recipe has the perfect creamy peanut butter filling and dark chocolate coating. Whether you're looking for a vegan or healthier alternative to the classic, this recipe is for you!

Peanut Butter Balls or buckeyes have always been a Christmas classic in my family. However, the peanut butter balls I grew up eating were neither healthy nor vegan. Therefore I wanted to create delicious vegan buckeyes using simple and clean ingredients so that everyone can enjoy this classic Christmas treat. 

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Vegan Peanut Butter Balls Ingredients:

This recipe is fantastic because it is made with 5 simple ingredients and tastes just like the classic treat. Here's what you'll need to make these healthy peanut butter balls.

• Natural Peanut Butter -Provides a creamy and nutty base for the peanut butter balls, contributing to their rich flavor and texture. I recommend using a natural peanut butter that is just peanuts and salt. Natural peanut butter is a source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, supporting heart health, and is full of plant-based protein as well as essential nutrients like vitamin E, magnesium, and potassium.
• Coconut Butter - This is what is used as the vegan butter replacement. It adds a velvety texture to the peanut butter balls and is oil-free and high in fiber.
• Powdered Eyrithritol - There are no unprocessed substitutes for powdered sugar since it is such a highly processed food. However, there are healthier substitutes. One of my favorite refined sugar-free powdered sugar substitutes is powdered erythritol. It is a natural zero-calorie sweetener and therefore has a low glycemic index, causing minimal impact on blood sugar levels.
• Vanilla Extract - Compliments the flavor of the peanut butter perfectly. I recommend using Mexican vanilla because it has a much deeper flavor.
• Vegan Chocolate Chips - Any type of vegan chocolate will work. I love the rich chocolate flavor of dark chocolate, but milk chocolate will work as well.
• Flaky Sea Salt (optional) - I love adding a touch of 

See the recipe card for quantities.

How To Make This Vegan Peanut Butter Balls Recipe:

These vegan buckeyes are one of my favorite quick and easy no-bake desserts because they are made with simple ingredients and they only require a few simple steps to make. 

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1. Soften Coconut Butter:
   • If the coconut butter is solid, gently soften it by microwaving it in short intervals or placing the jar in warm water until it reaches a soft, spreadable consistency.
2. Combine Peanut Butter and Coconut Butter:
   • In a large mixing bowl, combine the natural peanut butter and softened coconut butter. Mix well until you achieve a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
3. Add Sweetener and Vanilla:
   • Incorporate the powdered erythritol and vanilla extract into the peanut butter and coconut butter mixture. Stir until the sweetener is well combined and the mixture is evenly sweetened. It should look like a fluffy peanut butter filling. Place the large bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Roll Into Balls:
   • Use a 2-tablespoon small cookie scoop to scoop out individual peanut butter balls. Roll them into round balls and place them on a sheet of parchment paper. Once you have rolled out all the balls, place them on a sheet of parchment paper. Freeze for 20 minutes. 
5. Melt The Chocolate:
   • In a medium bowl melt the chocolate chips. You can do this either with a double boiler or in a microwave. If using a microwave I recommend only heating it in 30-second increments.
6. ​Chocolate Coating:
   • Dip the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate. Use a fork to move them around the bowl and allow the excess melted chocolate to drip off. Place the vegan peanut butter balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Top the peanut butter balls with sea salt while the chocolate is still warm. Allow the peanut butter balls to set at room temperature until the chocolate has solidified. 
7. Serve and Enjoy:
   • Once the peanut butter balls are firm, they are ready to be enjoyed! You can refrigerate them or keep them at room temperature.

Hint: I think this vegan peanut butter ball recipe tastes best when chilled. I recommend keeping them in the refrigerator.

Substitutions:

There are a handful of delicious and easy substitutions that can be made to this recipe. Here are some of the common ones.

• Nut-Free - If you have a nut allergy, these vegan chocolate peanut butter balls can easily be turned into vegan Sunbutter balls! You can use sunflower seed butter as a 1:1 substitute for peanut butter in this recipe.
• Sweetener - If you're not a fan of using sweeteners like erythritol, you can use a combination of maple syrup and coconut flour to achieve a similar peanut butter ball. I recommend using ½ cup of each. This will not have the same consistency as traditional peanut butter balls, but it will still be delicious!
• Nut Butter - You can use any natural nut butter in place of creamy peanut butter. Raw cashew butter, almond butter, and pistachio butter are all delicious options. 

If you have any questions about a particular substitution not listed make sure to leave a comment and I'll get back to you as quickly as possible!

Vegan Peanut Butter Balls Variations:

This recipe is great because it is so simple. Therefore there are plenty of ways to mix it up and enjoy them. Here are some of my favorite variations to make.

• Crunchy - You can use crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy peanut butter in the peanut butter mixture for a delicious added crunch. 
• Peanut Butter Protein Balls - You can add a scoop of your favorite plant-based protein powder to the peanut butter mixture for a delicious protein boost. My favorite is PlantFusion ("NATURALVEGAN" for 25% off).
• White Chocolate - You can use vegan white chocolate chips for the chocolate coating for a delicious white chocolate variation. 
• Peanut Butter Energy Bites - You can add ¼ cup of oats to these peanut butter balls to turn them into the perfect healthy snack.

What You Will Need To Make These Healthy Vegan Buckeyes:

This healthy peanut butter balls recipe is great because it requires hardly any equipment and is super easy to make. It is the perfect holiday treat to make if you don't love baking or you are working with a small space.

• Mixing Bowls - You will need a large bowl for the peanut butter mixture and a medium bowl to melt the chocolate in. Make sure the medium bowl is a microwave-safe bowl if you are melting the chocolate in the microwave.
• Fork - A fork will be your handy tool for dipping the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate. Its prongs provide an easy way to lift and coat each ball evenly.
• Parchment Paper - To prevent the buckeyes from sticking to surfaces and ensure easy removal, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This makes the cleanup process a breeze.
• Baking Sheet - Anything flat will work for chilling the vegan peanut butter balls.

As always you can find all my go-to equipment on my Amazon storefront or my affiliate page.

How To Store These Healthy Peanut Butter Balls:

​Another reason I love this vegan peanut butter balls recipe so much is because they keep for the entire holiday season. I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for best results. Chocolate naturally gets a little sticky at room temperature, so I find keeping them in the fridge works best. If stored properly, these peanut butter balls will keep for up to 2 months!

Top Tip:

When coating the vegan peanut butter balls it is crucial that they are cold. If you try to coat room-temperature balls, they will get misshapen and fall apart.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Related Vegan Christmas Recipes:

Looking for more festive treats to make this holiday season? Check out some of the other Christmas recipes on my website!

If you try this Healthy Vegan Peanut Butter Balls Recipe, I’d really love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I’d also really appreciate a recipe card rating! Make sure to share it on social media and tag @theallnaturalvegan to be featured! Thank you for supporting The All Natural Vegan!

Healthy Vegan Peanut Butter Balls

This healthy vegan peanut butter balls recipe is the ultimate healthy take on a classic. It's made with simple and clean ingredients and tastes just as good as traditional buckeyes. This recipe is vegan, oil-free, refined sugar-free, and gluten-free.

5 from 16 votes

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

chill time 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 24 balls

Equipment

• 2 Mixing bowls
• 1 Baking sheet
• 1 Parchment paper

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup natural peanut butter
• ¼ cup coconut butter ensure it is creamy and not dry
• 2 cups powdered erythritol
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 bag plant based chocolate chips
• flaky salt

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Instructions

 

Soften Coconut Butter:

• If the coconut butter is solid, gently soften it by microwaving it in short intervals or placing the jar in warm water until it reaches a soft, spreadable consistency.

Combine Peanut Butter and Coconut Butter:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the natural peanut butter and softened coconut butter. Mix well until you achieve a smooth and homogeneous mixture.

Add Sweetener and Vanilla:

• Incorporate the powdered erythritol and vanilla extract into the peanut butter and coconut butter mixture. Stir until the sweetener is well combined and the mixture is evenly sweetened. It should look like a fluffy peanut butter filling. Place the large bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll Into Balls:

• Use a 2-tablespoon small cookie scoop to scoop out individual peanut butter balls. Roll them into round balls and place them on a sheet of parchment paper. Once you have rolled out all the balls, place them on a sheet of parchment paper. Freeze for 20 minutes.

Melt The Chocolate:

• In a medium bowl melt the chocolate chips. You can do this either with a double boiler or in a microwave. If using a microwave I recommend only heating it in 30-second increments.

​Chocolate Coating:

• Dip the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate. Use a fork to move them around the bowl and allow the excess melted chocolate to drip off. Place the vegan peanut butter balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Top the peanut butter balls with sea salt while the chocolate is still warm. Allow the peanut butter balls to set at room temperature until the chocolate has solidified.

Serve and Enjoy:

• Once the peanut butter balls are firm, they are ready to be enjoyed! You can refrigerate them or keep them at room temperature.

Keyword date sweetened, super healthy vegan dessert, vegan chocolate, vegan peanut butter balls

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More Healthy Peanut Butter Recipes:

Are you a fellow peanut butter lover? Make sure to check out some of the other recipes on my website!