This post contains affiliate links. If you chose to purchase through these links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. I only recommend products I love and use and believe will bless you and your household.
When I was a little girl, one of my favorite holiday activities was helping my Aunt Babs make Christmas cookies. I don’t remember if I did it every year or just a few times, but I do remember being awed at the massive quantity of cookies she baked, and the seemingly countless varieties she packed carefully into brightly colored plastic and metal containers to send off to work with my uncle. I particularly remember the candy cane cookies she taught us to twist and roll into crushed peppermint candies. I remember Mexican wedding cake cookies (I think that’s what they were called?!). And I remember the buckeyes. She let us taste that first buckeye, which at the time seemed so exotic to me, and I was hooked. I knew I wanted to recreate her Christmas treat in my own version with a variation to Paleo buckeyes.
Everyone needs one or two go-to, easy to make holiday recipes that are also good-for-you!
These Paleo buckeyes are made with almond butter and almond flour, and I also created an alternative for nut-free buckeyes at a friend’s request, with sunflower butter. (See the notes: the sunflower butter is delicious but needs a little extra love to make it firm enough to enjoy without a mess…) I like that they’re not too sweet – because we all have more than enough chances to indulge in sweeeeeet sweets over the holidays, especially! And if you don’t already have cookie scoops, (I love the set of three – the large one is the best for cupcake and muffin making) – this one is the perfect size for making these little Paleo buckeyes.
The classic recipe is made with peanut butter; I live in a house full of peanut butter lovers. Feel free to replace the almond butter with whatever nut butter you like best! (I am a huge fan of cashew butter – I love the texture and slight natural sweetness!) I just know that dark chocolate and nut better are a match made in heaven.
Like this recipe? Make sure and pin it to save for your holiday (or any-day) baking, and share it with a friend!
While my growing-up memories of holidays often included tension from family struggles, there were sweet spots (literally and figuratively) that still inspire me to share memory-making-moments with my “people.”
Whether you’re a parent or not, you can bless someone by sharing your skills and hobbies, like my aunt shared her baking with my sister and me.
What’s your favorite holiday baking memory? (And are you in the “nut butter and chocolate” camp?) How can you invest in making memories with someone else this season?
- 1 cup nut butter*
- ½ cup almond flour*
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or other sweetener
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- ¼ cup cocoa powder*
- ¼ cup coconut oil* melted
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or 5 drops liquid stevia
-
Combine nut butter, flours, sweetener and vanilla.
-
Use a round scoop and your hands to make small balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
-
Freeze for one hour.
-
Meanwhile, gently melt together coconut oil, cocoa or chocolate chips*, and sweetener for chocolate coating, either over a double boiler or in microwave, stirring after 20 second intervals until combined.
-
*(For an alternative coating, melt together 1 cup dairy-free, naturally sweetened chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon coconut oil.)
-
Remove balls from freezer and use a toothpick to gently roll balls in chocolate coating, leaving just a small circle uncovered.
-
Freeze for an additional 20 minutes.
-
Store in refrigerator or freezer for up to one week.
*To make these without almonds/nuts, replace nut butter with sunflower butter, omit almond flour, and increase coconut flour to 1/4 cup.
Inspiring (chocolatey, nutty) welcome,
Angela
Join the Newsletter
Subscribe to get a printable gift and weekly-ish encouragement and inspiration!
