Buckeyes have long been one of my favorite cookies. The salty sweetness of the peanut butter center coated in a good dose of chocolate just gets me every time. Unfortunately, the “normal” version of Buckeyes that I make measures the powdered sugar amount in pounds. If that’s not an indication of how much sugar they contain, I don’t know what is. These Keto Buckeyes have all of the creamy decadence and none of the sugar. I love having them at any time of the year. The only problem is that they never last long enough!
What You Need to Make Keto Buckeyes
Equipment
- Stand Mixer – Or Large Mixing Bowl and Hand Mixer
- Measuring Cups
- Kitchen Scale – Optional, but it will make measuring the peanut butter and powdered erythritol easier.
- Rubber Scraper
- Airtight Containers
- Rimmed Baking Sheet(s) – Line these with waxed paper. This is just so that you have a movable surface and transportation device when you’re dipping the peanut butter balls into the chocolate.
- Aluminum Foil (Optional) – I sometimes line my rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil first and then the waxed paper.
- Waxed Paper
- Toothpicks
- Medium Saucepan or Microwave Safe Bowl – This is for melting the chocolate.
- Induction Burner – Optional. This is for melting the chocolate.
Ingredients
For the Peanut Butter Balls:
- Powdered Erythritol
- No Added Sugar Peanut Butter – I’ve recently started using JIF No Sugar Added Peanut Butter. Unlike Natural Peanut Butter, it also includes Palm Oil. However, it doesn’t separate or require stirring between uses.
- Unsalted Butter
For the Chocolate Coating:
- Sugar Free Chocolate – I usually use Lily’s. However, if you can’t find that, Russel Stovers works well too. I determine whether I’ll be using dark chocolate, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate based on who will be eating these Buckeyes. Dark chocolate is my personal preference and recommendation. I also usually buy extra chocolate whenever I’m going to be melting it. There have been too many times that I’ve accidentally burned it and had to start over. It’s better to have contingency plans in place.
- Coconut Oil – This is optional. Feel free to omit it to keep this recipe Coconut Free. See the Recipe Notes for instructions.
Getting Started with Making Keto Buckeyes
These are actually pretty easy to make although a bit time consuming due to the rolling and dipping.
Make Peanut Butter Balls
First we’ll start by mixing up the peanut butter dough. If you have a stand mixer, this part is pretty easy. Just dump the peanut butter and butter into a large bowl. Beat on low to medium speed until thoroughly combined. Then add the powdered erythritol and continue mixing. It will get thick fast. Scrape down the sides and mix again to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Roll the peanut butter dough into balls approximately 1.25 inches in diameter. You can increase or decrease the size based on your preferences. Just keep in mind that you’ll increase or decrease your yield depending on the size you roll.
Chilling the Peanut Butter Balls
Place the peanut butter balls in an airtight container in the freezer for at least 2 hours. You can get away with putting them in the refrigerator instead if you don’t have room in your freezer, but the chill from the freezer really helps the chocolate set when you dip them.
Melting the Chocolate
You have some options for how you melt the chocolate. We’ll walk through them in a sec.
However, before you start, go ahead and set up your dipping station. I line 2 rimmed baking sheets with waxed paper and set them next to wherever I will be dipping. Your mileage may vary, but I usually work with 6 – 8 toothpicks for dipping. That usually provides enough time between when I dip the 1st toothpick-stuck ball and the last for the first to firm up a bit before I pull out the toothpick to use again.
Induction Burner Method
My preferred method is to use an induction burner. Mine has a temperature scale from 0.5 to 10.0. I place the saucepan on the induction burner and set the temperature 2.5. Stir continuously until the chocolate melts.
Microwave Method
I realize that induction burners are not standard equipment in many home kitchens, so the microwave is my next recommended melting method. You will place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and melt for 30 seconds at full power. Remove them from the microwave and stir VERY thoroughly. Continue microwaving in 10 second increments, stirring after each round, until the chocolate is completely melted. It usually takes me another 2 – 4 rounds of 10 seconds.
I will warn you that the pieces will still look solid when you take them out of the microwave until you stir them. You really don’t want to burn the chocolate. There is no real recovery and it usually just becomes trash. If it seizes, you can add some water. However, the texture may very well still be off. (See this article from The Spruce Eats for a pretty thorough rundown of fixing chocolate melting mistakes.)
Double Boiler Method
Fill the bottom of the double boiler with water. The water should not touch the bottom of the top pan. Bring the water to a gentle boil. Place the chocolate chips in the top pan and stir constantly until melted.
Dip Peanut Butter Balls
Once your chocolate is melted, take the peanut butter balls out of the freezer. Stick one firmly with a toothpick and dip it in the chocolate. There should be an uncoated / un-chocolate-covered circle on the top around the toothpick. This is what makes it look like a buckeye.
Then you’ll set the dipped ball on the waxed paper and allow the chocolate to harden. Repeat this process until all of the peanut butter balls have been dipped.
Chilling, Serving, & Storing Keto Buckeyes
Once the chocolate coating on the Keto Buckeyes has hardened, place them in an airtight container. Use a sheet of waxed paper between each layer of buckeyes. Store in the freezer until you are ready to serve them. You can also store them in the fridge. I just prefer the freezer because it helps them stay cool a little longer when they are sitting on a cookie tray or table.
Related Recipes
If you’re looking for some other cookie recipes, you might want to check these out:
- Keto Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Cookie Cups
- Keto Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
- Keto Butterball Cookie Pops
- Keto Butter Horns
- Keto Snickerdoodle Cookies
Keto Buckeyes
Ingredients
For the Peanut Butter Balls:
- 0.5 pound Unsalted Butter 227 grams // 2 sticks (Softened)
- 1 pound Peanut Butter 454 grams // 2.525 cups
- 1.5 pounds Powdered Erythritol 680 grams
For the Chocolate Coating:
- 18 ounces Sugar Free Chocolate 2 bags. I use Dark Chocolate, but you can use whichever type you prefer. I usually have an extra bag on hand in case I need a bit more for whatever reason or burn it the first time around.
- ¼ cup Coconut Oil Optional. Omit for Coconut Free. See Recipe Notes for instructions.
Instructions
To Make the Peanut Butter Balls:
- In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat the softened 0.5 pound Unsalted Butter and 1 pound Peanut Butter until thoroughly combined. Add in 1.5 pounds Powdered Erythritol and beat until fully incorporated.0.5 pound Unsalted Butter, 1 pound Peanut Butter, 1.5 pounds Powdered Erythritol
- Roll the mixture into roughly 1.25-inch (½ ounce) balls. Place them in a container, separating the layers with sheets of wax paper. (You can make them bigger if you wish. You’ll just have slightly fewer balls.)
- Chill them in the freezer for 2 hours.
To Dip the Peanut Butter Balls:
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil (optional for easier clean-up) and wax paper.
- Melt 18 ounces Sugar Free Chocolate. If using the microwave, start with 30 seconds, then stir. Work in 10 second increments after this, stirring REALLY well after each melting. If the chocolate pieces still look solid, keep stirring. This typically takes 2 – 4 rounds. Don’t overheat. If you have an induction burner, set it to a low temp setting. I use 2.5 on a 10 level scale. Stir until melted. Reduce heat to 2.0.18 ounces Sugar Free Chocolate
- Using a toothpick, stab a slightly frozen peanut butter ball and dip it into the melted chocolate. Leave a circle of the peanut butter ball uncoated so that it looks like a buckeye.
- Move the coated peanut butter balls to the wax paper lined baking sheets. Allow the chocolate to set for at least 20 minutes. This will somewhat depend on the temperature of your room.
- Store the Keto Buckeyes in an airtight container in either the refrigerator or freezer. If freezing, just allow them to warm up for a few extra minutes before serving.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer Or Large Mixing Bowl and Hand Mixer
- Measuring Cups
- Kitchen Scale Optional, but it will make measuring the peanut butter and powdered erythritol easier.
- Airtight Containers
- Rimmed Baking Sheets Line these with waxed paper.
- Aluminum Foil Optional
- Waxed Paper
- Toothpicks
- Medium Saucepan or Microwave Safe Bowl This is for melting the chocolate.
- Induction Burner Optional. This is for melting the chocolate.
- Double Boiler Optional. Only needed if using this method for melting chocolate.
Notes
- Optional Addition of Coconut Oil
- You can optionally add about ¼ cup of Coconut Oil to the melting chocolate to help it stay hardened when sitting out on a cookie tray. Just stir until it is completely melted and integrated into the chocolate.
- You can skip this ingredient completely for coconut allergies.
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