Vegan Peanut Butter Balls
Best vegan peanut butter balls, also referred to as buckeyes, feature a creamy peanut butter filling dipped in dark chocolate. This recipe makes a satisfying treat perfect for holiday parties and all-year snacking!
If you love vegan chocolate treats, be sure to make these vegan truffles. They’re so easy to make and delicious, too.
This is a family favorite recipe that I veganized because it just had to be done. I call them the best peanut butter balls because, well, they are the best!
This recipe is definitely a holiday favorite. Not only can you serve them on your dessert table, but these make a wonderful addition to treat bags to share with friends, family, neighbors, workmates, etc.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Combining peanut butter with powdered sugar and vegan butter creates a fast and easy peanut butter filling
- Refrigerating the peanut butter filling helps firm up the batter, making it easier to make peanut butter balls. The second round of refrigeration firms up the peanut butter balls, making them easier to dip.
- Melting chocolate chips with coconut oil makes the chocolate smoother and easier to dip, while allowing it to set with a crisp outer coating.
What You Need
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- Lemon — We’ll use both the zest and the juice of the lemon.
- Oats — I used rolled oats for this recipe, but you can substitute instant oats.
- Chia — We’ll add some ground chia seeds to create a thicker texture. You can use whole chia seeds; I just prefer ground because it creates a smoother finished texture.
- Syrup — I used maple syrup, but you can substitute agave nectar.
- Milk — We’ll use almond milk for the best overnight oats! Substitute your favorite plant-based milk.
- Yogurt — I love adding some plant-based yogurt (plain, unsweetened) for an even more tangy flavor.
- Protein Powder — I add some vanilla protein powder for increased flavor and nutrients. If your protein powder is not sweetened, you may want to add an extra teaspoon or two of sweetener.
- Cornstarch — We’ll use cornstarch to thicken the lemon curd topping.
- Turmeric — A pinch of turmeric makes that lemon curd sunny yellow.
- Peanut butter — I prefer to use creamy-style peanut butter.
- Vegan Butter — If using storebought, I recommend Earth Balanace buttery sticks, or make your own homemade vegan butter.
- Powdered sugar
- Chocolate Chips — I recommend using dairy-free chocolate chips to keep this recipe vegan and dairy-free.
- Coconut oil — For minimal coconut flavor, use refined coconut oil.
- Peanut butter — I prefer to use creamy-style peanut butter.
- Vegan Butter — If using storebought, I recommend Earth Balanace buttery sticks, or make your own homemade vegan butter.
- Powdered sugar
- Chocolate Chips — I recommend using dairy-free chocolate chips to keep this recipe vegan and dairy-free.
- Coconut oil — For minimal coconut flavor, use refined coconut oil.
What Peanut Butter is Best for Peanut Butter Balls?
There are three basic types of peanut butter: 1) Natural (the kind that has to be stirred, 2) Creamy, and 3) Crunchy. Some types of peanut butter work better for different recipes. For this recipe, I recommend using creamy peanut butter that doesn’t require stirring before using it. When the oil separates so easily as with natural peanut butter, you can be left with peanut butter balls that are too soft. Homogenized peanut butter works best for this recipe.
How to Make Peanut Butter Balls
- Make the peanut butter filling by stirring the softened ingredients together.
- Place the filling in the fridge to firm it up.
- Roll peanut butter filling into balls.
- Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil. Then dip the balls in the melted chocolate.
- Place dipped peanut butter balls on a tray lined with waxed paper and allow the chocolate to set.
Here are more detailed step-by-step instructions.
Step One: Make Peanut Butter Filling
Add the peanut butter and the vegan butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl. Heat it for one minute to get the peanut butter softer so it’s easy to stir. Add the powdered sugar and stir to combine.
Step Two: Chill the Filling
Place the bowl in the fridge to firm the peanut butter up. The filling needs to be firmer for shaping into balls.
Step Three: Make Balls
Once the filling has firmed up, make them into balls. I was able to make around 120 balls from this recipe. It depends on the size you make them and possibly how much of the batter you eat as you’re making them. It’s very tempting!
Place the balls on the tray and return the tray to the fridge to firm them up again.
Step Four: Melt Chocolate
Combine the chocolate with coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1 minute. Leave it sitting in the microwave for another minute before using oven mitts to remove it. Stir in the melted chocolate. If it’s not entirely melted, return it to the microwave and heat for 30 seconds.
Step Five: Dip
Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Either use a fork or stab the peanut butter ball with a toothpick to dip the balls in the melted chocolate. Transfer dipped balls to the tray with waxed paper.
To make vegan buckeyes, leave one side of the peanut butter balls bare, without chocolate.
Once all the balls have been dipped, place the tray in the fridge to allow the chocolate to set.
Marly’s Tips
More ideas to make these peanut butter balls your own:
- Add a cup of graham cracker crumbs to the filling
- Make vegan peanut butter balls with rice krispies by adding 1 cup of rice krispies to the filling for a crunchy touch
- Try using chunky peanut butter
- Reduce the powdered sugar for a less sweet version
- For more natural sweetness, use dates or even figs to make the filling.
Storage Tips
Once the chocolate is set, transfer the balls to an airtight container or freezer bag. These will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Time-Saving Ideas
Making chocolate peanut butter balls is a multi-step process, which can seem time-consuming, but there are ways to make them faster.
Here are some of my favorite tips for making easy peanut butter balls:
- Refrigerate the filling to firm it up.
- Use a cookie scoop to create evenly sized balls.
- Divide the scooped batter — my cookie dough scoop creates approximately 1″ balls, so I divide that ball in half to create smaller balls.
- Transfer rolled balls to the freezer for about 20 minutes.
- Use a microwave to melt the chocolate in a pyrex measuring cup.
- Drop peanut butter balls, one at a time, in the melted chocolate and use a fork or a toothpick to remove the ball from the chocolate, tapping it gently to remove excess chocolate.
- Place the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour or in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. The chocolate-covered peanut butter balls should come off the waxed paper easily. If they don’t, then place them back in the freezer or the fridge to allow the chocolate to set.
- Transfer the finished balls to a sealed container or freezer bag.
Following these steps can help streamline the process of making your vegan peanut butter truffles so you can share them with others even faster.
Reader Reviews
★★★★★
Zee
I’m not the greatest cook so I wasn’t expecting it to be good but it turned out great. Hard to find good vegan recipes online but this is definitely one.
★★★★★
Suzanne
So easy to make and delicious! My kids and I cannot stop eating them! Thank you for sharing!
Frequently-Asked Questions
Can you make keto peanut butter balls?
It’s easy to make keto buckeyes. Simply use Swerve or any zero-calorie powdered sugar combined with the peanut butter. And use stevia-sweetened dark chocolate.
How do you make the peanut butter balls round?
Make sure the dough is chilled before you start rolling the dough into balls. It helps to roll the balls twice to get those perfect shapes. For the first roll, go for uniform size and roundness. Place them back in the fridge to let them firm up. The second roll is where you get that perfectly round shape.
What type of peanut butter do you use?
I do not recommend natural peanut butter (the kind with the oil on the top that has to be stirred) for this recipe. This type of peanut butter is too runny. I prefer the creamy, homogenized peanut butter.
Vegan Holiday Treats
That’s it for these vegan chocolate peanut butter balls. Enjoy!
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Best Vegan Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 2 cups peanut butter, softened
- ½ cup vegan butter, softened
- 3 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
Instructions
- Stir together peanut butter and butter until well blended. Add powdered sugar. If your peanut butter and butter are not softened, it can help to microwave the mix for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Refrigerate the peanut butter mixture until it's firm enough to roll into balls. Remove from the fridge and roll into bite-size balls. Place the balls on a tray. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Stir chocolate chips and coconut oil together in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Place a lid on it and set aside for a minute. The chocolate should be melted. Stir until well blended and smooth.
- Line a cookie sheet or tray with waxed paper. Dip peanut butter balls in the chocolate using a fork so you can tap off excess chocolate. Place chocolate covered balls on prepared tray. You can line them up pretty close to one another, just not touching. Once all the balls are coated, place the tray in the fridge to speed up the chocolate setting.
- Once the chocolate is fully set, transfer to an airtight container. These will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer up to 2 months.
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2020 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
Hi! Do you know whether or not these freeze well?
Can’t wait to try them, they look amazing.
I LOVE freezing these, Marisa! In addition to freezing really well, they also taste really good frozen!
Hi! I’m going to try to make these as a Christmas gift for a vegan friend of mine. What type of peanut butter do you use – I assume all natural (i.e., not Kraft)? Thanks!
Great question, Christine! And I adapted the recipe to add a note to show my answer. But basically I do not recommend natural peanut butter (the kind with the oil on the top that has to be stirred) for this recipe. I find it to be a little too runny. I prefer the creamy peanut butter. When I say “creamy” peanut butter, I’m referring to the “Skippy” style that is very smooth and no oil that has risen to the top. Now, most brands have a “natural” version of creamy peanut butter, oftentimes made with reduced sugar. That would work too, as long as it’s creamy. I usually just buy the store brand, el cheapo peanut butter and it works great! BTW, your vegan friend is so lucky to have a friend like you! ❤️
Amazing!
I’m not the greatest cook so I wasn’t expecting it to be good but it turned out great. Hard to find good vegan recipes online but this is definitely one. I personally found it a little hard to transfer the balls since it was a little runny to begin with, but after I froze them it worked. Any tips for making the balls more round and nice-looking? Tasted great but mine are misshaped! Lol!
Hi Zee. First…I LOVE your name! You won’t believe this, but I’m writing a novel and one of my characters goes by the nickname Zee! Anyway, here’s how I make peanut butter balls in nice shapes. Make sure the “dough” is chilled first and the first time through I just try to get a uniform size and roundness. Then I refrigerate those to firm them up. And then I do another round of shaping them. It works and I just watch a show or something while I’m doing that so it goes by really quickly. So glad you liked this recipe. It’s one of my favs!!
This looks like the perfect recipe to make this Christmas! Thanks 🙂
Thanks, Maria! I agree!!
Hi! I’m trying to do this recipe for my bff’s birthday and I don’t have one of the ingredients which is coconut oil. Can I replace it with olive oil?
Loved the entire post, btw
Hi Marianne. I have not tried making this recipe with olive oil and I can’t guarantee that the peanut butter balls would turn out with a firm chocolate coating. That’s what I’m going for with my vegan peanut butter balls! If I didn’t have coconut oil, I would probably try vegetable shortening or vegan butter before trying adding an oil. That’s because both shortening and vegan butter are more firm at room temperature. You could try not adding anything, but then the texture could be a little too crispy. I hope this is helpful information! Let me know how it goes!
Hi Marly_Wahoo! Chocolate snack I can be proud of-thx. I want 2 try it with dates instead of sugar; how much shd I use? Ur the gr8st!
Hi Sandy! I actually made peanut butter balls with figs! I went through a phase where I was all about dried figs! I love the flavor they add, especially with peanut butter. Oh, who am I kidding. I love everything with peanut butter. 🙂 Anyway, here’s my recipe for Peanut Butter Balls with Figs — it calls for 1 cup of dried figs and I think you could do the same with dates as well.
Try adding a handful of rice krispies to the peanut butter. It gives them a lovely crunch!
Hmmmm… peanut butter and chocolate, you can’t go wrong!
I agree so much. I think you can’t hardly go wrong with the two together. Well, actually, chocolate goes with just about everything. Yesterday I made chocolate covered pomegranate seeds. Interesting, eh? I may have to put that on the site as well.
Oh yum! Yeah, I greatly prefer desserts that are flavorful rather than just sweet. And thanks for commenting on my blog!
Hi Mimi. I think sweet is one of those that you can adjust your taste buds about. For example, after I became vegan I gave up milk chocolate. I didn’t really like dark chocolate then, but now I love it. Hope you like the recipe!
I love peanut butter balls! I’m not kidding. I ate so many of them at a baby shower my family threw for me that I literally couldn’t even smell peanut butter without feeling nauseous for a good year afterward. But now? Not a problem. Will be making them. Soon. Very soon. =)
Time heals all wounds…