Creamy sweet inside with a chocolate shell these Holiday Buckeyes are a decadent treat that you can feel good about eating with or without food allergies!
Peanut Allergies and Holiday Food
The holidays can be a bit of a challenge for those with food allergies.
Peanut allergies are significantly on the rise, and while there are many speculations as to why that is, the truth is these kids are dealing with it *now*. Which means we really do need to be sensitive to the food served at school classroom parties and family holiday gatherings.
Traditional buckeyes are made with peanut butter (they are also called peanut butter balls). Some recipes are made with karo syrup, peanut butter and high fructose corn syrup
This super delicious, real food Holiday Buckeye recipe contains natural and allergen safe ingredients – and they are so so good! This is a treat that you really don’t need more than one of because they are so rich and delicious. This recipe is made with homemade sunbutter which is not only easy to make, but gives it a totally different flavor than peanut butter. I am all about my kids being exposed to new flavors and textures and trying different things!
How to Make Allergy Friendly Holiday Buckeyes
I prefer to make my own sunbutter, but if you just want to buy some, the Maranatha brand sunbutter is the most natural. It is just sunflower seeds and a little sea salt. No extra oils, stabilizers, or sugar added. If you’re using something that has more than just sunflower seeds and salt, you’ll have to play around with the salt and sugar amounts in this recipe for the right taste and consistency. Just taste as you go along – you are looking for a stiff cookie dough consistency.
The chocolate choice is also keeping in mind our kids with allergies. For those with true nut, gluten, and eggs allergies, reactions are serious. Even being in the same factory line as a different product containing peanut can send a child with severe allergy into anaphylactic shock. The chocolates from the Enjoy Life brand are in dedicated allergen friendly buildings. That is so comforting to families with loved ones with life threatening food allergies.
If one of your kids has a food allergy or you are bringing these to a party with someone with a food allergy, then this recipe is perfect for you! If not, then you can make these with peanut butter and regular chocolate and they are still SO amazing.
I WOULD LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK!  If you make this Holiday Buckeye recipe, will you leave a comment and star rating below? Your feedback is super helpful for SHK parents and other readers who are thinking about making the recipe. Thank you!
Holiday Buckeyes
Ingredients
Buckeyes
- 1 cup sunbutter
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 1 cup organic pure powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1 10oz bag enjoy life chocolate chips or chunks
- 1 tbsp coconut oil you can use avocado oil if you don’t want the coconut flavor or if you have a tree nut allergy
- 1/4 cup holiday sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Place sunflower seeds, oil, and honey in a food processor and blend until the mixture becomes smooth.
- Place the sunbutter, butter, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until the ingredients are incorporated, then knead with your hands until a smooth dough forms.
- Roll the sunbutter mixture into balls and place them on a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Place chocolate chips and oil in a microwave safe bowl. Heat the chocolate in 30 seconds intervals stirring in between until it is melted. Stir until smooth.
- Remove the buckeye balls from the freezer. Use a toothpick to pick up the frozen sunbutter balls, dip in the melted chocolate, and then place the chocolate dipped balls back on the baking sheet.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until the chocolate is set.
