Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Enjoy a sweet treat with these healthy chocolate peanut butter balls that only use a few choice ingredients. It's gluten free, dairy free and vegan.

I've never been much of a baker - too many precise measurements, where I prefer to toss, taste and experiment. I also just don't want cakes and eclairs in my house. It's too tempting and I prefer to get my calories elsewhere. That said, I do enjoy a little something sweet after dinner. It's the flare I like to send to the rest of my body that I'm shutting down the eating machine for the night. 

I've had large amounts of nut butters in my house of late, like almond butter and peanut butter, and I've become a bit addicted. I could have worse addictions I suppose, but I'm just happy to control the ingredients going into my food and nut butters is an easy one to manage. Pair that with my love of a little something sweet, and just like the Reese's peanut butter genius, an idea was born with 2 favorite ingredients. And if you're from Ohio, you're probably going to call these bad boys "buckeyes."

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces organic, raw, unsalted peanuts
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (or a few Stevia drops)
• Salt to taste
• 4 tablespoons almond meal
• 4 ounces dairy-free chocolate
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place peanuts on a baking sheet and roast approximately 5 minutes, pulling them just as they turn golden. Allow to cool.
2. Put peanuts in a high powered blender and mix until smooth and oils release. Add honey and salt and process until desired taste is reached. Place peanut butter in a bowl and add almond meal, adjusting the amount until the mixture is combined and begins to form a ball. To get the mixture to further set, return to freezer for 15 minutes.
3. Remove peanut butter from freezer and use two melon scoops to place dime size balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place sheet in freezer until set, about 30 minutes. Remove from freezer and if balls needs shaping, roll between hands.
4. Melt chocolate and coconut oil in a microwaveable safe dish and stir.
5. Break the middle tines of a plastic fork and use to roll the balls through the chocolate until fully coated. Place balls back on pan. Once finished, return the pan to the freezer until the balls are fully set.
6. If there is leftover chocolate, you can double dip some of the balls for a thicker, fuller coverage.
7. Serve immediately or store in the freezer.

Recipe Source:tastingpage.com