Healthy Harvest Buckeyes.

Name: Healthy (Harvest) Buckeyes.
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 (14 ounce) can cannellini beans (drained + rinsed); 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce; 1/2 cup pumpkin puree; 2 tablespoons coconut oil; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 cup creamy peanut butter; Pinch of sea salt; 10 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate (melted (use vegan chocolate if needed))

Skip to Recipe >

September 16, 2014

Posted in Gluten-Free, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Going back to my hometown roots today.

Healthy Harvest Buckeyes | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

I may live in Colorado, but I will always be an Ohio girl. I am pretty sure I could never live there again (nope, positive), but it’s where I spent a big chunk of my life and where all of my extended family still lives. So, it will always be apart of me… and I like that. Plus, it’s where I learned all about buckeyes!

I don’t know what about Ohio made me think of this random thought, maybe all the farms… and green, but someday I hope to live on a farm. A big farm in the middle of nowhere. Yup, that’s my dream. The simple life, nothin fancy, pick up trucks, tall boots(!!), rows of vegetables, cows all over and trees for miles. Preferably I would love this farm to be in the mountains somewhere, because I really do love the mountains and even when I leave them for a few days I am always excited to see them again upon return. The problem is that farming is not all that conducive as high up as we are. That’s not stopping me from trying to talk my dad into becoming a full on farmer though (wish me luck). We have the land, we have the chickens (who are going to be laying eggs any day now!), we just need a new barn (no – not the one we are renovating for me to move into – a new one) and um, lot’s of animals. Oh, and definitely some warmer temps so all my veggies and herbs do not freeze. That’ll be a tricky one. Ahh well, a girl can dream. Greenhouses are cool too!

Maybe someday though.

So anyway, Sunday I was really feeling like buckeyes. The Browns had just won their first game of the season and it was just time to celebrate… err more like it had been too long since I last made buckeyes and everybody in the house was just craving them.

Last year I made this Buckeye Cake that I will remember forever and ever. It’s so flipping good and not to mention a total show stopper. If you want to impress, make this cake. People kind of go “WOW” when they see it.

This year though, I am just feeling a little simpler. It’s this new phrase I have repeating in my head “everything should be simple”. Or well, at least that is what I sometimes have going on my head. It really just depends on the day or even the hour. Truth is, I am all over the place. One hour I am all about simplifying and the next, I’m making something with five different parts. Crazy? Yes, that would be me for sure.

Whenever I make buckeyes, I never actually use a lot of powdered sugar. I have always made them on the healthier side, but then I wondered if I could make them even healthier and possibly include some of my favorite seasonal ingredients.

So I tried and believe it or not, my first attempt worked perfectly. So good and not even the pickiest brother knew there was anything different about these buckeyes. They asked though, because they know me. You see they were surprised I was making something so normal, but I fibbed and told them there was nothing very different about these buckeyes. They ate um, loved um, and now they’re all gone.

FYI, the brother test is the test is like feeding a lie detector, it never fails!

I am a little scared to tell you what I made these with, but just be open to them. I promise they taste just like any other sugar laden buckeye.

These Healthy Harvest Buckeyes (harvest for the healthy ingredients loaded into these buckeyes) are a combo of beans, applesauce, pumpkin, vanilla, salt and peanut butter. I know, sounds so gross, but I promise you’ll taste zero pumpkin and zero applesauce. The beans just add a creamy texture, no taste at all. DO NOT BE FREAKED. Remember, the brother test never fails.

And then of course, lots of chocolate.

See what I mean when I say healthy? Seriously, these have like a zero guilt factor and it’s pretty amazing how good they are. Plus, they are no bake, no fuss, vegan and gluten-free too!

Whoa – I do not even know who I am today.

3.5 from 20 votes

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

The Recipe

Healthy (Harvest) Buckeyes.

By halfbakedharvest

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sweets

These Healthy Harvest Buckeyes (harvest for the healthy ingredients loaded into these buckeyes) are a combo of beans, applesauce, pumpkin, vanilla, salt and peanut butter. I know, sounds so gross, but I promise you'll taste zero pumpkin and zero applesauce. The beans just add a creamy texture, no taste at all. DO NOT BE FREAKED.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 35 Buckeyes

Calories 102 kcal

Ingredients

1 (14 ounce) can cannellini beans drained + rinsed
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter
Pinch of sea salt
10 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate melted (use vegan chocolate if needed)

Instructions

Line two cookie sheets with wax paper.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the cannellini beans and puree until mostly smooth. Add the applesauce, pumpkin, coconut oil and vanilla. Puree until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes, scrapping down the sides if needed. Add the peanut butter and salt, process another minute.
Scoop 1/2 tablespoon size amounts of dough out and roll into a rough ball. Place on the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, cover the pans and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove the balls from the fridge and roll them once more between your hands to smooth the balls out. Stick a toothpick into the top of each ball. Cover the cookie sheets and place them in the freezer for at least 45 minutes, but not too much longer than an hour.
Just before removing the balls from the freezer melt the chocolate over a double broiler or in the microwave.
Working with one ball at a time, dip the frozen balls into the chocolate leaving a small opening at the top so the peanut butter can peak out. Place the balls back on the cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining balls. Store in the fridge until ready to eat. These are best straight out of the fridge with some cold milk!

Recipe Notes

*I used an organic brand of pumpkin that is very thick and not pourable at all. This helped my dough firm up. If you are using a canned pumpkin that is pourable, you may need to add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of white whole wheat or regular flour to help the dough firm up. You will not taste they flour at all.

Tomorrow though, there is probably going to be a lot of cheese. Just a fair warning.

If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your photo #halfbakedharvest.