Chickpea Buckeyes

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These Chickpea Buckeyes are a healthier buckeye recipe – a twist on a classic dessert! They’re full of flavor with an extra boost of fiber as well. 

These Chickpea Buckeyes are a healthier twist on a classic dessert! They're full of flavor with an extra boost of fiber as well. 

*Originally published 2014. Updated 2017 & 2022*

Hi Friends!

Let’s talk dessert today, shall we? If you’re from Ohio, or even if you’re not, you’ve probably heard of the classic dessert called Buckeyes. They’re basically sweet balls of peanut butter mixed with butter and powdered sugar, dipped in chocolate to resemble the buckeye nut.

A few years ago, I shared a twist on this classic and this year I remade the recipe and decided to give it a little photo upgrade! Have you tried the healthier peanut butter cookie dough dip made with chickpeas? That’s the basic premise of these Buckeyes.

Chickpea Buckeye Recipe

Chickpea Buckeyes

Instead of peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar, we’re replacing the butter with chickpeas! I originally made these using oat flour which is what you see in the photos. I’ve updated and improved the recipe as noted below and it no longer requires oats.

Please note I have nothing against regular Buckeyes. If you’re looking for a treat, go enjoy a few. This recipe is designed for people who are specifically looking for a version with a few more nutrients.

I even gave one to my daughter the other night as part of her dinner! Healthy fats and fiber for the win!

Here’s how you make them:

Easy Chickpea Buckeye Recipe

Print

Chickpea Buckeyes

These Chickpea Buckeyes are a healthier twist on a classic dessert! They're full of flavor with an extra boost of fiber as well. 
Print Recipe

A healthy twist on traditional Buckeyes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinse
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1– 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp milk, if needed
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips, melted

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, blend the chickpeas.
  2. Add peanut butter and vanilla and blend again.
  3. Add powdered sugar and blend. If it looks too dry, you can add 1 Tbsp milk.
  4. Roll into balls. The dough may be a little sticky so using damp hands can help.
  5. Put the balls in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to overnight. You can also freeze them for 30 minutes.
  6. Place chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave until melted. (If you want you can mix in a little coconut oil for a thinner and harder shell but it also adds some coconut flavor which not everyone likes.
  7. Stick a toothpick into center of balls and dip in chocolate.
  8. Place back onto cookie sheet, remove the toothpick and pat hole closed.
  9. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

This recipe has been updated and improved. The original recipe is as follows in case you’re interested -2 cups chickpeas, 1 cup natural peanut butter, 3 tablespoons agave nectar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract & ⅓ cup oat flour. Mix in a bowl and dip in melted chocolate.

Super simple! Do they taste exactly like the original? No. But they’re a pretty darn good substitute if you’re looking for one!

Chickpea Buckeye Balls Recipe

These Chickpea Buckeyes are a healthier twist on a classic dessert! They're full of flavor with an extra boost of fiber as well. 

Want more ways to eat chickpeas?

And if you want an original buckeye recipe without chickpeas, try:

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. You had me at amaze-balls lol. These look so amazing…definitely gonna give it a try 🙂
    Oh and happy belated Registered Dietitians Day to you both! 😀

    Reply

  2. When I first made Chick-pea based cookie bars a few years ago, I didn’t tell anybody what was in them because I didn’t want to scare them off. Within minutes they were being gobbled up and I was being asked for the recipe. I love how versatile chickpeas can be! This recipe looks great!

    Reply

  5. Thats so cool! I love buckeyes! I cant believe I am saying that, I didnt even know what a buckeye was when I moved to America, and now I am all in with the lingo and weird names for things! Yummm!

    Reply

  9. These are definitely one of my favorite desserts, I’m digging the chickpea addition! Happy belated RD, loved your post yesterday introducing everyone to awesome RD blogs, I didn’t get a chance to ask you to add mine to the list, maybe next year! You definitely listed some of my favorites and I can’t wait to check out the others 🙂

    Reply

  17. This looks delicious! I’ve never eaten buckeyes before and this makes me want to make it and try it. =) Thanks for sharing.
    By the way, thanks for the link-up!

    Reply

  20. Oh my goodness! We grew up with these too- I had almost forgotten about them! I would probably cringe at the chickpea substitution except that I’ve tried it in other desserts and found it really does work! Yum!!

    Reply

  21. I just started following your blog yesterday after seeing/hearing about you on Twitter and I didn’t realize you were from Columbus! I’ve lived in Maryland for 5 years now, but up until then I was in Columbus, born and raised. How fitting that the 2nd post I read is about my all time favorite dessert. Only if you’ve had a homemade buckeye do you know the joy that it is. Those prepackaged store bought ones hold no candle to the homemade deliciousness. I can do some damage with a plate of buckeyes. My stomach hates me the next day, though. I can’t wait to try this version!

    Reply

  24. My son has FPIEs and will throw up within 40 minutes of eating oats. Is there something that would make a good substitute for the oat flour?

    Reply

    • Really the oat flour was an after thought ingredient when I noticed the mixture was a bit too wet to roll. Any flour will do the trick- if he can tolerate rice flour try that. You can also try PB2 powdered peanut butter. Enjoy 🙂

      Reply

  26. I’m doing the Fast Metabolism Diet. No peanut butter allowed. Could I substitute almond or cashew butter? These sound amazing. Thanks

    Reply

Trackbacks

  3. […] Chickpea Buckeyes by Lindsay – If you love peanut butter and chocolate, you have probably indulged in a few buckeyes over the year. Lindsay shares a healthy twist on the traditional buckeye. There is still peanut butter, and still chocolate, but chickpeas are one of the main ingredients. They look delicious and not terribly hard to make. […]

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  5. […] For this batch, I couldn’t find the exact recipe I tried a few years ago when I first made chickpea buckeyes but, thanks to the wonders of Pinterest, I found and adapted this recipe from Energy We Bring (by way of The Lean Green Bean): […]

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