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Vegan Chickpea Gingerbread Buckeyes are a healthy, easy holiday treat. Rich in protein and fiber, and the blind taster would never guess they contain chickpeas!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love these Vegan Buckeyes:
Let me start by asking, who doesn’t love a luscious little buckeye? Or an aromatic gingerbread cookie?
I wait ALL year to douse my life in gingerbread, which is my favorite seasonal flavor. (And why I have already made my Gingerbread Banana Bread twice, and it’s not even December yet.)
Those two desserts always seem to evoke the sweetest holiday memories.
These little treats, however, take the classic holiday flavors into epic new realms.
Both kids and adults will love these vegan Buckeyes, and they’re a great way to sneak in extra fiber.
And the best part is that you cannot taste the chickpeas one bit. Trust me, not a single blind taster would ever believe their luscious texture was attributed by beans.
They’re the perfect holiday dessert to bring to parties, cookie swaps, or office gatherings. (Especially since they’re discretely healthy!)
Simple, easy, and brimming with all the holiday feels. I hope you jump on this buckeye bandwagon with me!
Recipe Ingredients
- Chickpeas: Be sure to rinse the chickpeas really well to remove as much brine as possible. You can use the leftover canned chickpeas in salads or these Chickpea Quinoa Bowls.
- Peanut Butter: Look for salted, creamy peanut butter with only TWO ingredients (peanuts and salt). This type of natural peanut butter blends best.
- Powdered Sugar: A classic ingredient in buckeyes. For a lower-sugar alternative, look for Lakanto Powdered Monk Fruit Sweetener.
- Molasses: Made from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice into sugar, molasses is a MUST in any gingerbread recipe.
- Spices: A mix of ground cinnamon and ginger lend classic gingerbread flavor.
- Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate all work well! If making the buckeyes vegan/dairy free, look for Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips.
For a complete list of ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card below.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Here’s the lowdown on these golden balls of bliss:
Step 1: Blend chickpeas, powdered sugar, peanut butter, molasses, and spices until creamy.
Step 2: Roll the dough into bite-sized balls and chill. Then, dip each ball halfway into melted chocolate.
Step 3: Transfer each buckeye to parchment paper and refrigerate until firm.
This process is SO easy and fun, and a great way to get kids involved. The most difficult part is not eating a massive amount of dough during the process.
Recipe FAQs
Classic Buckeyes are peanut butter balls dipped in melted chocolate. There’s a circle of peanut butter in the center left visible, which resembles the nut that grows on the Ohio buckeye tree.
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. You can also freeze buckeyes for up to 3 months.
More Healthy Dessert Recipes to Try:
If you give this recipe a try, be sure to snap a pic and tag #dishingouthealth on Instagram so I can see your creations. Also, follow along on Facebook and Pinterest for the latest recipe updates.
Chickpea Gingerbread Buckeyes
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned chickpeas (drained, thoroughly rinsed, and patted dry)
- 3/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter (the only two ingredients should be peanuts and salt)
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 Tbsp. molasses
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (use Enjoy Life brand is making vegan/dairy free)
- Turbinado sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Place chickpeas in a food processor. Blend until finely ground, about 15 seconds. Add peanut butter, powdered sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Blend for about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until ingredients form of a smooth ball of dough.
- Roll dough into 12 to 14 balls (about 1.5 Tbsp. each), and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill for 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly firm.
- Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring after each time, for about 90 to 120 seconds, until melted.
- Dip buckeyes into chocolate and place back on parchment paper. Sprinkle Turbinado sugar overtop, if desired. (If you have any leftover melted chocolate, feel free to drizzle it over the Buckeyes.) Refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until chocolate hardens.
Notes
- Store Buckeyes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- You can also freeze Buckeyes for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
I calculate these values by hand to ensure accuracy, however expect up to a 10% variable depending on food brands.
Hello,
The text of your blog post mentions that these contain maple syrup, but the recipe itself doesn’t seem to call for it.
Can you please clarify? I want them to be sweet enough!
Thanks!
I am allergic to peanuts so I substituted sunnut flower for the peanut butter. It worked so good. You can also use almond butter as well. I have made these up with both but for my family gathering nuts are a no go so sunnut flower is best.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it with the sunflower butter!! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Hi! Can’t wait to make these. Did you use canned chickpeas? Does it matter if they are canned or cooked from dry?
Thanks!
Omg disregard I see someone else asked this question already. Thanks!
How do you measure a cup of canned chickpeas? Do you use a measuring cup or by weight? Canned beans always confuse me because it seems like the can measurements include the liquid???? If I do 1 cup by weight (260g) it’s almost the entire can after I’ve rinsed them (even though can says 3.5 half cup servings). What do I do? 🙁
Hi Sarah — great question; sorry this isn’t more clear. I drain and rinse the chickpeas and use a measuring cup, as oppose to weighing them. You should have some chickpeas leftover (I just toss them in salads!). Hope that helps!
Thanks for the quick reply! It definitely helps but I still don’t understand how to calculate nutrition from canned beans. Measuring cups are too inaccurate for my needs. Hope to try this recipe one day but not until I cook a fresh back of chickpeas. 🙁
OMG — Yum!!!
Looks so tasty and tempting. Great for holiday times.
ohhhhhmygoodness. jamie. these look insane!!
Omg omg omg these look like..well…like I wold never be able to stop eating them! So delicious! I may have to throw caution to the wind and make them for the holidays ❤️❤️❤️
Ha! I truly don’t know how I haven’t eaten half the batch yet. SO good!!
These have got to be some of the cutest desserts I’ve ever seen! Love it!
Aw thanks, Shannon!! Cute desserts just make life so much sweeter! 😉
I’ve never heard of a buckeye! I have got to try making these! My husband loves gingerbread so would probably go crazy for these!
Oh my gosh, you gotta try ’em girl! Especially if you’re a chocolate peanut butter fan! Hope you guys love them!
looks delish!
Thanks, Amy! I’m so hooked on them!