No-Bake Protein Buckeyes
Published 12/6/2023 • Updated 11/5/2024
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Protein Buckeyes are an OG Fit Foodie holiday dessert recipe. Made with protein powder, honey, and dark chocolate chips, these are such a fun and festive dessert recipe!
If you’re looking for a protein-packed sweet treat for the holidays, you’ve come to the right recipe. We’ve been making these protein buckeyes since the mid 2010’s and they get better and better every year.
They’re essentially a version of our protein balls turned into a buckeye ball! You’re welcome.
What do you need for protein buckeyes?
- Peanut butter
- Vanilla
- Protein powder
- Honey
- Chocolate Chips
- Coconut oil
We tested this recipe with our favorite protein powder, Garden of Life Whey along with our favorite collagen, Vital Proteins Collagen, and they both came out fabulous.
Topping Ideas for Protein Buckeyes
While you can keep these buckeyes looking like normal buckeye balls, we loved topping these with something special. Here are some ideas:
- Sprinkles
- Shredded coconut
- Crushed peanuts
- Crushed chocolate
- Mini chocolate chips
Best Protein Powders
Check out our top protein powder recommendations for baking, smoothies, and everything in between.
Garden of Life
Raw Organic Protein
Simply Tera's
Pure Whey Protein
Sun Warrior
Protein Powder
Garden of Life
Organic Whey Protein
Storage Recommendations
We recommend keeping these in the freezer, for best results. And, bonus! they’ll last up to 3 months.
More of our Favorite…
Healthy Christmas Cookies
Get all of your favorite Healthy Christmas Cookies in one spot! From Hot Cocoa Cookies to Gluten-Free Biscotti, we have Christmas Cookies for all.
No-Bake Protein Buckeyes
Ingredients
- 1 cup drippy, all-natural peanut butter, I used Kirkland All-Natural
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder, collagen works, too
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1.5-2 tablespoons water
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
Toppings
- Shredded, unsweetened coconut
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Combine peanut butter, vanilla, protein powder, honey, and 1.5 tablespoons water in a medium-sized bowl. Mix until the texture is like cookie dough. You may need to add more water in order to get it to a cookie dough-like texture.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie dough scoop, scoop dough into your hands and roll it into a ball. Place them on the parchment paper and repeat.
- Freeze the balls for around 30 minutes.
- While your balls are chilling, melt the chocolate. Place the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small bowl. You want it to be big enough to fit the chocolate chips, but small enough so that you can dip the balls. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each increment until glossy and melted.
- If you want to add toppings to your protein buckeyes, prep small bowls of them for dipping.
- Place a ball on the end of a fork. Dip the ball into the chocolate, leaving a ring at the tip. Hold your fork with your left and and use your right hand to tap your wrist, so that any extra chocolate drips off. Finally, use a toothpick to slide the ball off the fork into your toppings.
- Once coated, transfer the balls back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze to speed up the drying process.
Tips & Notes
- How dense and chalky the peanut butter portion of the buckeye varies by what protein powder is used, how drippy your peanut butter is, and how much water was used. If the dough tastes chalky, add 1 teaspoon of water to the mixture at a time until it is no longer chalky.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Such a great recipe! I made it using Orgain vanilla protein powder and it came out great!
I come back to this recipe every year around Christmas time! I have a Peanut Butter flavor protein powder I love, and it works great. I’ve started to add some Rice Krispies to the peanut butter mixture (for some texture), and it’s SO GOOD.
Such a fun one! Glad you love it 😀
Awesome recipe!! Add a pinch of salt to really bring out the flavors!
I would like to make these. I see you noted it would need to be altered with plant based. How so? I only have Vega protein powder. Thank you.
You should be fine subbing Vega!
Can you use agave instead of honey? If so, how much? (P.s. These look amazing!!)
Fantastic! I used whey protein from TPW, and it came out very nice.
If you’d like to try it, you can claim a free pack of whey protein by following this link:
http://www.theproteinworks.com/referral-program/OTExODdqMnQ=/
Why is there coconut oil in the chocolate? I’ve made *thousands* of buckeyes with all different kinds of chocolate. There isn’t any need for paraffin or an extra hardening agent. The ingredients in the chocolate already do the trick. It just seems like extra fat that isn’t needed.
And best eaten frozen?? What?? Have you ever had a *real* buckeye candy before??