Peanut Butter Balls, Healthier

By seamline

these are seriously good.

When trying to come up with a special chocolate-covered treat for Austin, I knew I wanted to tackle one of his favorite desserts of all time–> Peanut Butter Balls! His mother usually makes them for us each year around Christmas, but after some recipe research, I found it a little disturbing that the original version calls for adding shaved paraffin wax to the melted chocolate. Eew.

Keeping in our grain-free ways, I decided to tackle a healthier peanut butter ball, this time using a crunchy peanut butter to replace the “crunch” of rice cereal, and a combination of fiber-rich coconut flour and honey instead of powdered sugar.

The result is actually better than the original! And wax-free.

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• Peanut Butter Filling:
• 3/4 cup natural crunchy peanut butter (preferably organic)
• 1/4 cup honey (*see note below for a sugar-free option)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• pinch of sea salt
• Chocolate Coating:
• 4 oz. dark chocolate, melted
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• Note: For a sugar-free option, use liquid stevia to taste, and reduce the coconut flour.

Details

Servings 20
Adapted from detoxinista.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter, honey and a pinch of sea salt. Add in the coconut flour gradually– starting first with a 1/4 cup, then adding it in a tablespoon at a time until a “dough” forms. I ended up using a 1/2 cup of coconut flour, but it may vary depending on the texture of your peanut butter.

Using a cookie scoop, drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto a pan lined with parchment paper. (Roll with your hands to make them smooth, if you like.) Place them in the freezer to set for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, melt the chocolate together with the coconut oil. (I used an oven-safe bowl– 5 minutes at 400F– but any method works!)

Remove the peanut butter balls from the freezer, and dip each one into the melted chocolate mixture, coating each one thoroughly. Return the chocolate-covered balls to the parchment paper to set.

There will inevitably be some areas that won’t get covered (where your fingers touched), so feel free to spoon some extra chocolate over the tops when they’ve all been dipped!

You can never have too much dark chocolate.
Return the balls to the freezer to set for another 30 minutes, then serve. They are delicious when served cold, or at room temperature!

I recommend storing them in the fridge or freezer for longer shelf-life. Not that they’ll last that long.