Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Balls

5 from 1 vote

This Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Ball recipe is a healthier twist on a classic holiday treat. Made with just a few simple and easy-to-find ingredients, they taste so much like a “buckeye cookie."

Prep Time20

Cook Time0

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthy buckeyes, healthy peanut butter balls

Servings: balls

Calories: 126kcal

Author: Taesha Butler

Equipment

food processor

Ingredients

1/2 cup mashed, cooked sweet potato* see notes below
1/2 cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter (the runny kind)
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon optional
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
3/4 cup chocolate chips less if you decided to drizzle instead of coating them
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

Add sweet potato, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon to a food processor fitted with a metal "S" blade. (Alternately, you can mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, but it will take some extra“elbow grease”.)
Blend everything until smooth. Scrape down the sides and blend again to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.
Add oats and blend again. You should have a sticky dough that can be rolled into balls. If the dough is too sticky to roll, you can add a tablespoon or two of more oats and blend again. Repeat until dough is the right consistency.
Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on a parchment-lined pan or plate. Place in the freezer to firm up while you melt the chocolate.
TIP: I find having my hands *slightly* wet helps the dough from sticking to my hands.
Melt chocolate, either in the microwave or a double boiler. Stir in the coconut. Dip the chilled peanut butter dough balls into the chocolate or drizzle the chocolate over top. Sprinkle with decorations like sprinkles, if desired.
Place back into the freezer to harden. Serve or store in the fridge or freezer in an air tight container for up to a week.

Notes

*Cook a whole, small to medium-sized sweet potato in the microwave, oven, or instant pot until a knife easily slides through the center. Slice potato in half lengthwise and allow to cool. Mash the inside of the potato with a fork.

Alternatively, you can use canned sweet potato puree. However, canned tends to be much wetter in consistency then baked and mashed potato. You may need to reduce the amount of sweet potato in this recipe or add extra oats to balance out the moisture in these peanut butter balls.

Nutrition