Vegan Peanut Butter Buckeyes

Chocolate and peanut butter go together, well, like chocolate and peanut butter.

It’s a classic combo that is one of my all time favorites.

So making vegan buckeyes was a no brainer, right!?! I mean they are everything good. They are chocolate, they are peanut butter, and they are sweet, sweet, tasty goodness.

What is a buckeye you might ask. Well, it is simply a chocolate covered peanut butter ball that is made to resemble a nut from a Buckeye tree, which happens to be the state tree of Ohio. Growing up in Georgia, this was not a commonly seen treat. But every year when we went on vacation up in the North GA mountains, we would visit a fudge shop that sold them, and that is where I first fell in love with a buckeye.

Why do I love these vegan buckeyes? Well they are easier to make than a peanut butter cup for starters. No little muffin pan or tiny cupcake liners required. Just mix the ingredients, roll into a ball and dip in chocolate. Ready in minutes!! Who doesn’t love dessert that only takes MINUTES! Seriously, they are actually dangerous and if you are currently on a diet please don’t send me hate mail. I still love you and didn’t mean to make you mad. I just wanted to share the love of vegan buckeyes.

I really only buy crunchy peanut butter because it reigns supreme. You can use whatever nut butter you have. Peanut, almond, you could even use SunButter. Allergy friendly vegan buckeyes can exist, y’all! Everyone rejoice now (excluding again those on a diet, again my apologies!)

Also mine are never pretty. Like I always see pictures of perfect buckeyes, mine are NOT perfect…my ability to roll a perfect ball, and perfectly dip a vegan buckeye so that it doesn’t puddle or have drips is seriously lacking. And here I am just trying to keep it real for y’all and admit that I don’t make a perfect buckeye, but they taste amazing and THAT IS JUST FINE!!! Own your shortcomings, and do not give a flying flip if those shortcomings mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. Who cares if they are pretty, They are gonna last like point 5 seconds any ways before they are devoured!

Vegan Buckeyes. Vegan peanut butter balls. Vegan chocolate dipped peanut butter balls. Whatever you call them, just make some, eat them, share them, don’t share them, hoard them for yourself, freeze them for portion control, don’t freeze them for portion control….whatever. Just know you can make them vegan and they are mighty tasty. Everything in moderation, y’all. Thats my motto.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 1 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegan melted butter

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon plant milk may be needed

• 8 oz vegan chocolate chips, or chopped vegan chocolate

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer add the powdered sugar, peanut butter, and melted butter. Beta on medium speed until the mixture resembles cookie dough. If it is crumbly and not coming together to look like the picture, add a little bit of milk, but you should not need more than one tablespoon.

2. Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the mixture. Roll each scoop into a ball and place on parchment lined cookies sheet. Pop the cookie sheet into the fridge for about 20 minutes.

3. After 20 minutes add the chocolate along with the talbespoon of coconut oil to a microwave safe container. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring each time unit all of the chocolate is melted.

4. Dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate and place back on the parchment lined baking sheet. Place finished buckeyes back into the fridge for the chocolate to harden. Once the chocolate has hardened, place the buckeyes into an airtight container and store in the fridge.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Chocolate Covered Boozy Cherries

Vegan Valenine’s Candy

Dairy Free Oreo Balls

Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Blondies

I will choose a vegan blondie over a vegan brownie every single time.

Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate, love it, but I just feel like blondies are underrated and need more attention in this world.

I feel like everyone has a vegan brownie recipe. Except me. I don’t. Maybe one day I will, and that statement will be irrelevant. I don’t know. There are so many wonderful vegan brownie recipes out there, that I have never felt compelled to make my own.

Vegan blondies are another story all together. I love creating new variations of blondies and these vegan peanut butter and jelly blondies are easily a favorite.

Not just my favorite, but my kids, my husband, and anyone else I have ever shared them with!

They are gooey, chewy, buttery, and nutty. You can use any jam or jelly you or your family likes. I like raspberry. You can bake a big 9x13 pan or half the recipe and bake a smaller pan (but seriously, why would you do that?!?!?! they are too good for a half batch!) You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter, but I prefer crunchy!

I imagine, although I have not tired it, you could use sunflower butter as well if there is an allergy issue. I have baked SunButter cookies once for St. Patricks day because they turn green. The chlorophyll in the sunflower seeds reacts with the leavening and turns the baked good green. This is fun for St Patricks Day but maybe not everyday. So If you do use SunButter in this recipe and it looks like your blondies spent a little too much time at the pool this summer, don’t worry, they will still taste great. And if my chlorine/blonde/ green hair joke was lost on you, then you are one of the blessed few to never turned you hair green in middle school by swimming too much and not washing your hair enough.

These vegan blondies are fun and delicious. They are also easy to make. So that can be dangerous! I suggest going ahead and making a full batch, though. Even if you don’t want them for yourself, you will earn some real big neighbor or friend points by sharing these tasty vegan peanut butter and jelly blondies!!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups all purposes flour

• 2 cups brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• pinch of salt ( the vegan butter is normally pretty salty)

• 1 cup vegan butter, melted and cooled ( I used Earth Balance)

• 1 and 1/4 cup peanut butter, divided ( creamy or crunchy work fine)

• 3/4 cups any jelly you prefer, I used raspberry

• 2 vegan egg replacers ( I used Bobs brand) or flax eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Optional: chopped peanuts for the top. Coarse sea salt for the top.

*you can easily half this recipe and bake in an 8x8 pan instead for a 9x13 if you want a smaller batch of blondies

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. In a small microwave safe bowl, heat 1/2 cup of peanut butter for a minute or so, just until it has melted. In the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl if using a hand mixer, add the peanut butter, brown sugar, butter, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Mix until well combined.

2. If using powdered egg replacer, mix according to package instructions. If using fax egg, mix 2 tablespoons ground flax with 6 tablespoons water. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes until it has a jelly like texture. Add the egg replacers and vanilla to the above ingredients and mix until combined.

3. Add the flour a little at a time and mix on low just until it’s all incorporated.

4. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper, allow some paper to hang over the edges. If you do not have parchment you can prepare the pan by lightly coating in oil or vegan butter and giving the pan a dust of flour and shaking out any excess.

5. Add the batter to the pan evenly.

6. In a small bowl add the remaining 3/4 cups peanut butter. In another small bowl add the jam or jelly. If they jam is thin and spreadable already, you will not need to heat it. If not, pop the bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds or so. You just want it warm enough that it will spread easily. Do the same with the peanut butter. You just want it warm and spreadable, NOT melted!

7. Dollop peanut butter and jelly, alternating between the two over the top of the batter. Using the edge of a butter knife, drag through the top of the dollops in a swirl motion to create a marbled effect. If you wish to sprinkle added chopped peanuts or sea salt to the top, do so now.

8. Place the pan in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 45 mintures to one hour, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

9. Allow the blondies to cool before cutting. Recipe yields 12 nice sized blondies. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Vegan Chocolate Orange Cake

Vegan Maple Pecan Blondies

Vegan Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Asian Summer Roll Salad with Grilled Tofu

We eat a lot of salads. Actually, most days I eat a salad for either lunch or dinner.

We live in Florida where it is normally hot, so cold salads are my go to. I also love Thai and summer rolls, and really wanted to make a salad that included all of the goodness of a summer roll, but didn’t require me rolling up a batch.

If I am being perfectly honesty, I am terrible at rolling them. If they handed out awards for ugly summer rolls, I know I could win! So I created this Asian summer roll salad with grilled tofu, and added in all the things I would put in a summer roll. Soaking rice stick noodles and adding them to this salad gives it a more summer roll feel and makes it extra delicious.

I meant to add fresh mint and forgot, but will definitely add it next time and maybe even some cilantro. This salad is perfect for hot summer days. It was also great as leftover, even after being tossed in the dressing.

So if you love summer rolls, but not all the work, give this salad a try. It’s quick, easy, delicious, and no rice paper rolling skills required.

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

• 2 cups copped/shredded cabbage

• 1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced

• 1 cup shredded carrots

• 1/2 cup edamame

• 2 green onions , chopped

• 3 oz rice stick noodles

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

• optional add ins: fresh mint leaves, cilantro

THE TOFU:

• 1 block extra firm tofu

• 3 tablespoons coconut aminos

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 teaspoons garlic powder

PEANUT DRESSING:

• 3 tablespoons peanut butter

• 1/4 cup coconut aminos

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 2 tablespoons water

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Drain tofu and wrap in a clean kitchen towel or a few paper towels. Place a few books on top or a heavy pan, and let sit for 10 minutes to press out any excess liquid.

2. Slice the tofu into strips. In a shallow pan mix remaining tofu ingredients. Let the strips marinate in the mixture for about 10 minutes. Heat a large grill pan over medium heat. You can use a regular skillet if you don’t have a grill pan. Give it a spray with some cooking oil, and add the tofu along with all of the marinade. Let the tofu cook, turning the pieces several times until the liquid is absorbed, and the tofu is slightly crispy around the edges.

3. Place the rice noodles in a dish and cover in hot tap water. Let the noodles sit for about 5 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse in cold water. Set aside.

4. In a small bowl whisk the ingredients for the dressing. I like to use a fork to get the peanut butter all mixed in. It takes a minute to get it broken down and mixed well with the other ingredients.

5. Toss all of the the salad ingredients in a large bowl along with the rice noodles and cooked tofu. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss again.

Serves around 6.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Raw Sesame Zucchini Noodle Salad

Southwest Salad with Crispy Potatoes

Kale Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

asian summer roll salad with grilled tofu

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Cake

Chocolate and peanut butter are a classic dessert combo!

I would have sworn when I was a kid that I could have live off of chocolate peanut butter cups.

Now as an adult, I would swear I could live off of this cake.

Creamy peanut butter frosting on top of the perfect vegan chocolate cake. It’s everything you think it would be and probably more. We added a pinch of almond extract to the frosting for an extra nutty kick, and topped the cake with salty roasted peanuts, and shaved vegan chocolate.

Vegan baking is no harder than regular baking, it is all about learning how to replace eggs and dairy. I like to use oat milk when baking because it gives vegan bakes a better brown! I like to also use aquafaba to replace eggs, and sometimes powdered egg replacer or flax eggs. It is all about leaving how to swap a few things out and you will get a cake that is just as good as the non vegan version if not better!!!

We use WHIPPED aquafaba in this cake to replace the eggs. We are measuring the product AFTER it has been whipped so keep this in mind. You do not need 1 1/2 cups of chickpea liquid! You will have leftovers of the whip and it will keep in the fridge and whip back up later for later use! Save the chickpeas and add them to a salad, roast them as a snack, or mash them into hummus!!!

. This cake is a sweet, salty, chocolatey, peanut buttery, vegan dream that no one will ever even guess is vegan!!!!

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 2 cups sugar

• 3/4 cup dark cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 cups aquafaba (chickpea liquid that has been whipped with cream of tarter resembling whipped egg whites)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 3 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoons salt

• 1/2 cup neutral oil (I use Grape seed oil)

• 1 cup brewed coffee

• 1 cup plant based milk (I like oat milk for baking) plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 1/2 cup vegan butter

• 1/2 cup vegan shortening

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

• 3 cup powdered sugar

• pinch of salt

• splash of plant based milk

• Optional decorations: shaved chocolate, peanuts, chocolate bar pieces

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Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, or another large bowl if using a hand mixer, add the milk, oil, brewed coffee, and vanilla. Slowly pour in the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Once the batter is all mixed up, slowly fold in the whipped aquafaba using a rubber spatula, just until incorporated. Do not over mix, this deflates the aquafaba, resulting in a less fluffy cake.

3. Grease and lightly flour two eight inch cake pans and divide the batter evenly between them.

4. Place the pans on the top rack of your oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a tooth pick comes out clean when poked in the center of the cakes.

5. Once cakes are finished baking, place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

6. To prepare the frosting, beat the butter, shortening, and peanut butter together in a stand mixer, or in a large bowl, using your electric hand mixer. Once the mixture is completely creamy, beat in the vanilla and almond extract. Slowly begin to beat in the powdered sugar, and mix until there are no more lumps. Add a tablespoon at a time of plant milk until the frosting is creamy and smooth, and a spreadable consistency. If you accidentally get it too thin, add a little more powdered sugar to thicken it back up.

7. To even out each cake, take a large sharp knife, and carefully shave off a thin, even layer from the top of each cake. This will insure the cakes stack evenly. Add a few spoonfuls of icing to the top of one cake, and spread it evenly. Take the other cake and turn it upside down on top of the iced cake ( this way the top of your cake is perfectly smooth and flat.) Evenly cover the cake with the remaining frosting, using an icing spatula or butter knife if you do not have an icing spatula.

8. If you want to decorate the cake, you can shave a vegan chocolate bar on a box grater, and press the shavings into the sides and top of the cake. Sprinkle roasted peanuts around the edge of the cake, and stack some chocolate bar squares in the middle.

9. Store at room temperature in a covered container.