Banana Bread Buckeyes

Name: Banana Bread Buckeyes
Prep time: 32 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 37 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1/4 cup hemp hearts; 3/4 cup blanched almond flour; 1 ripe banana; 1/4 cup natural peanut butter; 3 tablespoons agave nectar; 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted; 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped; 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, melted; 1 tablespoon flaked sea salt, for sprinkling; 1 tablespoon hemp hearts, for sprinkling

January 18, 2017 (last updated June 6, 2020) // 7 Comments »

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My kids LOVE these vegan and gluten free banana bread buckeyes!! Really fun and delicious way to use those spotty bananas for a tasty snack!

You know when you have a bunch of spotty bananas and it’s only a few quick days before they’re donezo? That’s me. So, I’ve been on the mission to use them ALL and not let any go to waste. Usually I pop them in the freezer for future smoothies, but I had this idea for banana bread buckeyes that were a fun snack or dessert and perfectly packable for lunch.

You guys. My kids LOVE these! They are so easy to throw together and really fun to make with the kids too. I love that they are packed with good stuff like bananas, nuts, and hemp hearts. Plus, I mean, you know my love affair with no bake desserts.

I’ve mentioned this before, but if you’re late to the party buy some hemp hearts!! They’re such an easy and delicious way to add some protein to your diet. I use them in smoothies, on salads, on toast, and in a slew of no-bake desserts. They are a really great source of plant-based protein and so versatile, I can’t even begin! Check out more about hemp hearts HERE.

Hemp hearts were probably one of the first “health foods” that I bought in my early 20s and it’s a perfect one to start with if you’re not sure where to begin. They have a nutty texture, but don’t change the flavor of things and they have so many added health benefits like helping with cholesterol, inflammation, skin and hair health, balancing hormones, and general heart health.

Plus, you have these banana bread buckeyes as motivation 🙂 So let’s make some!!

First, place the almond flour and hemp hearts in your food processor. Process for about 20 seconds until everything is chopped up and combined. Remove the almond flour mixture to a bowl.

Don’t go crazy trying to clean out the tub of the food processor, just try to get most out.

Place the banana, peanut butter, agave, and coconut oil in the food processor. Process for about 30 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and process again for 5 – 10 seconds.

Add the almond flour mixture and walnuts. Process until everything is combined.

The batter will be super sticky. Allow the batter to sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up. In my pre-food blogger life I would have 100% skipped this step, but I promise you it’ll be a sticky mess if it’s not chilled.

With damp hands, roll the batter into balls, dipping 3/4 of the ball into chocolate and then placing on parchment paper.

You may need to wash your hands every couple balls so they don’t get too sticky when rolling.

Sprinkle with sea salt and additional hemp hearts, if desired. Pop in the fridge for 5 minutes then EAT!!