- 1 cup (90g) rolled oats
- 1 cup (150g) lightly packed chopped and pitted dates (I like Medjool)*
- ½ cup (60-65g) chopped cashews, pecans, or other nuts and/or seeds of choice**
- ½ cup (128g) almond, cashew, or nut butter or choice (soften if cold from fridge)
- ¼ cup (65g) pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup (30g) flaxseed meal (may sub ¼ cup (48g) chia seeds)
- 2 tablespoons (40g) honey or pure maple syrup (optional***)
- 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (homemade or store-bought)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Optional extras: ½ cup of shredded coconut, chocolate chips (dark, semi-sweet, white, or mini), dried cranberries, raisins or a mix of several
Pumpkin Spice Energy Bites
Yield: about 25 bites (20-25g apiece)
Capture the flavors of the season with these no-bake, satisfying bites that come together quickly and offer an option with zero added sugars or syrups.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add the oats, dates, nuts, nut butter, pumpkin, flaxseed meal, optional maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and optional coconut to a food processor. Process until well combined and a “dough” has formed, scraping down the sides a few times, as needed. Tip: At this point, the dough should stick together when pressed into a small ball. If not, pulse a few more times. If the dry ingredients were over-scooped, the dates were dry, or the full amount of nut butter wasn’t scraped from the measuring cup, you may need an additional spoonful of nut butter and/or maple syrup or honey.
- Add the chocolate chips or any of the other optional add-ins to the food processor and pulse just enough to combine. (Alternatively, sometimes I omit the add-ins and simply press 5 or 6 chocolate chips into each ball as I’m rolling them.)
- Use your hands to roll the dough into 1-inch balls.
- Storage: Enjoy immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week. The balls also freeze well for up to 3 months. (To quickly thaw, warm a bite in the microwave for about 12 seconds, give or take a few depending on microwave. It doesn’t take long!)
Notes & Tips
*To ensure the mixture has enough moisture to stick together, soft, moist dates are important. If your dates are firm and dry, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes or so, and then drain very well.
**I like to use any combination of slivered almonds, salted cashews, pecans, and pepitas. Raw nuts will benefit from toasting, but the bites will still taste great if you skip that step. To avoid big chunks, do roughly chop the nuts before using, especially if using whole almonds, as almonds are one of the harder nuts and take longer to break down.
***The original recipe used ¼ cup of honey, although I have also made these balls successfully with none at all and with a middle ground of 2 tablespoons. I recommend choosing no syrup, 2T, or ¼ cup as a low-medium-high framework based on your preferred level of sweetness. Keep in mind that you can taste this batter as you make it and adjust to taste.