Looking for more pumpkin breakfast recipes? Try my pumpkin chia pudding or pumpkin overnight oats too. Pumpkin season is here and I’m all about turning a can of pumpkin purée into all sorts of delicious treats from pumpkin cheesecake to these festive pumpkin protein balls. Let me tell you, I love energy bites (or energy balls, depending on who you ask). I’m on a secret mission to have a protein ball recipe in every flavour for every season (Christmas, I’m coming for you), and to make each one just as delicious as the last!
Why I Love These Pumpkin Protein Balls
Full of flavor. First and foremost, these pumpkin energy balls are chewy, sweet, and filled with tasty ingredients. Yummy fresh pumpkin puree, sweet maple syrup, creamy peanut butter, AND chocolate? Automatically delicious. Budget-friendly. I make this recipe without dates (which can be pricey) and sweeten my pumpkin protein balls with maple syrup instead. Protein packed. Whenever I need a protein boost, I’ll make a batch of these easy homemade energy bites. They’re the perfect size to satisfy a craving for something sweet, and they always fill me up. Quick and easy. These protein balls come together in the blender in minutes. Energy bites have always been amongst my favourite recipes for this reason. They’re versatile and quick to make. Convenient. These are great for a quick breakfast, dessert, or lunchbox snack, and they freeze really well. They even store well outside of the fridge, too.
Notes on Ingredients
These pumpkin energy balls are basically the protein ball version of my pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal breakfast cookies. They use a lot of the same ingredients! Here are some notes. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable list with amounts.
Oats – I recommend using old-fashioned oats or rolled oats, and you can swap them for each other. Since we’ll be grinding the oats into “flour” you can also skip that step and use your favorite gluten-free flour with a similar texture, like almond flour. Pumpkin Spice – I love the smell and flavour of pumpkin pie spice, but you can use cinnamon instead or any mix of warm fall spices like nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. Chia Seeds – You can swap the chia seeds for flax seeds, just like in my original pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal breakfast cookies. You can also leave them out altogether if you prefer. Peanut Butter – You can swap the peanut butter for any other nut butter or nut butter alternative, such as sunflower seeds. Maple Syrup – Or a similar liquid sweetener, like agave nectar or date syrup. Chocolate chips – Feel free to swap the chocolate chips for another add-in, like dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, or any kind of nut, and you can add in anything you want here, too! You can also skip the add-ins if you’d like.
How to Make Pumpkin Protein Balls
Making these pumpkin protein balls is incredibly easy. All you do is toss everything into the blender and hit go. Here are the quick steps:
Make the dough. Starting with the oats, pulse them in a blender until they’re finely ground. Add the rest of the ingredients (apart from the chocolate chips) and blend to make a thick dough. Add chocolate chips. Lastly, add the chocolate chips to the blender and pulse a few times to roughly incorporate those into the dough. Shape the balls. Afterward, use your hands to roll the mixture into balls. You should end up with about 20 energy balls. Chill. Place the finished protein balls into the fridge to chill for an hour, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
The dough can be sticky. If you find it tricky to handle, try chilling the protein ball dough in the fridge for 15-30 minutes before shaping it into balls. A small cookie scoop also makes it easier to portion the dough into balls. Fix dry dough. If the mixture is too dry and starts to crumble as you roll it, simply add a little more pumpkin, or a splash of water to help loosen it up. On the other hand, if your dough is too wet, add more oats. Don’t have a food processor? No worries. It’s totally possible to “grind” the oats by hand in this recipe since they don’t need to be a super fine powder. Rub the oats between your hands and work them into crumbs. Afterward, use your hands or a spatula to mix the dough, and continue with the rest of the recipe as directed.
How to Store
Refrigerate. Keep these pumpkin protein balls airtight in a ziplock bag or container in the fridge. They’ll last for 2 weeks, or maybe even longer! Freeze. These protein balls freeze well. Place them in a freezer-safe ziplock bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for 30 minutes or in the fridge before serving.
More Pumpkin Recipes To Try
Pumpkin Granola Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Soft Pumpkin Cookies Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins Pumpkin Pancakes
