It’s pumpkin season! A.K.A. the best season. Pumpkin energy balls are the perfect snack or treat to have during the fall months! These energy balls are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. They’re the perfect snack to make in advance and have throughout the entire week. College students, kids, or even busy parents are going to absolutely love these pumpkin energy balls!

Experimenting with new pumpkin recipes has been so much fun. There are so many baked goods and treats you can make with pumpkin. If you haven’t checked out my pumpkin overnight oats, check them out, here! Energy balls are a go-to in my house. I made my dad chocolate chip oatmeal energy balls one time and he went crazy for them. How could you not!? They are the perfect snack to have after a meal if you need a little something sweet. Pumpkin energy balls only require one bowl and have minimal cleanup. Need I say more to convince you to make these amazing energy balls!?

What Ingredients Do I Need?

Pumpkin is the obvious ingredient for these energy balls. Besides pumpkin, you can really get creative with what you want to add. Here is everything you will need:

Pumpkin puree
Peanut butter
Coconut sugar
Almond flour
Protein powder (I used the Vanilla Pea Protein Powder from Trader Joe’s)
Rolled oats
Pumpkin pie spice
Cinnamon
Salt
Chocolate chips

Benefits of Pumpkin

Pumpkins are a wonderful vegetable that has so many health benefits. They are high in vitamin A, which is necessary to maintain good eye health. Pumpkins are also high in antioxidants, which help protect your body against disease and oxidative damage. They are a great source of complex carbohydrates which is great to have during the day. We need our carbs!

When you’re looking for pumpkin at the grocery store, it is SO important that you get canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. The canned pureed pumpkin should only have 1 ingredient…pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling is loaded with sugar and additives that you don’t want in your energy balls. Instead, buy the plain pumpkin and add your own sugar. This way, you’re in control of what’s in your food and you know what you’re eating.

Add-Ins

I added chocolate chips to my pumpkin energy balls because I can’t get enough of them. They add a perfect sweetness that works just right. If chocolate chips aren’t your thing or you don’t have them on hand, here are some other ingredients that would be perfect in this recipe:

Chia or flaxseeds
Shredded coconut
Dried cranberries
Raisins
Graham crackers
White chocolate chips
Crushed pretzels

How Should I Store These?

These pumpkin energy balls are best kept in the fridge to hold their shape. They will stay good in there for up to 1 week, but if you don’t eat all of them, you can store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Pumpkin Energy Balls

Recipe by Mary WeissCourse: Snacks, DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

energy balls

Prep time

minutes

Ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 cups almond flour
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup protein powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, peanut butter, and coconut sugar.
Add the almond flour, rolled oats, protein powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt into the bowl. Stir until a thick batter forms.
Fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly incorporated.
Use a cookie scoop and form the batter into balls. The recipe should make 28-30 energy balls. Keep them in an airtight container and enjoy!