These chewy, no-bake, pumpkin balls are packed with high-quality protein and make the perfect seasonal snack to fuel your morning, afternoon or after-exercise recovery.
It’s officially fall! I love everything this season has to offer – the cooler air, colorful leaves, seasonal foods, spices and football. It’s my favorite time of year to hike or a go for a long trail run, too. I just want to be outside taking it all in.
It’s also pumpkin season, and that means pumpkin recipes!
Last year, I shared one of my favorite recipes for pumpkin roll. This year, I wanted to share something a little less time consuming.
These pumpkin protein balls are packed full of fall flavors. They require no baking and only about 15 minutes of your time. All you need is your food processor.
They are the perfect combination of sweet, sticky and crunchy all-in-one. And, their balance of carbohydrates and protein make them a perfect snack to fuel your morning, mid-day hunger or after exercise recovery.
How To Make Pumpkin Protein Balls
Get ready, because this recipe is about as easy as it gets. Put all the ingredients, except the oats and pumpkin seeds, in a food processor and process until combined.
Next, add the oats and pulse only 10-15 times until combined. Be careful not to overdo it after you add the oats. The purpose is just to combine the oats throughout the mixture, not puree them.
Once complete, transfer the mixture to a bowl. If you have time, I suggest letting the mixture chill in the refrigerator for ~10-15 minutes. That will make it easier to roll. If you’re short on time, you can skip this step. Either way, the mixture will still be sticky, so I suggest adding a few drops of oil to your hands before rolling.
When you’re ready, remove the mixture from the refrigerator and get ready to roll! {Ha}
Lay a piece of Parchment paper down first, then use a small 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop to form balls. The scoop makes it easier, but if you don’t have one, just use a spoon. Then, use your hands to roll into balls, and coat with the chopped pumpkin seeds.
Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Viola – you’ve got a perfect, seasonal snack to fuel your fall.
This recipe is quite gooey, so if you prefer a firmer texture, freeze them first. They taste great directly out of the freezer, too!
Pumpkin Protein Bites
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup oats
- 3/4 cup vanilla protein powder
- 1/2 cup pumpkin, canned
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 tbsp peanut butter
- 4 tbsp pumkin seeds
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp all-spice
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ginger
Instructions
- Combine peanut butter, pumpkin, honey, protein powder and spices to a food processor and blend until combined.
- Add in the oats, and pulse ~10-15 times until well combined.
- Transfer to a bowl, then let mixture chill for ~15 minutes in the refrigerator.
- While mixture is chilling, place 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds into a small food processor and pulse until chopped. You can also do this by placing the seeds on a cutting board and chopping them with a sharp knife. Transfer the chopped pumpkin seeds onto a plate.
- Use a 1.5 tbsp. cookie scoop to portion balls on Parchment paper. Roll each ball with your hands, then roll in the pumpkin seeds.
- Put balls in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to eat.
Notes
- Makes 25 Pumpkin Balls
- Serving Size: 1 Ball
- Nutrition Facts (per ball): 60 calories, 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein, 1.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 20 mg sodium.
- Nutrition Facts (for 3 balls): 180 calories, 21 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 9 g protein, 5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium.
- Meal Planning Serving Size (for 3 Balls): 1.5 CHO; 1 PRO; 1 FAT
Looking for more protein-packed snack ideas? Check out these chocolate chip peanut butter protein bites or these crunchy peanut butter bars.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Tag @heathermangieri on Instagram and hashtag it #HeatherMangieriNutrition or upload your photo under the recipe pin on Pinterest.
I’m trying these! Perfect fall recipe. Wonder if you can sub milk powder or Greek yogurt for protein powder??
Hi, you can try substituting dry milk powder for the protein powder, but Greek yogurt would not work. The balls would be too moist and would not stick together. The vanilla protein powder contributes to the sweetness of the ball, but dry milk powder doesn’t have the same flavor, so they definitely will not taste the same. You can try adding 1-2 tbsp of stevia or other natural sweetener with the dry milk powder. The texture should be ok with that swap, but I can’t guarantee how it will work taste, since I’ve never tried. Let me know if you try it.
Can not wait to make these!! Me and my husband both love pumpkin!