Naturally sweetened, vegan peanut butter chocolate pumpkin energy balls are perfect for a fall treat! These healthy bites are grain-free, made with dates, peanut butter, pumpkin, pumpkin spice mix, chocolate chips and hemp hearts. Packed with protein, these no-bake pumpkin balls totally satisfy!
These pumpkin energy balls have that crave-worthy peanut butter chocolate flavour we love, they're packed with protein, and they deserve a spot on your favourite Mid-Afternoon Pick-Me-Up Snack List.
Best of all, they're a great way to use up that bit of leftover canned pumpkin after you've made this Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse or these Creamy Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats.
Truthfully, I didn't make these for myself. I made them for kids! They love peanut butter, but because of their classmates' severe allergies, they can't take peanut butter in their school lunches.
These no-bake pumpkin energy balls let them have the peanut butter they love, all wrapped up in a pumpkin-spice flavoured energy ball. It's a winning flavour combination that says, "Welcome Fall!"
🛒 Ingredients
- canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- peanut butter
- Medjool dates, pitted. These dates have a creamy, almost caramel flavour.
- warm fall spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves
- hemp seeds: also called hemp hearts
- chocolate chips
Topping Ideas
- ground pecans
- unsweetened shredded coconut
❓ Can I make these with almond butter?
Don't worry if you don't like (or can't eat) peanut butter, or if you're following a paleo diet. Make almond butter chocolate pumpkin energy balls instead. And if you need an energy ball that does not contain nuts, you'll love these Nut-Free Carrot Cake Energy Bites.
🥄 Instructions
These pumpkin energy bites come together quickly in a food processor.
- First, process the dates, pumpkin purée, peanut butter, and spices in a food processor.
- Next, add hemp seeds and chocolate chips.
- Form into balls, and roll in crushed pecans or coconut.
🗓How to store energy balls
These pumpkin energy bites will keep fresh in the fridge for over a week, ready to grab when you need a boost of energy. They freeze beautifully, too.
One totally satisfies!
Wondering how to use leftover canned pumpkin?
This recipe uses ½ cup of canned or puréed pumpkin. Make more pumpkin treats with the leftover pumpkin! The first two listed here are no-bake recipes! You'll find more smart ideas for leftover pumpkin purée in this collection.
- Creamy Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
- Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse
- Warm Cranberry Apple Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Treats (don't forget Fido!)
🗒 More Energy Bites recipes
This post was originally published in 2017. It has been updated with extra information.
When you make these pumpkin energy balls, please leave a comment and a star rating below! Thanks in advance. Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
Grain-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Pumpkin Energy Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 10 medium Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds or chia seeds
- ⅓ cup vegan chocolate chips
Topping Suggestions
- ¼ cup pecans, crushed
- ¼ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
Instructions
- Put all ingredients except hemp seeds and chocolate chips in a food processor and process until well blended and mixture forms a ball. Remove lid, break dough apart, add hemp seeds and chocolate chips. Pulse a few times, just until incorporated into the dough.
- Roll into 1-inch balls in the palm of your hands. Roll half the balls in ground pecans and the other half in coconut, if desired. Chill. Store in refrigerator or freezer.
Patricia
These taste spectacular!. I used cashew butter rather than peanut butter because I don't care for peanut butter. The problem I had was that the dough was so soft that I really couldn't roll balls. So I just sort of dropped teaspoon fulls on a cookie sheet lined with a silicon sheet. So they look more like the mountain peaks. I thought about either adding a few oats or some protein powder to thicken them up a bit.
Elaine
Hi Patricia, Thanks for your comment! I'm not sure why this didn't work out for you, but I do think your idea of adding some oatmeal or protein powder might help with the texture. Thanks for letting me know!
Miranda
Just thought I'd let you know I made these for treats for a Hallowe'en party. They were snapped up and the other parents appreciated having a healthy treat for their kids!
Elaine
That's good news! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Laurie
Elaine you are amazing. Your posts are fun and informative, your photos are beautiful and your recipes delicious. Thank you!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks so much, Laurie! We had a tough day today and your comment just made it a lot better!
Laura
Making these today!
Flavour & Savour
Healthy snacks for lunches!