Pumpkin No Bake Energy Bites

Of all the recipe posts on Gimme Some Oven, my #1 most viewed post ever (thanks to you all and Pinterest) continues to be these No-Bake Energy Bites.  And for good reason!  These little guys continue to be one of my personal favorites, as well as one of the most requested snacks by my friends and family.  And I love recipes like this that can double as breakfasts, snacks or even a quick dessert!

So for a fun twist this autumn, thought that it would be fun to celebrate the season and make some Pumpkin No Bake Energy Bites!  I was so excited to try these, and after throwing in a little of this and a little of that, was thrilled with the results.  These little bites remind me a lot of my favorite fruit and nut bars.  But the best part is that they are super easy to make homemade, packed with protein and ingredients you can feel good about, they are vegetarian and vegan (if you swap some agave for honey), and of course…they are delicious!

And I’m happy to say that the name holds true.  The recipe not only calls for pumpkin spices and some pumpkin puree (which is perfect if you have leftovers from a can after making pumpkin bread), but I’m also excited to feature one of my other favorite fall ingredients — toasted pumpkin seeds!  If you don’t have any on hand, you’re welcome to substitute in any other nuts or seeds.  But I love the extra crunch and flavor that the little pepitas added to these bites.  Thankfully the other ingredients all came together wonderfully too, making these healthy little bites the perfect mixture of sweet and slightly salty that everyone will love.

Cheers to pumpkin treats you can feel good about enjoying this season!

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Yield: About 25 1-inch balls

Pumpkin No Bake Energy Bites

Delicious and healthy energy bites celebrating the mighty pumpkin!

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. (about 1 packed cup) chopped dates
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds or flax seeds
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats (dry, not cooked)
• 1 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Directions:

Combine the dates, honey, pumpkin puree, chia (or flax) seeds, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a food processor, and pulse until smooth and combined.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and stir in the oats, coconut flakes and pepitas until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Once the mixture is cool (and easier to work with), use a spoon or cookie scoop to shape it into your desired size of energy balls. (Mine were about 1-inch in diameter.) Alternately, you can line a small baking pan with parchment paper, and press the mixture evenly into the pan, let it cool, and then cut into bars.

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. (Storing them in the refrigerator especially helps the energy bites hold their shape.)

Ali's Tip: If you feel like adding a little extra sweetness, these would also be great with some cinnamon or white chocolate chips tossed in.

Difficulty: Easy Ingredients: chia seeds, cinnamon, coconut flakes, dates, flax seeds, ginger, honey, nutmeg, oats, pepitas, pumpkin puree

You should be able to find chia or flax seeds in the health section of your local grocery store.  But if not, you can also order chia seeds and flax seeds online.

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