Pumpkin Protein Balls (No Bake Bites with Oat Flour)
Pumpkin protein balls that are adorable, easy to make, satisfying, and full of healthy ingredients and festive fall pumpkin spice flavor.
Servings 16
Calories 106kcal
Equipment
- 1 Medium bowl
- 1 Toothpick
- 1 Small bowl
Ingredients
Protein Ball Ingredients
- 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/2 cup peanut butter see notes for substitutions
- ½ cup oat flour*
- ¼ cup unflavored protein powder see notes for using vanilla or sweetened protein powder
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice see notes for substitution
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional, omit if using vanilla protein powder
- Pinch salt optional
Additional Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. sugar coconut or raw sugar is fine here
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 16 chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine pumpkin, peanut butter, oat flour, protein powder, honey, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla in a medium bowl and stir to mix together.
- Scoop out approximately 16 small balls and use your hands to roll and place on a plate. (A small cookie scooper works great for scooping similar sized balls).
- Cover and refrigerate balls for 15 minutes.*
- In a small separate bowl, mix 2 Tbsp. sugar with 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon. Remove balls from refrigerator and roll each one in cinnamon and sugar mixture and then place back on the plate.
- Use a toothpick to create partial indentations on the sides of each ball to make them look like a pumpkin.
- Top each one with a chocolate chip to act as a stem and enjoy! Refrigerate leftover protein balls in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
Peanut Butter Swaps: almond butter, cashew butter or whatever you prefer. To make nut free, you can use sun butter, or tahini.
Oat Flour: To make oat flour, blend ½ cup of rolled oats in a blender or food processor for several minutes until it becomes a fine flour. Follow our guide on making homemade oat flour for more tips. Not all oats are gluten-free so be sure to use oats that are labeled gluten free if needed.
To Make Vegan: Use maple syrup or agave syrup instead of honey, make sure to use plant based protein powder and dairy free chocolate chips.
Protein Powder: if using vanilla flavored protein powder, omit the vanilla extract and if protein powder is already sweetened, adjust honey to your preference.
Pumpkin Spice Substitute: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/8 teaspoon each of ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and ground clove.
Skipping Refrigeration Step: If your pumpkin and peanut butter were cold to start with you can skip this step. The purpose is till make the toothpick indentations (step 5) clean so you can attempt that first to determine if you need to refrigerate or not.
Too Sticky: If your balls are too wet and sticky, work a little bit (1-2 Tablespoons) more oat flour or whole oats in with your hands until the dough doesn't stick to your hands and is easy to roll.
Too Dry and Won't Stick Together: Add a tiny splash of water or almond milk (1-2 Tablespoons) and work in with a spoon or your hands, adding liquid slowly until it sticks together and you're able to roll balls that stay together.
Refrigerator Storage: store truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezer Storage: freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or on the countertop for 45 minutes - 1 hour before eating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ball | Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 53mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 795IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg