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!
Pumpkin No Bake Energy Bites
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)
Instructions
- 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.)
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
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.
Disclosure: This page contains Amazon affiliate links.
These are even more delicious than the original ones! I used dried blueberries instead of dates, and they are still incredible! My only complaint is that they don’t stick together as well as the original recipe. Maybe I’ll add more honey next time…
Is it possible to get a calorie count on these pumpkin no bake bites?
Thanks a great recipe to use in my nutrition class this week. Would love to get nutrition on this recipe.
_Barb-certified Health Coach
These were awesome! My only thought is that they seemed too sweet. Would you lessen the honey or the dates?
Thanks for the awesome recipe!!
Is there something I could subsitute for the coconut?
I loved your first recipe and can not wait to try these :)
YUM! I made these and posted them on to Dinner Happy. They were delicious! I couldn’t help adding the tiniest bit of peanut butter though…
Oh my word!! These are sooo yummy! Thank you for this yummy, healthy, and creative recipe! (I just wish I didn’t have to figure out the nutrition facts..)
Hello, I came across this recipe through pinterest. I was wondering if I can freeze them and for how long? I was planning on making them for Mother’s Day gifts this coming Sunday. Please, let me know! Thanks. email: orangesumr@yahoo.com
They were awesome !! Just one note, when you get the pumpkins seeds make sure they are baked but not salted. I also crushed them up a bit and it really was a terrific snack. My family devoured them ;) thank you for sharing your recipe,
Adding a little coconut oil to the energy balls helps with shelf life and adds some nutritious fatty acids as well!