These healthy no bake pumpkin balls with oatmeal and chocolate chips are easy to make in under 15 minutes without dates. They are low calorie, and no added sugar with the sweetness coming from the pumpkin puree and natural monkfruit sweetener.
The dominent flavour is definitely pumpkin, however there are also hints of cinnamon and vanilla. Check out my other energy ball recipes like these Carrot Cake Bliss Balls, Chocolate Almond Date Balls, and these Peanut Butter Energy Balls.
Recipe Highlights
- A healthier alternative with no added sugar, and no dates but they are perfectly and naturally sweetened, like these Date Free Bliss Balls.
- Totally low calorie when you compare to other pumpkin energy balls
- Use canned pumpkin or make your own pumpkin puree from scratch, and all other ingredients are simple everyday staples and available in your local supermarket
- Makes 30 regular sized energy balls
- Lots of options to customize with add ins (ideas included below)
- They are full of fibre from the oats and pumpkin
- Great for a grab and go breakfast, in between meals, lunchbox fillers and perfect for giving as gifts at holiday time, especially if you have friends who love healthy pumpkin treats.
Ingredients
These Pumpkin bites are packed with nutrition and fibre and like all my energy balls and bliss balls they don't contain any added sugar. You'll love these if you are a fan of pumpkin flavours, love sweet treats but want to keep it healthy.
Ingredient Notes
- Rolled Oats: Any type of oats will work here as they are going to be blitzed in the food processor. Alternatively, you could substitute the oats with store bought oat flour, almond flour or almond meal. All will work just fine and the store bought substitutes are a good option if you don’t have a food processor, or can’t be bothered getting it out.
- Almond Flour/Almond Meal: this helps to bulk out the balls and provide additional structure and fiber. If you don't have this, additional oats can be used instead.
- Peanut Butter: I like to use an all natural creamy peanut butter as this is one of the binders that helps the balls to stick together. Smooth peanut butter is what I typically use, although it would be a good alternative to try crunch peanut butter for extra texture. Also, you could substitute other nut butters such as almond butter or cashew butter
- Pumpkin: I use a Japanese pumpkin when I make pumpkin balls because I like the bright colour, and I find its texture to be softer when cooked. (Instructions below on how to make your own pumpkin puree). Alternatively you could use canned pumpkin. Check out these Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies for another low calorie sweet tret.
- Sweetener: I use powdered monkfruit sweetener which is finer than granulated sweetener. Granulated sweetener will also work, however whicheve sweetener you use make sure that is measures like sugar. Stevia is also another option to try.
- Chocolate chips: I used sugar free chocolate chips (Noshu brand available from Woolworths and Coles in Australia). If you can’t find sugar free chocolate chips, buy semi sweet dark chocolate chips, or you could buy a sugar free dark chocolate bar and chop it up into tiny pieces. Dark chocolate is definitely better than milk chocolate in this recipe.
- Vanilla essence: This adds additional flavour, however if you don’t have it you could leave it out.
- Cinnamon: just a little ground cinnamon helps to bring out the pumpkin flavours. Alternatively you could experiment with other spices or use a pumpkin spice mix.
- Salt: this helps to balance the sweetness.
How To Make Pumpkin Puree at Home
I love using fresh pumpkin when making any type of energy balls. That way I can be sure that there is nothing else added and its just pumpkin. Making you own pumpkin puree is simple and there are a couple of different ways I usually do it.
Whichever method you choose, peel the pumpkin first, or remove the skin with a knife. Then chop into small pieces of roughly equal size so it will cook quickly.
- Stovetop: fill a pot halfway with water on high heat. Add pumpkin and bring to the boil. Once its boiled, test to see if its cooked by poking with a fork.
- Microwave: add diced pumpkin pieces to a microwave safe bowl with enough water to cover it. Microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes or until pumpkin is soft when poked with a fork.
Ideally the softer the pumpkin the better as it will be easier to mash.To mash the pumpkin, use a fork, and mash into a paste. Nothing else needs to be added, and now you have all natural pumpkin puree, ready to be put into your pumpkin balls.
How To Make
- Add rolled oats, peanut butter, pumpkin, sweetener, vanilla essence cinnamon and salt to a food processor.
- Blitz until a moist dough is formed.
- Remove dough from food processor and put into a large mixing bowl.
- Add chocolate chips and stir through so they are evenly distributed.
- Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop out portions of dough and roll into 30 evenly sized balls.
Recipe Tips
- Mashing cooked pumpkin: Mash the pumpkin using a fork when its still hot, then set it aside to cool. Ideally you want the pumpkin to be room temperature when adding it to the ball mixture so that it’s not too hot when you start rolling.
- Chocolate: Instead of using the chocolate chips in the recipe itself, you could set them aside and instead melt the chocolate and drizzle it over the balls at the end, or dip the pumpkin balls into a bowl of melted chocolate. Two different options are there, or you can stick to including the chocolate chips into the pumpkin balls.
- Sticky Hands when Rolling into balls: Keep a small bowl nearby willed with water that you can dip your fingers into when rolling the mixture into balls. A little moisture on the hands will help to create smooth looking pumpkin balls.
- Storage: Store balls in an air tight container in the fridge for 1 week.
Optional Add Ins
- Spices: I love using ground cinnamon, but you might like to try a little ground nutmeg, ground cloves, all spice, mixed spice, or even ground ginger. Of course you could use pumpkin spice as well.
- Seeds: of course I have to mention pumpkin seeds here. Even Chia seeds would be great. Feel free to add them in to the ball mizture either before or after blitzing, depending on the texture and consistency you’re coning for.
- Nuts: Walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, or peanuts are all good options. If you using a food processor, no need to chop them before hand, or alternatively if you want extra texture from the nuts, you can chop them and add them after all the ingredients have been blitzed in the food processor.
- Chocolate: White chocolate or Dark Chocolate are good options. Buying white or dark sugar free chocolate chips or a bar that you can cut into small bits. Alternatively, you may like to add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the mixture along with the other ingredients that go into the food processor. A drizzle of white chocolate over the balls would be magic too.
- Protein Powder: For an extra hit of protein, add a scoop of your favourite protein powder. Chocolate flavoured would be a good option, or plain.
- Desicated Coconut: Include coconut in with the ball mixture, or roll them in coconut.
Who doesn’t love quick and easy pumpkin balls at the end of the year. Especially ones that are no sugar and low in calories.
More Energy Balls
No Food Processor?
If you don’t have a food processor, don’t let that stop you. Instead, buy quick oats, grab a mixing bowl and add all the other ingredients, give it a good stir to mix it all together and use a small scoop or spoon to size the balls and roll.
No Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Balls
These healthy no bake pumpkin balls with almond flour and chocolate chips are easy to make in under 15 minutes. They are subtly sweet without added sugars, and have a delightful pumpkin flavour with hints of vanilla and cinnamon.
Recipe Tags: Low Calorie, Low Fat, Low Sugar
Ingredients
- 2 cups Rolled Oats
- ½ cup Natural Peanut Butter
- ¾ cup Cooked pumpkin - mashed
- ½ cup Powdered sweetener
- 1 cup Sugar free chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add rolled oats, peanut butter, pumpkin, sweetener, vanilla essence cinnamon and salt to a food processor.
- Blitz until a moist dough is formed.
- Remove dough from food processor and put into a large mixing bowl.
- Add chocolate chips and stir through so they are evenly distributed.
- Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop out portions of dough and roll into a ball. If the dough is sticky, use a little water to dampen your hands. Roll out around 30 balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up. Then, then store balls in an air tight container in the fridge for upto 7 days.
Notes
- Rolled Oats: Any type of oats will work here as they are going to be blitzed in the food processor. Alternatively, you could substitute the oats with store bought oat flour, almond flour or almond meal. All will work just fine and the store bought substitutes are a good option if you don’t have a food processor, or can’t be bothered getting it out.
- Peanut Butter: I like to use an all natural creamy peanut butter as this is one of the binders that helps the balls to stick together. Smooth peanut butter is what I typically use, although it would be a good alternative to try crunch peanut butter for extra texture. Also, you could substitute other nut butters such as almond butter or cashew butter
- Pumpkin: I use a Japanese pumpkin when I make pumpkin balls because I like the bright colour, and I find its texture to be softer when cooked. (Instructions below on how to make your own pumpkin puree). Alternatively you could use canned pumpkin.
- Sweetener: I use powdered monkfruit sweetener which is finer than granulated sweetener. Granulated sweetener will also work, however whicheve sweetener you use make sure that is measures like sugar. Stevia is also another option to try.
- Chocolate chips: I used sugar free chocolate chips (Noshu brand available from Woolworths and Coles in Australia). If you can’t find sugar free chocolate chips, buy semi sweet dark chocolate chips, or you could buy a sugar free dark chocolate bar and chop it up into tiny pieces. Dark chocolate is definitely better than milk chocolate in this recipe.
- Vanilla essence: This adds additional flavour, however if you don’t have it you could leave it out.
- Cinnamon: just a little ground cinnamon helps to bring out the pumpkin flavours. Alternatively you could experiment with other spices or use a pumpkin spice mix.
- Salt: this helps to balance the sweetness.
- Optional Addins: Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin spice, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, all spice, ground cloves, chopped pecans/walnuts/hazelnuts.
- Finishing Options: melt white or dark chocolate and drizzle in a zig zag pattern over the balls (a filling a piping bag with melted chocolate makes this easier), or fill a bowl with melted chocolate, stock a toothpick in the balls and dip each on into chocolate. Set it aside to firm up on parchment paper and while you do the rest and then refrigerate to harden.
Nutrition
Calories: 64kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 3g
Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners.
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