These pumpkin spice balls are the perfect healthy fall snack! High in protein from the pumpkin seeds and flax seeds, you are gonna love this oatmeal energy ball recipe!
After I make these and feed them to my toddlers for snack time, I use my leftover pumpkin puree to make healthy pumpkin cheesecakes or a pumpkin snack cake.
I wanted to design a recipe that supported seed cycling - eating for our hormones. I also wanted a delightful, healthy fall snack for anyone to enjoy an energy boost.
Why you'll love these pumpkin spice balls
- These are great nut-free pumpkin energy balls. The base of these bites is oats!
- Sweetened with maple syrup and flavored with pumpkin pie spice for all the fall flavours!
- This recipe was designed to support women's hormones as a seed cycling energy ball. Here are my other seed cycling recipes. Eat these pumpkin bites in the first half of the women's cycle, the follicular phase, to support hormones. However, anyone is welcome and safe to eat these! 🙂
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Ingredients needed
I polled my community on Instagram on what ingredients they wanted in these leftover pumpkin puree energy balls. Oats won over almond flour. Pumpkin seeds and flax seeds were voted in to support seed cycling for naturally and holistically balancing women's hormones. Of course, chocolate chips were a must. Lastly, they wanted pumpkin energy balls without dates. So here's what you need for the fall seed cycling energy balls I've created!
See the recipe card below for complete quantities.
Danika's nutrition insight
In 2021 became Certified in Holistic Nutrition from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. In my recipes, I like to share from my education and experience. Let's chat about pumpkin seeds and flax seeds.
Pumpkin seeds and flax seeds are a good source of protein, healthy fats, offering energy for an active lifestyle. I like to regularly incorporate these seeds in my smoothies, energy balls, and salads.
Pumpkin seeds and flax seeds can support and balance female hormones, specifically in the first half of the hormone cycle. Therefore, these seed cycling energy balls are perfect for follicular phase snacks. Eating seeds is a holistic way to support the wave of hormones in the female body. Read more about it here.
In the second half of the cycle, the luteal stage, after you ovulate, eating sunflower seeds and sesame seeds has properties to support the female body. To see if this works for your body, eat 1-2 tablespoons of seeds need to be eaten day.
For more seed cycling recipes recipes try this pumpkin seed smoothie and this pumpkin seed butter.
How to make no-bake pumpkin balls
- In a food processor, pulse the oats, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, salt, and pumpkin spice.
2. After about 1 minute or so, it will look like coarse sand. There may be some whole flax seeds still, but that’s okay.
3. Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and chocolate chips.
4. Pulse until a dough forms.
- Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to roll the dough into pumpkin energy balls.
- Keep the energy balls in a sealed container in the fridge up to 14 days or in the freezer for 6 months.
Swaps + add-ins to your pumpkin seed energy balls
- Flax seeds: If you don't have ground flax seeds or whole flax seeds, you can use chia seeds or hemp hearts!
- Gluten-free: Be sure to use gluten-free oats if you need these energy balls to be gf.
- Without pumpkin puree: If you don't have any canned pumpkin puree, you can use runny nut butter instead of pumpkin puree, like almond butter or peanut butter.
- Swap chocolate chips for white chocolate chips!
Other easy no-bake snacks
🎃 Did you make these pumpkin oatmeal balls? Would you take 5 seconds to give a star rating and review just below the recipe? That means a lot to me and helps the growth of Beside the Mountain blog.
Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons flax seeds
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup chocolate chips use mini if you have them!
Instructions
- In a food processor pulse the rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, salt, and pumpkin spice for about 1 minute until it all looks like coarse sand. There will be some whole flax seeds still, but that’s okay.
- Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and chocolate chips. Pulse until a dough forms. Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to roll the dough into balls. It will make about 16 energy balls.
- Store these balls in the fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 6 months in a sealed container.
Notes
Nutrition
Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
I create snack recipes with healthy ingredients that are mostly already in your kitchen. I'm certified in Holistic Nutrition and I care about giving my kids real food. Let me share my nutrient-dense easy snacks with you.
Abby C says
Oh my goodness I absolutely loved these! What a fun and healthy way to incorporate pumpkin spice. I made these with my two girls and they couldn’t stop asking for more. I also appreciated that these didn’t have nut butters as the base. I make a lot of energy balls with nut butters so it was nice to change it up! I did add a little bit more pumpkin as mine came out a tad bit dry.