These Pumpkin Spice Energy Balls come together in as little as 20 minutes with just 7 simple ingredients, yielding a whopping 25 delicious bite-sized balls.
They are sweetened only with dates and dried fruits, contain healthy fats, and are gluten-free, refined sugar-free, with a vegan-friendly option.
We absolutely love these healthy pumpkin spice balls made with steel-cut oats. Like my Crunchy Steel-Cut Oats Granola Recipe, the oats are toasted before being used to make these little bites.
They are so easy to make, and the flavors are amazing. Dates add a lovely natural caramel-like taste, and are the perfect natural sweetener—no added sugar.
I even love them paired with my cup of coffee for a quick breakfast treat, and they definitely give you an energy boost. For the holidays or parties, serve them in mini cupcake holders and coat them with coconut flakes for that snowy, festive look. Let's make them.
Why You'll Love This Energy Ball Recipe
- Satisfying: These no-bake energy bites have a natural caramel-like flavor and make a healthy snack or even a dessert.
- Easy to Prep: You can even make a big batch, as they stay fresh for a few weeks in the fridge or longer in the freezer.
- Adaptable: Make them nut-free for nutritious school snacks, play around with other warm spices and flavors, or dress them up as a beautiful fall treat that brightens any Holiday table.
- Healthy: These pumpkin energy balls are made with wholesome ingredients and no refined sugars, which makes them a more nutritious treat when enjoyed in moderation.
Ingredients & Notes
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
You only need a few main ingredients to make these no-bake cake balls:
- Pure Butter: I use it to toast the oats and add amazing buttery flavors to the base. I usually use salted butter.
- Gluten-Free Steel-Cut Oats: They add a depth of flavor, rich nuttiness, and subtle sweetness to these energy bites. It's also a great source of fiber.
- Spices: For extra flavor, add pumpkin pie spice.
- Nuts: A medley of nuts like whole cashews, pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts.
- Dried fruits: Medjool dates and black raisins add the perfect natural sweetness. Like my Date Cake, or Date Pumpkin Muffins, dates will also add an amazing caramel-like flavor.
How To Make It
See the full recipe with measurements in the recipe card.
Step One (Picture 1 above) - Toast the raw oats in melted butter over medium-low heat until they are a few shades darker and crunchy.
Step Two (Picture 2 above) - Blend the toasted oats with the remaining ingredients, placing the oats at the bottom of the blender or food processor, until you achieve a smooth consistency.
Step Three (Picture 3 above) - Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon of the mixture to form small balls. Repeat until done.
Step Four (Picture 4 above) - Enjoy immediately or let them cool in the fridge before serving to get a chewier bite. It is best to place them separately on a large plate to prevent sticking.
Top Tips
- Chill: Chilling is optional but highly recommended, as these pumpkin spice protein balls develop a lovely, nougat-like texture when slightly hardened. Store them in an airtight container, preferably separating each layer with parchment paper.
- Sea Salt: If not using salted butter or coconut oil, add a few pinches of sea salt to balance the sweet flavors.
- Appearance: The color of the mixture may vary depending on the color of the toasted oats, the type of natural sweetener used, and the type of nuts used to make these energy balls.
- Dress Them Up: Before refrigerating these little energy bites, roll them a few times through a bowl filled with sesame seeds or fine, unsweetened coconut shreds (also known as desiccated coconut). They'll stick to the energy balls and add a nice nutritional touch.
- Make them Festive-Looking: Serve these pumpkin pie spice energy balls in mini cupcake holders, after coating them with dessicated coconut, to make them super festive during the Holidays or when entertaining guests.
Variations & Substitutions
- Different Types of Nuts: Use other nuts you like, such as almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts.
- Nut-Free Option: For those with nut allergies, sunflower seeds or sunflower seed butter are great alternatives, and I have used them myself in this recipe many times.
- Make it Dairy-Free: To keep it dairy-free and vegan-friendly, use solid coconut oil.
- Other Spices: Instead of pumpkin pie spice, consider using cinnamon powder, Dutch Speculoos (similar to my Biscoff Cookies), or experiment with Chai spices, apple pie spice.
- Other Dried Fruits: Try dried figs, prunes, apricots, cherries, or use dried raisins instead for a different flavor. At home, we prefer Medjool dates, raisins, or dried apricots. Of course, the flavors will differ based on what you choose, so pick a dried fruit you love.
- Adjust the Level of Sweetness: For those with a sweet tooth, adjust the amount of dates or raisins. Or toast the steel-cut oats in some butter and a little bit of coconut or brown sugar. For a less sweet snack, leave out the raisins and use only the dates.
Recipe FAQs
They’ll keep well for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator (stored in an airtight container) or up to 3 months in the freezer.
If frozen, let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften before serving.
Yes. You can even triple-batch. They're a lovely rotational make-ahead snack because they are easy to pull together, store well, and are portable. 
More No-Bake Treats To Try Next
Don't forget to subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter!
Your shares and ratings are valuable to me and so much appreciated. They'll help me create more content you and others can enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Energy Balls With Dates And Toasted Oats
Mariska RamondinoEquipment
- 1 high-speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons pure butter (I love Kate's Creamery 100% pure butter), or coconut butter/oil (to keep it dairy-free and vegan-friendly) 70 grams
- 1 cup gluten-free steel-cut oats 160 grams
- 2 ½ teaspoons Pumpkin Pie spice or cinnamon spice
- ½ cup whole cashews 70 grams
- ½ cup pecans 80 grams
- ½ cup black (jumbo) raisins 90 grams
- 10 fresh, pitted Medjool dates (about one cup packed) 235 grams
Instructions
- In a saucepan, melt the butter or coconut oil over medium heat. Stir in the oats and combine them with butter or coconut oil.4 tablespoons pure butter (I love Kate's Creamery 100% pure butter), or coconut butter/oil (to keep it dairy-free and vegan-friendly), 1 cup gluten-free steel-cut oats
- Cook the oats for about 5 to 7 minutes, frequently stirring, or until they are lightly toasted (you can hear the oats pop a little at the end.)
- Stay with the oats because they can burn quickly! Remove the pan from the stove. Allow the oats to cool a little.
- In a blender (or food processor), add the toasted oats, then the spice, nuts, raisins, and dates. Blend until you have a smooth brownish mixture.2 ½ teaspoons Pumpkin Pie spice, ½ cup whole cashews, ½ cup pecans, ½ cup black (jumbo) raisins, 10 fresh, pitted Medjool dates (about one cup packed)
- If using a Vitamix, blend on high speed while using the tamper to push the mixture toward the blades. Continue blending until it turns into a smooth, rich brown consistency. The tamper will help move the thick mixture evenly through the blades.
- Take the mixture immediately out of the blender and transfer it into a bowl (be careful, it can be hot).
- When cool enough to handle, roll a spoonful into a small ball and repeat until all mixture is used.
- Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container!
Notes
Add your own private notes
Whenever you come back to this recipe, you’ll be able to see your notes.
Nutrition (% Daily value)
Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.
Leave a Reply