Vegan Pumpkin Pie Energy Bites
Fuel your perfect fall day with these delicious low-calorie Vegan Pumpkin Pie Energy Bites that use healthy whole-food ingredients and no oil or maple syrup!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds* ~87 grams
- 1/3 cup raw cashews* ~50 grams
- 3 tsp. pumpkin spice
- 1/2 cup no-added-salt garbanzo beans ~80 grams
- 1/2 cup golden raisins** ~80 grams
- 1/2 cup rolled oats ~48 grams
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. canned pumpkin puree ~142 grams
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
If you want to roast your seeds:
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Preheat your oven to 375°F. Place the pumpkin seeds on your baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. You should just be starting to smell them. If your oven runs hot check at the 7 minute mark. Remove the seeds from the oven and allow them to fully cool--at least 15 minutes. The pumpkin seeds will crackle and pop while cooling and that's okay.
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Add your cooled roasted or raw seeds to your processor bowl along with the nuts (if using) and 3 tsp. pumpkin spice. Process for 10 seconds or until a rough, rustic flour-like consistency but you can still see larger bits of texture.
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Add the garbanzo beans and raisins and/or dates and process for another 10 seconds or until you get a loose mince-like texture.
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Add the remaining ingredients (oats, pumpkin and vanilla extract) and process for another 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides and process for another 10 seconds. A large ball of the mix will begin to form in the food processor. The result will be a textured, moist dough.
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Use a medium cookie scoop (1-1/2 Tbsp.) and portion the mixture into 17 balls. Use your palms to roll the balls (you can slightly dampen your hands if you wish).
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Place the balls on a large plate and allow them to "set" uncovered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before transferring them to your long-term storage container.
Recipe Notes
Recipe Yield: 17 energy bites
* Seeds/Nuts: This recipe is flexible with what you can use. You'll need 1 cup total of seeds only or a mix of nuts and seeds. I've tried these with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews and slivered almonds. You can keep the seeds raw or use roasted (unsalted, no oil) or roast them yourself.
** Dried Fruit Options: You can use only dates. I've tried the recipe with 1/2 cup chopped Medjool dates (about 6 large dates, ~90 grams). You can do a half and half mix of dates and raisins. If the golden color is important to you use the yellow raisins. If you need to amp up the sweetness you can always add more raisins or dates or 1/2-Tbsp. of date syrup or maple syrup (if you're not nutritarian)
If you're having difficulty getting your ingredients to incorporate: It may be because of the strength of your processor motor or the freshness of your dried fruit. You can use 1/2 Tbsp. of water at a time to help move the mixture along. Be careful not to use too much water or the balls will not set.
Optional toppings: You can roll the "set" balls in seeds (like flax, hemp, chia or sesame) or sprinkle with cocoa powder, cinnamon or curcumin.
STORAGE:
Fridge: The energy bites keep for 12 to 14 days in a glass food storage container with a snaplock lid.
Freezer: Keep for up to 2 months in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
To thaw: Allow the bites to thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature until defrosted.