Easy No Bake Protein Pumpkin Balls Recipe

Name: Easy No Bake Protein Pumpkin Balls Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 15.5 oz Can Chickpeas or White Bean of Choice; 1 Cup Oat Flour; 2 Scoops of Plant-Based Cinnamon or Vanilla Protein Powder (About 100 g or 2 servings); 3/4 Cups Pumpkin Puree; 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup; 1/4 - 1/2 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract; 1/8 Teaspoon Salt; 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans or Vegan Mini Chocolate Chips

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Protein Pumpkin Balls are a super easy and satisfying healthy snack this fall. With over 16 grams of protein per serving, they are a great way to keep from feeling hungry during the fall. They are also a no-bake meal prep that is ready in 10 minutes. So store them in fridge and have them whenever you need them for your pumpkin spice cravings!

This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for details.

Hey Internet, it's time for all things pumpkin! Fall is basically here and we've been planning a lot of great recipes that we've wanted to share for a while now. That includes a whole list of pumpkin recipes that we've been sitting on. And these pumpkin spice energy balls are a great way to use up some leftover canned pumpkin puree!

We love the flexibility of pumpkin! It can be used in so many ways. Our Pumpkin Chia Pudding and Pumpkin Protein Shake are both great ways to have a sweet breakfast this fall. For something more savory, we have this Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup, Vegan Pumpkin Risotto, Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese, and this Pumpkin Curry that are great both for dinner and as meal prep.

But today we have a new amazing snack that uses pumpkin puree. We've been making a bunch of different recipes for protein balls as snacks for Liz for school and work. These no bake pumpkin protein balls been acting as brain food to help keep those grades coming in strong. That and homemade cold brew coffee helps. But coffee is just half the battle.

The point is we've been making good use of plant-based protein powder to make easy snacks these last few months like these no bake energy bites. We have a few of these already such as our Chocolate Bliss Balls, our Vegan Coconut Balls, and Chocolate Vegan Protein Bites, but we wanted to make one that's pumpkin flavor. With a can of pumpkin purée, these snacks are ready in just 10 minutes. They're the perfect seasonal snack for this fall season!

We really should make more different flavors too. And if you like low-effort desserts, check out our list of No-Bake Vegan Desserts!

Why You'll Love These Pumpkin Spice Protein Balls

Pumpkin Season Snack: Sweet and made with real pumpkin puree, this a blast of fall flavors in your mouth.
Tons of Protein: Each serving of these pumpkin energy balls is over 16 grams of protein! They also have nearly 5 grams of fiber per serving, which is another really healthy nutrient people sometimes ignore.
No-Bake Recipe: Put everything in a food processor and then use a small cookie scoop to shape them into balls. Then just chill them and they're good to go!
Easy Snack: Once they're done, just store them in your fridge in an airtight container. Grab them when ever you need a few bites! The whole family will be snacking on these, plus they're cheaper and more nutritious than a lot of things you'll find in the snack aisles of your local grocery store.

Ingredients

Pick up the following simple ingredients for these delicious no bake protein balls the next time you're at a grocery store. See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient list, instructions, and accurate nutrition information (to the best of my ability; please consult your physician, registered dietitian, or healthcare professional if you have specific dietary needs or need to meet certain daily values of any nutrient). I give substitutions for the ingredients in the section below this one, so most people can still make this recipe!

1 15.5 oz Can Chickpeas or White Bean of Choice
1 Cup Oat Flour: You can make your own by blitzing up old-fashioned oats (AKA rolled oats) or quick oats in the blender, food processor, or coffee grinder. Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you can't have gluten.
2 Scoops of Plant-Based Cinnamon Protein Powder or Vanilla Protein Powder (About 100 g or 2 servings). You can use either flavor. Your favorite vanilla protein powder will work just fine, however in a few of the recipe tests we've been using cinnamon protein powder and that's also delicious. Note that the exact grams of protein in your recipe depends on the brand of protein powder you use.
¾ Cup Pumpkin Puree (while pumpkin pie filling will work, it often has added spices and sugars so it might change the amounts of spice and sweetener we've included. Feel free to play around with it if you're comfortable, but we wrote this recipe specifically for using pure canned pumpkin.)
¼ Cup Pure Maple Syrup: We use this for natural sweetness but it also has really nice warm fall flavors. More or less to taste. You can always add more if you prefer a more sweet flavor.
¼ - ½ Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
⅛ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Chopped Pecans or Vegan Mini Chocolate Chips: It's difficult to pick between the two versions we tested for this recipe. Pecan are more fall centric and add a nice crunch to the balls. On the other hand: Chocolate. If you have a sweet tooth, maybe go for the chocolate. Try adding a pinch of sea salt! Fortunately, both the nuts and chocolate chips are added the same way to the recipe, so they can easily be used interchangeably. (Or you could do half of each!) You could also try some vegan white chocolate chips... we've even seen them in the mini size!

Substitutions

Chickpeas: This recipe works great with cannellini or navy beans. The difference in consistency may require you to adjust the amount of flour that you use. Some of these beans are wetter than others and you may need to use more oat flour with either of these replacements. Add it slowly if you do.
Oat Flour: Any other flour should work, like almond flour, though you may need more or less liquid. You just want a firm yet slightly moist protein ball. If the texture is too wet, you can add a tiny bit more of your chosen flour. If too dry and crumbly, simple add a splash of liquid (a tablespoon at a time), such as non-dairy milk, water, or liquid sweetener like maple syrup. If you're using all purpose flour, you should toast it for food safety reasons ahead of time.
Pure Maple Syrup: Another great natural sweetener for this recipe is coconut sugar. You might need to add a splash of non-dairy milk since coconut sugar is drier than maple syrup. You could also use agave nectar with no adjustments needed.
Mini Chocolate Chips: You can chop or blitz up regular chocolate chips to work with this recipe. If you like things a little bit more bitter, you can use dark chocolate chips instead. We find that the larger chocolate chips can clump together and make the protein balls a little harder to get to stick together, but it can work.
Additions: If you want to increase the healthy fats in this recipe, you can add in a quarter to half cup of a nut or seed butter like creamy peanut butter, creamy almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or anything else you like! Keep in mind this will make the mixture a little more wet so you may need to add a little more oat flour or protein powder.

How to Make These Easy Pumpkin Protein Balls

Prepare Tray: To a quarter sheet pan add a layer of parchment paper (alternatively, you can use a couple of plates). Make sure to make room for said tray in your refrigerator.
Strain the Chickpeas: Open your can of chickpeas and then add them to a strainer over a sink. Rinse until the water comes out clear (gets rid of the bubbles).
Add To Food Processor: Add everything to your food processor, except the pecans/mini chocolate chips. Blend until smooth. You may need to scrap down the sides of the food processor to get everything to combine. Then add your pecans/chocolate chips and briefly blitz them in.
Shape into Balls: Using a small to medium cookie scoop (depending on how large you want each piece to be), scoop out the dough into even pieces and place them on the prepared baking tray. Once all the dough has been used, use you hands to roll the scooped material into spheres.
Add More Chunks, Optional: If you want even more chunks, take some extra pecans or chocolate and gently press them into the protein balls.
Chill: Add to the refrigerator and chill for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are pleasantly cool.
Enjoy: Remove them the sheet and add them to a resealable container. They should last about a week in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do they need to chill?

Not necessarily. These pumpkin protein bites firm up a bit and taste a little better once they're cooled, but we snacked on them during the testing phase. They're good at room temperature, too, like little bites of pumpkin pie.

Can I freeze this pumpkin protein ball recipe?

Yes! But they do freeze solid, so you'll need to defrost them before you can eat them. Just stick them in your fridge a few hours before you need them.

Any other add-ons or flavors I can use?

We considered using coconut flakes for this recipe, but the only reason we didn't use them is you couldn't see that amazing orange color. They're a great option for an addition. You could also try pumpkin seeds as a replacement for the pecans.

Can I do the without a food processor?

Yes, but be prepare to do a lot of hands-on mixing in a large bowl. This may add 5 to 10 minutes more work.

What protein powder do you recommend for this recipe?

The best batch we made used True Nutrition Cinnamon Bun. It paired so well with the fall flavors. Their brand of vanilla pea protein powder also worked really well!

Can I use homemade pumpkin puree?

Yes, but that's a lot of work! You'd have to cut, bake and then blend up a whole pumpkin. If you really want to, say for an excuse to roast some pumpkin seeds, go for it.

More Pumpkin Recipes