10-Minute Pumpkin Protein Balls (No-Bake!)
Whip up these chewy and nutritious Pumpkin Protein Balls in just 10 minutes! Made with nourishing ingredients like pumpkin puree, rolled oats, hemp hearts, almond butter, and vanilla protein powder, they’re the perfect high-protein, healthy snack to power you through your day. You’ll love these quick and easy no-bake bites that are perfect for meal prep!
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Protein Balls:
Energy balls, protein bites, whatever you want to call them… there’s so much to love about these no-bake pumpkin protein balls.
- Quick and easy: All you need is 10 minutes and a mixing bowl to whip them up!
- Great for meal prep: The recipe makes 12 protein balls so it’s the perfect snack to meal prep at the start of the week.
- High in protein: They key to healthy snack recipes that keep you full and energized is protein! These pumpkin protein balls have almond butter, protein powder, and hemp hearts which are great source of protein.
- Perfect for fall! If you love enjoying all things pumpkin spice when autumn rolls around, these are the perfect snack for you!
Want more pumpkin? My Healthy Blender Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes are one of my most popular healthy fall recipes each year. For something more savoury, my Creamy Pumpkin Sage Pasta is always a hit.
Are These Healthy Pumpkin Protein Balls?
They sure are! These Pumpkin Protein Balls are Registered Dietitian-approved, and packed with a variety of nutrition! Let’s break it down:
- Protein: With approximately 4 grams of protein per ball, these pumpkin protein balls ensure that you’re getting a satisfying dose of protein with each bite. Not only is protein key for things like muscle growth and development, it also helps to keep you full!
- Dietary Fibre: Rolled oats (I prefer rolled oats vs quick oats in my protein bites) and pumpkin puree are both great sources of fibre, which helps to balance blood sugar levels, promote healthy digestion, and fill you up. Each protein ball has approx. 2 grams of fibre!
- Healthy Fats: Thanks to almond butter and hemp hearts, each protein ball also packs a healthy dose of, well, healthy fats! The protein balls contain both mono- and poly-unsaturated fats which are both beneficial to health.
- Vitamins and Minerals: Because the pumpkin spice protein balls are made with all of this nourishing foods, they’re also chalk-full of important vitamins and minerals. This includes vitamin A, potassium, iron, calcium, and folate.
Ingredients for No-Bake Pumpkin Protein Balls:
- Pumpkin puree: Not pumpkin pie filling! 100% pure canned pumpkin.
- Rolled oats: I like to use rolled oats (versus quick-cooking oats) as I find they hold together better.
- Almond butter: This helps the other ingredients protein balls bind together.
- Vanilla protein powder: I use a plant-based version, but you can use whatever you have!
- Hemp seeds: I like to add these little seeds for an extra dose of protein, fibre, and healthy fats.
- Honey: For sweetness, and to help things stick together.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds some more flavour to this sweet snack.
- Pumpkin pie spice: For that classic pumpkin spice flavour!
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: These are optional, but so delicious.
- Water: Adding a couple tablespoons of water can help bind the protein balls and keep the texture from getting chalky.
How to Make Them:
Storing No-Bake Protein Balls:
The pumpkin protein balls can be enjoyed right away. But because you likely won’t eat them all in one go (I know it’s tempting…), you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week.
Then, you can grab and go as you please! This is why they’re so great for meal prep.
Tips & Substitution Suggestions:
If the mixture is too thick, or you taste it and find it chalky (depending on the protein powder you use), I recommend mixing in 1-2 tablespoons of water before rolling it into balls.
The mixture will be slightly sticky, so I find that it helps to wet your hands a little before rolling it into balls. This way everything won’t stick to your hands.
If you’re short on any of the ingredients, here are some swaps you can make:
- Cashew butter: This is a great replacement for almond butter. You can also use peanut butter, but it has a more distinct flavour compared to cashew and almond.
- Maple syrup: This can be used instead of honey as a plant-based alternative.
- Chia or flax seeds: These work pretty interchangeably for the hemp seeds.
- White chocolate chips: These add a fun twist in place of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
Connect with Hannah Magee, RD!
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10-Minute Pumpkin Protein Balls (No-Bake!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, (17.5g scoop)
- 3 tbsp honey, or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1-2 tbsp water, optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except for chocolate chips and water to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix everything together with a spoon until mixture is sticky and well-combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips. If mixture is too thick or too chalky, mix in 1-2 tbsp of water as needed.
- With clean hands (you can dampen your hands to prevent sticking if needed), roll the mixture into approximately 12 balls. This will be about 1-2 tbsp of the mixture per ball.
