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Pumpkin Protein Bites packed with a nutty crunch outside and filled with warm, fall spices on the inside. A chocolatey treat that’s deceptively healthy and tastes like cookie dough!
This Vegan Pumpkin Cookie Dough Bites recipe was originally published October 2016. I’ve retested and rephotographed the recipe for you. Hope you enjoy it!
The worst part about making a recipe? Naming it! That, and coming up with the short description blurb you see at the beginning of my recipe posts. I spend more time on those two things than the actual making of the food.
This recipe for instance…I renamed it four times before settling on Pumpkin Cookie Dough Bites. Yes! Four times!
Before that it was Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Balls, Pumpkin Pie Protein Bites, Cookie Dough Pumpkin Pie Bites. Finally, I landed on Pumpkin Cookie Dough Bites because they taste like cookie dough and it made the best pin.
Pumpkin Cookie Dough Bites
Now hold onto your pumpkin loving pants because these energy balls are going to blow your pumpkin-loving mind.
Packed with a nutty and oat-y crunch on the outside and with warm, fall spices in the inside, these chocolatey treats are deceptively a healthy treat. They’re loaded healthy fat, protein and fiber. A scrumptious fall snack even the kiddos will love!
What You Need
- Pumpkin
- Dates
- Almonds
- Gluten Free Rolled Oats
- Vanilla Protein Powder
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Dairy Free Mini Chocolate Chips
Truthfully, these Pumpkin Cookie Dough Bites taste just like candy bars and make a wonderful low calorie pumpkin snack. They’re ridiculously good you and you may not want to share them with anyone.
They would definitely be a hit at a Halloween party. That is, if you can keep them around long enough!
Want more healthy energy balls? Try my chocolate almond protein balls and pineapple balls with coconut next!
Pumpkin Protein Dough Bites
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup dates, pitted and soaked in water
- 1 cup almonds, raw
- 3/4 cup Gluten Free rolled oats, not quick oats or regular rolled oats
- 1/3 cup vanilla protein powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, raw
- 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips, or dairy free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Soak dates in a bowl of water 1 hour.
- To a blender or food processor, add rolled oats, almonds, dates, pumpkin puree, protein powder, cinnamon and chocolate chips. Process on high until a dough forms.
- Transfer dough to a bowl, dampen your hands with water then scoop 1 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Then place the balls on a large plate. The dough will be very sticky so you will want to wash and dampen your hands in between rolling balls. The dampness also helps the balls stick together.
- Refrigerate the bites 10 minutes to harden slightly before rolling over the pumpkin seeds.
- Pulse the pumpkins seeds a few times in the food processor to roughly chop. Transfer pumpkin seeds to a large plate in an evenly layer.
- Remove bites from the refrigerator and roll each one gently over the pumpkin seeds then placing back on the plate.
- Refrigerate the bites 20 minutes to set.
Notes
- Keep these bites in the refrigerator up to 10 days or in the freezer up to 60 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
such an amazing recipe. Your dough looks great and It reminds me of delicious ferrero chocolate <3
Thank you! The taste kind of reminds me of candy too. 🙂
You had me at cookie dough! And pumpkin! And chocolate! Oh my…these have it all!
Maybe I should start naming all my recipes something with cookie dough. Haha!
Yum I will have to try!!:)
Yes! Hope you love them.
Ugh I hate naming things. Everyone calls the same thing by a different name!
I know! Why does it have to be so confusing???
These look so good! I was going to make some kind of balls/bites today and I think I have all of the ingredients… excited to try them!
Oh, yes! Let me know how you like them Laura. 🙂
These pumpkin pie bites look SO good!! I totally feel you on the naming struggle – sometimes it takes me FOREVER too!
Someone needs to come up with a recipe naming app. Wouldn’t that be cool?
Ha! That little description is by FAR the most difficult part of writing posts. Always the easiest looking part, right?!
That being said, these look and sound DELICIOUS! I’m not a coffee drinker, therefore feel left out with all of the pumpkin spice madness out there. This is the perfect way for me to get involved!
Thanks for sharing!
XO, Jessica
http://www.semisweettooth.com
So glad you these will help you get some pumpkin. No one should be deprived of pumpkin Jessica!
What type of pumpkin puree do you use? I used some from Whole foods for another recipe and I was not impressed.
I use organic farmer’s I think. Sprouts also has an organic brand I like. I have noticed some batches can be funky. I think it just depends on the lot.
I am out of BITES and pumpkin. Wanna deliver? Yes, love the doughy texture. Gah, I need to make this week! blowing my pumpkin loving mind!
The queen of bites out of bites? OMG…someone call 911!