Pumpkin Pie Energy Bites.

If you’ve followed my blog long enough, you know I’m all about energy balls/bites!  They are a great pre or post workout snack.  Great breakfast or snack on the go!  They are also great in lunch boxes.  Any time I can get extra protein and fiber into my kids – I’m all over it.  This week I made another pumpkin recipe and had some leftovers in the fridge that I wanted to use up.  I thought energy bites would be awesome.  These take about 5 minutes of prep, 30 minutes of chilling and then rolling them out.  They keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.  Bite-sized goodness!

Ingredients:

1 cup of Medjool or fancy dates, pitted
1/4 cup of agave, maple syrup or honey (your choice)
1/4 cup of pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal
1 scoop of protein powder (I used Cabot’s whey protein)
Scant 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie seasoning (I use King Arthur Flour’s version)
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1.5 cups of rolled oats (I use gluten free but you don’t have to)
1 cup of nuts (I used slivered almonds)

Directions:

Into your food processor, add the dates, whatever syrup/honey you decide to use and pumpkin.  Plus until the ingredients are pretty much pulverized.  Then add the remaining ingredients.  Run the machine until the dough forms a large ball.  The mixture is a bit wetter and you can add additional oats if needed but it should be tacky.  Scoop out and place the dough into a tupperware container.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30-45 minutes or until it firms up.

Scoop out the dough with a melon baller and roll with your hands into bite-sized balls.  Place back in a tupperware container and store in the fridge or freezer.

— Knead to Cook