I’m back with another recipe for vegan protein balls and today, it’s all about pumpkin pie. We’ll use some simple ingredients, pop them in your food processor, and you’ll have a great snack or breakfast to grab from the fridge.
If you’re a fan of meal prep, this is a fantastic snack option since you can have quite a bit ready in about ten minutes. And if nutrition has been on your brain lately, these refined sugar free protein balls bring fiber and Vitamin A to your plate (along with quite a few additional minerals). You can even boost the protein content by using Zego Double Protein Oats.
Now, grab your ingredients and let’s get to work.
Tools to Make This Vegan Protein Balls Recipe
- Kitchen Scale (this is the one that I love)
- Food Processor (I have this large unit)
- Can Opener (if you want a Cadillac can opener, get this one)
- Small or Medium Cookie Dough Scoop (to easily shape the balls)
Allergy Status
Free From: Wheat/Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Tree Nuts, Peanut, Fish, Shellfish, Top 9 Allergens, Sesame, Alliums, Apple, Avocado, Banana, Beans & Lentils, Buckwheat, Cane/Refined Sugar, Carrot, Celery, Citrus, Coconut, Cruciferous, Garlic, Latex Cross Reactive Foods (H/M), Legume, Lupin, Mushroom, Mustard, Nightshade, Onion, Pea & Pea Protein, Potato (Nightshade Variety), Poultry, Red Meat, Rice, Strawberry, Sweet Potato & Yam, Tapioca/Cassava/Yuca/Manioc, Tomato, Yeast
Friendly To: EOE, GERD, Vegan
Compatible With: Berry Free, Corn Free, Migraine Diet (Johns Hopkins)
- Berry Free: Omit the allspice when making your pumpkin pie spice.
- Corn Free: Source safe ingredients. You may need to skip the maple extract if you don’t have a safe option.
- JH Migraine Diet: If seeds aren’t tolerated, omit the flax and pumpkin seeds. If you have a safe-for-you vegan protein powder, use that in place of the seeds.
Vegan Protein Balls Recipe Video
If you’re a moving pictures kind of person, here’s a short video of me making this easy snack recipe.
Ingredients for This Vegan Protein Balls Recipe
- 300g Organic Gluten Free Purity Protocol Rolled Oats
- 300g Organic Medjool Dates
- 300g Organic Pumpkin Purée
- 50g Organic Pumpkin Seeds
- 30g Golden Flax Meal (this is the brand that I use)
- 1 TBSP Pumpkin Pie Spice (recipe here in case you need one)
- 1 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract (this is the brand that I use)
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 2.8mL Organic Maple Extract (about 4 full droppers, this is what I use)
- 120mL Milk of Choice
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Oats: If you’re not gluten free or manage Celiac Disease or a wheat allergy, you can use regular rolled oats rather than certified gluten-free oats. Don’t use steel cut oats for this recipe. Do NOT swap the oats for something like almond flour, coconut flour, all purpose flour, etc.
Flax Meal: This is ground flax seeds. This is the brand that I use. If needed, you can swap this for chia meal (not whole chia seeds).
Dates: This is a whole food sweetener, and also adds mass and fiber to the protein balls. You cannot swap this for other sweeteners such as maple syrup, agave syrup, apple sauce, or even date syrup. They’d add too much liquid to the recipe and you wouldn’t be able to properly form your protein bites.
Additionally, medjool dates taste BOMB. Other date varieties are going to be hit and miss. Also, if you have several varieties you love, use a blend of your favorites since they’ll all work in this vegan recipe.
Pumpkin Puree: If you’re tired of pumpkin and want to try something different, you can substitute it (1:1) for butternut squash purée or sweet potato purée.
Pumpkin Seeds: You can swap these for a different seed, or a blend of your favorites. I don’t suggest chia seeds since they absorb liquid. Hemp seeds should be avoided, unless you LOVE them.
Milk of Choice: You can use any plant-based milk (almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, rice milk, soy milk, etc.). Ideally, use a plain and unsweetened milk. If you plan to use coconut milk, I don’t know how a full-fat coconut milk will perform. The boxed/watery style will work. Because this is a rich power ball, the canned might be OK. You can test it on a half batch first (I have tasters allergic to coconut, so I won’t be able to help more than that).
More Delicious Snack Recipes (Vegan, GF, AF)
If you’d like more no bake energy bite recipes, I’ve got you covered. FYI, those chocolate date balls is one of my kid’s favorite snacks, so when you make them, you’ll be in good company. Each of these recipes is gluten free, vegan, and super allergy friendly.
- Date & Chocolate Protein Balls (a great healthy snack that you can make in less than 15 minutes)
- Grain Free Raspberry Lemon Vegan Protein Balls Recipe (another super fast snack option)
- No Bake Cookies (Nut + Milk Free + Top 9/14 Free)
- Dairy Free + Egg Free Protein Muffins (Vegan + Top 9 Free)
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Vegan Protein Balls Recipe Instructions
Pit your dates and place them in your food processor. Next, add all of the other ingredients except for the milk. Mix until your processor isn’t really doing much to “help” the situation. Now, add your milk. You can add it to the mixture with the processor on through the hole, or remove the lid and add it that way.
Process again and a smooth wet cookie-dough-like batter is going to form. That’s it!
If you eat your protein balls fresh (the taster’s preferred option, especially if this is for breakfast) it’s really good. There’s a lot of creaminess and it’s nice and soft. Alternatively, fridge and eat when you’re ready.
When storing this in the fridge, be sure it’s in an airtight container so your power balls don’t dry out.
Vegan Protein Power Balls Storage
After making your vegan protein balls, you’ll want to store extras in the refrigerator, in an airtight container. They don’t need to be in a single layer, just be sure to add them gently when stacking. The good news is that protein balls keep very well in a sealed container in the fridge for several weeks.
Alternatively, you can freeze extra gluten free protein balls, however, some people are on the fence. If you’ve never frozen energy balls before, only freeze a few. The next day, thaw one on the counter at room temperature, then eat it. If you like it, repeat for the next few days with the other power balls you froze to make sure you still enjoy the texture when thawed. If you’re still a fan, go all in and freeze your leftovers in a freezer safe container.
Lazy Storage Tip: If you don’t have kids, and really don’t care about the shape, invest in small 4-ounce glass jars. You can add a heaping spoonful or two to a glass jar, and pop the lid on. Now you have an easy snack that’s ready to go, and you didn’t have to get your hands dirty.
Freezer Tip: You can line a large baking tray with parchment paper and fill it up with protein balls. Freeze the entire tray, and when all of the balls have frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container. Freezing them on the tray first prevents them from sticking together. As needed, pull out several vegan protein balls and thaw on the countertop for about 60 minutes, and you’ll have the perfect snack.
You can also add frozen protein balls to a lunch box in the morning, and when lunchtime rolls around, they’re thawed and ready to be enjoyed.
Meal Prep Tips
If you live with any kind of restricted diet, I can’t stress enough the importance of meal planning, meal prep, batch cooking, and freezing. Something like bliss balls are easy to make en masse (in a range of flavours) and you can fill your freezer with them. Then, you can grab some for lunches, a quick snack, or even road trips.
If you plan on making this recipe in bulk, make sure you have great containers for individual portions. This can be small silicone storage bags, small glass jars (the best option if you ask me), or small snack baggies.
Make sure you label the containers with the flavour and date so you can eat them in a timely manner.
Put on some good music or good show whilst you work. One of my favorite ways to batch cook is with a documentary playing on my computer so I’ve got something to listen to and learn from as I work.
If you can, purchase your raw materials with bulk discounts or on sale. I did this for years and saved THOUSANDS on food. Trust me, it all adds up.
How to Jazz Up Your Vegan Protein Power Balls
So, you’ve got a batch of plant-based protein balls in your fridge, you’re one person, and you don’t want to get bored eating the same nutritious snack every single day. There’s an easy solution: let’s jazz up some of your loot. Here are several ideas that you can rotate through (or do a little of this and a little of that to a portion of your protein balls):
Make a glaze using your favourite chocolate protein powder, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon protein powder, or pumpkin adjacent protein powder (like one of those special holiday editions).
Form your protein balls, then roll them through dark chocolate chips or shredded coconut.
Make a glaze using vegan vanilla protein powder as the base alongside cashew butter or creamy almond butter which will both pair well with the pumpkin (and add a lovely nutty flavor). If you don this, you’ll want to avoid butters such as sunflower butter or natural peanut butter, as these will clash with the pumpkin flavour.
Head in the Thanksgiving direction and add cranberries to some of your protein balls. You could also try golden raisins. I’d avoid regular raisins, as the flavour profile may be a little too dark. If you do this, you can remove some of the dates as to not have a protein ball that’s super mega sweet.
Fold in regular or white chocolate chips (two of my favorite brands for mini chocolate chips are Enjoy Life and Pascha).
Answering Your Vegan Protein Balls Recipe Questions
What happens if I bake energy balls?
If you bake protein balls, you end up with a mega delicious, warm snack. If you have a sweet tooth, this can even doubles as dessert if you add a little ice cream on the side. I sometimes bake energy bites for a particular taste tester and they just love them to bits.
I have found that when you bake them, they can expand a bit which is very interesting, almost like a strange little cookie. No one is complaining about that though, so have fun with your baked bites.
Is this considered a healthy snack?
I always like to remind people that the term healthy isn’t a regulated one, so anyone can say, oh hey, check out this “healthy recipe” when you and I both know that the added sugars alone are a huge red flag.
In the case of this energy ball recipe, it’s made from wholesome ingredients. The oats are a whole grain, there are healthy fats from the pumpkin seeds and flax seeds, there are no added sugars, the pumpkin purée adds some vitamins and minerals, there’s fiber in the dates, and the list goes on.
With that context, I’d say this is a healthy snack (and a great option if you have a sweet craving but don’t want more pumpkin pie). However, someone who needs zero sugars (including from fruit like dates) would look at this and say it isn’t a healthy snack.
Ultimately, when it comes to healthy snack recipes, you’ll have to use your best judgement, determine what healthy ingredients means to you, and ensure that you’re eating foods that nourish you. If you’re feeling great from the foods you eat and your body is functioning well, I’d say you’re doing just fine.
Can I use quick oats instead of rolled oats?
Yes, you can use quick oats in this vegan protein balls recipe. However, do not use steel cut oats, as those are not the same thing. Also, if you’re gluten free, have a wheat allergy, or manage Celiac Disease, it would have to be certified gluten free quick oats, and I don’t know who sells those since I only purchase Purity Protocol from trusted sources.
Will these protein balls taste good with hemp seeds?
The answer will depend on who you ask. Hemp seeds, according to some of my tasters, is one of the worst plant-based ingredients I’ve asked them to try (right up there with amaranth and garbanzo bean flour).
On the flip side, I have a friend who puts hemp seeds on everything. I’ve found that I can get away with a small amount of hemp seeds if there’s chocolate to mask the flavour.
I’d encourage you to take a small amount of the protein ball mixture, place it in a small bowl, add some hemp seeds, and sample. If it tastes good, go wild. If not, you’ve only lost a little protein power ball, rather than the whole lot.
Can I use less dates in this recipe?
The amount of dates in this protein ball recipe is important, as they help balance the wet ingredients and dry ingredients so you have a proper energy ball form in the end. If you want to use less dates, you can, but don’t use less than half the amount listed.
Additionally, you may need to add more *something* to get your protein balls to form. Dates are sticky, and they help hold the balls together. Since this is a vegan recipe, I won’t tell you to add a little honey.
Don’t add more pumpkin, because that will create a mess. Instead, try a little oats + more milk. I’m flying blind on this one though, so don’t be upset if this doesn’t work. Personally, I’ve never made them with less dates since I have tasters with a rather specific taste preference. Truly, good luck if you try this and let me know how it goes.
Would this taste good with cacao nibs?
When it comes to selecting snacks that will taste good with chocolate, this is a great recipe to experiment with. Since cacao nibs don’t have any added sugar, I’d suggest putting some of your protein ball mix into a small bowl, then adding a little of the cacao nibs. Mix that up and sample it first because based on the taste preference of my main taste tester, I’d lean towards no. However, there are several others that would tell you yes.
So long as the sweetness levels are well balanced, I think you’ll be OK because inherently, chocolate and pumpkin can be friends.
Can I swap the rolled oats for oat flour?
So glad you asked! No, when you make this vegan protein balls recipe, you can’t swap the rolled oats for oat flour, or any other gluten free (or gluten containing) flour. If you need oat free protein balls, check out this recipe for grain free protein balls and this recipe for raspberry lemon grain free protein balls.
Is it possible to make this a low carb recipe?
Whilst this is an easy recipe, it’s certainly not a low carb recipe. You wouldn’t be able to convert something like this easily. Instead, I’d encourage you to search online for low carb protein balls, and then see if you can tweak them to meet any other needs you may have (nut-free, dairy-free, etc.).
Can I add a nut butter or sunflower seed butter to this recipe?
Adding a nut butter is one of the easiest ways to boost the protein content and also calorie content of this recipe, making it great post-workout fuel, or good for a kiddo that needs to gain weight. However, not all nut butters (or seed butters) will work with these energy bites. Personally, I’d tell you to avoid tahini (sesame seed butter), pistachio butter, Brazil nut butter, sunflower seed butter, and peanut butter. Those are the flavors that are the most likely to clash with the pumpkin.
Almond butter and cashew butter are my top two picks in terms of what won’t clash with the pumpkin. Walnut butter, pecan butter, and hazelnut butter are on the fence. Those three might work, so if one of them is your preference, remove some of the power ball mixture from your food processor, mix some in, and sample. Ensure that it really does taste good together before adding a whole bunch to your protein balls.
In terms of how much to add, you’ll have to measure with your heart on this one. If the consistency is too loose after you add your nut butter, add more of the rolled oats and blend again to bring back to something you enjoy.
Should I cook the oats before using them in this recipe?
Nope! By design, this is a no-bake recipe, so you don’t need to oven roast or treat the oats before making this part treat part snack recipe.
Now, having said that, if you want a deeper flavour, you can toast the oats in your oven. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper, spread the oats all over, and toast at 350f/175c with a start time of 15 minutes. You want the oats to turn a nice golden brown, and then they’re ready.
Once they’re cooked, allow them to cool completely before making the protein balls (you can speed up the process and chill them in the freezer).
Can I make this recipe without a kitchen scale? Where do I find the measurements in cups?
This is a great question. So, whilst I may be American, I detest the American system with cups, and for good reason: it’s wildly inaccurate.
In free-from baking (I owned and operated an award winning GF, V, Top 9 Free bakery), you have to have precision and consistency. So, I just develop everything with a scale because I can tell you *exactly* what you need. Not almost what you need.
And at my caliber of free-from cooking and baking, 10 – 15 grams (less than one ounce) can ruin a recipe. So, get a scale, you’ll love it. I mean, you can try to do the conversions backwards, but the number of dates to use for example are going to vary by size and type. But the scale? It prevents a problem because the weight is the weight, no matter how many dates fit into the cup.
This is an inexpensive scale that’s going to make your life much easier.
Can I make protein balls in a blender?
Not really. Technically, you could make protein balls in a blender in really small batches. However, you’ll be there all day, and you won’t always get a good mixture of the ingredients.
A food processor is a much better tool to use for making protein power balls. If you don’t have one, here’s what I would suggest:
Combine the dates, pumpkin purée, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, salt, maple, and milk in your blender. Blend on high until smooth. The goal is to break down the dates and distribute some of the dry ingredients really well.
Place a large mixing bowl on your kitchen scale, tare to zero, then add the oats and flax. Transfer the contents from your blender to this magical bowl. Use a large wooden spoon or sturdy spatula to stir everything together really well. This might take you a couple of minutes, so make sure you’ve got some elbow grease on standby.
Your final mix will be a touch different from mine since the oats haven’t been broken down, but you’ll still have a delicious breakfast and/or snack. Have fun!
Is this a good post workout snack?
I have no idea because I’m not you. Each one of us has different needs (protein, carbohydrates, fat, minerals, macros, and so on). Your post gym snack may need 50 grams of protein whilst the next person needs 70 grams.
So, I’d suggest plugging the ingredients into your favourite food tracking app so it tells you the nutrition breakdown. Make sure you use organic ingredients in the app if that’s what you used, and check sugar and salt. I’ve found that those online apps don’t treat organic ingredients properly and give you the wrong information.
Once you have that info, you’ll know if this is something you should have right after the gym, or something you should pack in your lunch box.
Can this protein ball recipe be made as bars instead?
Why yes, yes you can make bars. And honestly, that sounds like so much fun, and for good reason. So, to make bars, you’ll follow the instructions as-is.
Rather than scoop and roll balls, transfer everything from your food processor to a large baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper. Top with another piece of parchment paper, then use a rolling pin or your hands to spread the dough all over, as evenly as possible.
Remove the top layer of parchment paper, then, add a topping! Or several!! This is why I’m excited. Here are just a few tasty ideas to try:
Use a fine mesh sieve to dust with cacao powder (not the same thing as cocoa powder)
- Sprinkle mini chocolate chips, regular chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips all over (press down a bit so they stick)
- Melt any chocolate chips you love and drizzle all over the top (fridge the bars to set the chocolate, then slice)
- Lightly candy nuts such as almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, or pecans. Chop/crush, then sprinkle all over the top (press down a bit so they stick)
- Sprinkle coconut flakes and mini chocolate chips all over the top.
- Dust with pumpkin pie spice and add coconut flakes (press down a bit so the flakes stick)
- Grab a pack of candied ginger, put some candy on your cutting board, roughly chop, then sprinkle all over the top of your bars (press the ginger pieces in a bit)
Pretty much, anything that pairs well with pumpkin is an option. Just be sure to press chopped ingredients into the bars so they adhere.
