Pumpkin Protein Balls

These Pumpkin Protein Balls are easy, healthy energy balls flavored with pumpkin pie spices and packed with proteins from plant-based protein powder.

You know how much we love making homemade protein snacks, like my Banana Strawberry Protein Shake, Protein Trail Mix, or Protein Mug Cake. And sometimes, I feel like something smaller than my pumpkin protein bars.

That’s what these pumpkin protein balls are for! A quick, small-serve protein snack to fix a sweet craving in the afternoon. They are also the perfect post work out snack to refuel on protein after a cardio workout.

What Are Pumpkin Protein Balls?

Pumpkin protein balls are no-bake pumpkin energy balls made from real pumpkin puree and packed with vanilla protein powder. They are healthy snacks for the fall season with a pumpkin pie taste. They are also vegan, gluten-free and kid-friendly.

Ingredients and Substitutions

This paragraph gives you all my tips about picking the right ingredients. For the full recipe with measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!Go to Full Recipe

All you need to whip a batch of protein pumpkin energy bites this fall are:

Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats or quick oats for a thinner texture.
Pumpkin Puree – You can make homemade pumpkin puree or use 100% pure canned pumpkin puree. Don’t be confused with pumpkin pie filling. They are not the same. The pie filling contains added sugar, and it’s not what you need to make healthy protein balls.
Chia Seeds – This adds healthy fats, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and a little crunch to the protein balls.
Almond Butter is higher in protein than peanut butter, so it’s my go-to for protein recipes. Plus, almond butter goes so well with pumpkin flavors. But, feel free to use any nut butter you love.
Maple Syrup or any refined sugar-free liquid sweetener you love like rice syrup, coconut nectar, or agave syrup.
Pumpkin Pie Spices – This is a store-bought mix made of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
Vanilla Plant-Based Protein Powder – I am using a pea protein powder for this recipe, but any plant-based protein source works well. If your protein powder is unflavored, you may like to add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the recipe.

How To Make Pumpkin Protein Balls

It is super easy to make a batch of pumpkin protein balls at home, you don’t even need a food processor or any fancy kitchen tools.

In a large mixing bowl, stir the dry ingredients: oats, chia seeds, protein powder, and pumpkin pie spices. When the dry ingredients are evenly combined, add the liquid ingredients.
Pour in fresh drippy almond butter with maple syrup and pumpkin puree. The balls will be difficult to form if almond butter is a bit tough and dry. I recommend using a fresh jar or microwave the almond butter with the maple syrup, in a glass bowl for 20 seconds to soften.
Stir to combine the ingredients together. The batter is difficult to stir and you may want to use your hands to squeeze ingredients together. If it’s really too dry to come together, add 1-2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil. This happens when the almond butter is dry, and not oily enough.
Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out some batter and pack the batter very well.
Next, lightly oil your hands and roll the batter into balls.
Place the protein pumpkin balls on a plate covered with parchment paper.

How to make Pumpkin Protein Balls in a few pictures.

Storage Instructions

Store the protein balls in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also place the protein balls in zip-lock bags and place them in the freezer.

Flavor Ideas

You can add some flavor to the protein balls by stirring 1/3 cup of the below ingredients at the end:

Mini Chocolate Chips
Shredded Coconut
Chopped Walnuts, Pecans, or Almonds

Pumpkin Protein Balls showing one half bitten.

Allergy Swaps

If you have some allergies I listed some ingredients substitutions ideas below.

Gluten-Free – Pick a gluten-free certified oat brand.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Swap – You can use the same amount of ground cinnamon, or a mix of 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon with 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon of allspice and nutmeg.
Pumpkin Puree – The recipe works with sweet potato puree or mashed banana instead.
Almond Butter Swaps – Any nut butter from a fresh jar work well like cashew butter or peanut butter.
Nut-Free – You can use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter.
Chia-Seed Free – Swap chia seed for hemp seed or sunflower seeds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are my answers to your most frequent questions.

How many protein balls should I eat a day?

Protein balls are not meal replacements. They are healthy snacks to fix a sweet tooth after a workout or during the day.
You should feel full after two protein balls and don’t exceed this amount to keep your snack low in calories and healthy.

More Energy Ball Recipes

If you like this recipes, you’ll love these other energy ball recipes.

Nut-Free Energy Balls

a bowl filled with lots of protein balls made with oats

Low Calories Protein Balls

Banana Protein Balls

These peanut butter banana energy bites with chocolate chips are healthy breakfast on the go or post-workout energy bites to refuel with healthy carbs and plant-based protein.

Banana Oat Balls

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