These Vegan Pumpkin Protein Balls are soft, lightly sweet, and warmly spiced, made with oat flour, pumpkin puree, chia seeds, and raisins, then rolled in oats and baked until golden. They're a simple, wholesome snack that tastes like a tiny bite of vegan pumpkin pie.
Jump to:
These protein balls make a healthy homemade vegan snack or a bite-sized dessert, and with all that creamy pumpkin flavor they're the perfect treat for fall. They're egg-free, dairy-free, and made with simple pantry ingredients, and your house will smell wonderful while they bake.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Oat flour. The base of the dough, and it's easy to make at home by blending rolled oats until finely ground. To save a step, use store-bought oat flour instead. Use certified gluten-free oats if you're cooking for someone who avoids gluten.
- Rolled oats. Besides becoming the oat flour, a small amount is used as the crunchy outer coating. Old-fashioned rolled oats give the best texture; quick oats work but look less craggy.
- Pumpkin puree. Adds moisture, color, and that gentle pumpkin flavor. Use plain canned or homemade puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. Mashed sweet potato or butternut squash puree can stand in.
- Chia seeds. Mixed with water, they make a "chia egg" that binds the dough. Ground flaxseed works the same way if that's what you have.
- Maple syrup. The main sweetener. Agave or date syrup can be swapped in at the same amount.
- Raisins. Little pockets of natural sweetness. Dried cranberries, chopped dates, or chopped dried apricots all work.
- Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. The warm fall flavor. No pumpkin pie spice? Use extra cinnamon plus a pinch each of ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Vanilla protein powder (optional). Boosts the protein. Any vegan vanilla powder works, such as Orgain Organic Vegan Protein.
Helpful Tips
Give the chia egg time to set. Stir the chia seeds into the water and let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes until it turns thick and gel-like. It holds everything together just as well as a traditional egg, and chia seeds are packed with nutrients, so you're sneaking in a little health boost too.
Grind the oat flour finely. All you need are rolled oats and a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until the oats become a fine powder with no large flakes left. Coarse flour makes a crumbly dough that's harder to roll.
Don't skip the chill. The dough is soft and sticky right after mixing. Twenty to thirty minutes in the fridge lets the oat flour soak up the extra liquid, so the mixture firms up enough to roll into neat balls.
Roll with damp hands. Lightly wet your hands before rolling each ball so the dough doesn't stick to your palms. Then roll each ball in the oats and press gently so the coating stays put while baking.
Adjust the sweetness to taste. These bites are pleasantly sweet but not sugary. For a sweeter treat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more maple syrup or an extra handful of raisins.
Variations
- Nut-free. The recipe has no nuts, so just use oat or soy milk as the non-dairy milk and check that your protein powder is made in a nut-free facility. That makes them a good fit for school lunchboxes.
- Chocolate chip. Swap some or all of the raisins for ⅓ cup of dairy-free mini chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chips. Pumpkin and chocolate are a classic pairing, just like our pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.
- Protein powder swaps. Pea, brown rice, or a plant-based blend all work. Unflavored powder keeps the pumpkin front and center, and a chocolate powder turns them into chocolate-pumpkin bites. If your powder is very absorbent, add a splash more non-dairy milk. You can also leave the powder out entirely.
- Extra seeds. Add 2 tablespoons of hemp hearts or chopped pumpkin seeds for a bit more protein and crunch.
- Nut butter version. Stir in 2 tablespoons of almond or peanut butter with the wet ingredients for a richer bite, or try our almond butter protein balls. Skip this one if you need them nut-free.
Serving Ideas
These pumpkin protein balls are made for grab-and-go moments: a quick breakfast bite with coffee, a pre- or post-workout snack, or an afternoon pick-me-up. Two or three alongside a piece of fruit and a smoothie makes an easy on-the-go breakfast.
For a cozy fall treat, serve them warm with a mug of homemade vegan pumpkin spice latte. They're also a nice addition to a holiday dessert board next to cookies, fruit, and a bowl of pumpkin seed butter for dipping.
Storing & Freezing
Let the protein balls cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. They're great straight from the fridge, or let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly.
They also freeze well. Freeze them on a tray in a single layer until solid, then move them to a freezer bag or container and keep them in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for about 20 minutes. To warm them up, a few minutes in a 300°F oven does the trick.
More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
If you love pumpkin season as much as I do, you need to try these recipes too:
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- Vegan Pumpkin Waffles
- Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Pancakes
- Vegan Oatmeal Energy Bites
- Tasty Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Protein Balls
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup rolled oats for coating
- 2 cups homemade oat flour from 2⅓-2½ cups rolled oats (see step 3), or store-bought
- ⅓ cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tablespoon chía seeds
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree canned or homemade, not pumpkin pie filling
- ⅓ cup maple syrup add 1-2 tablespoons more for a sweeter bite
- 3 tablespoon non-dairy milk oat or soy milk keeps them nut-free
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup vanilla protein powder vegan, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Make the chia egg: stir the chia seeds into the water in a small bowl and let it sit for 10-15 minutes, until thick and gel-like.
- Make the oat flour: blend 2⅓-2½ cups of rolled oats in a high-speed blender or food processor until finely ground, which gives you about 2 cups of oat flour. (This is in addition to the ⅓ cup of rolled oats used for coating.) You can use 2 cups of store-bought oat flour instead.
- In a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together until smooth: pumpkin puree, non-dairy milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and the chia egg.
- Add the raisins, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt, and stir to combine.
- Add the oat flour (and the protein powder, if using) and stir until no dry streaks remain. The mixture will be soft and sticky.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a reusable silicone lid and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, so the oat flour absorbs the excess liquid and the mixture firms up enough to roll.
- With lightly damp hands, roll the mixture into 20 balls (about 1½ tablespoons each). Roll each ball in the ⅓ cup of rolled oats, pressing gently so the oats stick, and set them on the prepared tray.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the oat coating is lightly golden. Let the balls cool on the tray for 10 minutes; they firm up as they cool.
Leave a Comment!