Pumpkin Chai Energy Balls

I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am that it’s pumpkin season again! Even though you can technically eat pumpkin anytime of the year, there’s something about eating it in the fall that makes it taste that much more satisfying and delicious.

The only thing better than eating pumpkin is eating pumpkin with a spicy chai tea. My recipe for Pumpkin Chai Energy Balls combine these autumn inspired ingredients together with a host of other nutritious add-ins including old-fashioned oatmeal, almonds, flax seeds, chia seeds, and of course…pumpkin purée!

These energy balls are completely flour-free, and don’t require any cooking. To give them bulk without making them too gritty, I use both pulverized oatmeal and almond meal. I reserve some of the oats to be left whole so that you still get a bit of chew and texture in each nibble.

When it comes to the chocolate chip addition, I like to add the darkest chocolate chips I can find. Good quality, slightly bitter-tasting chocolate chips make the bold chai flavors stand out and also help to balance out the mild sweetness of the maple syrup. These moist, flavorful bites are perfect as a mid-day pick me up or as a reasonable swap out when you are looking to get a cookie fix. Pumpkin Chai Energy Balls also make an ideal snack before hitting the gym and are convenient to-go treats as they are easy to pack and hold their shape well. If you please, even try enjoying a few for breakfast. You just might have to come back to this ingredient list to remind yourself that you aren’t actually eating dessert!

Pumpkin Chai Energy Balls

Makes 30 balls.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, ground to a meal in food processor

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, left whole

2 Tbsp ground flax seeds

2 Tbsp chia seeds

6 Tbsp chai tea mix (I used Trader Joe’s Spicy Chai Tea Latte)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup pumpkin purée (just from a can)

1/2 cup almond butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

Equipment:

large mixing bowl

mixing spoon

cookie scoop with 1 3/4″ diameter (2 Tbsp)

Directions:

1.)  Place all dry ingredients in the mixing bowl, then lightly toss together. Add the wet ingredients, then mix everything together with the spoon.

2.)  Use the ice cream scoop to scoop out a 2 Tbsp portion of the mixture, then roll it into a smooth ball. Repeat this process to form 30 energy balls. Store the energy balls in a sealed box or bag in the fridge.

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eatmunchlove

yum! And I love that you didn’t use dates because usually energy balls are made with them and they end up being too sweet for me! Could I make it without the maple syrup or would it not stick?

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Bonnie Eng

You could definitely try reducing the amount of maple syrup (try by 2 Tbsp first), any less and they may not hold together as well. You could also try using some mashed bananas instead…it’s really just an “eyeball it” kind of thing…as long as they hold some shape you’ll be good! 🙂

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Bonnie Eng

Thank you so for the kind words Chelsea…my pleasure! I consider these the perfect fall treat…the combination of pumpkin, chai spices, and oatmeal simply can’t be beat! 😉

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Thalia @ butter and brioche

I usually crave something sweet in the afternoon and tend to always pick the most unhealthy snacks to give me a sugar hit and some energy. I definitely will be making these chai energy balls to snack on instead.. they look great Bonnie!

Reply
Bonnie Eng

They are so delicious Thalia…it’s hard to believe that they are packed with so many good-for-you ingredients…hope you can try…thank you! 😉

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platedujour

They look delicious Bonnie! I don’t know how manage to get all this inspiration from tea and other ingredients, I admire that a lot! I agree on the dark chocolate thing, the darker the better! I hope you’re having lovely Sunday xx

Reply
Bonnie Eng

Thank you so much Marta! Luckily, tea is amazingly versatile, so that certainly helps! Hope you are having a lovely Sunday too and thanks for stopping by! 😉

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Ngan R.

These look wonderful, Bonnie, and powerful! I have been on this kick to make protein-packed snacks for my mid-morning and afternoon snacking, but had a disappointing experience with almond bars. I’m excited to try your energy balls now. It must be fate, because you and another blogger buddy posted energy balls today — exactly what I needed for my snacks! 🙂 I love pumpkin, too, in the fall.

Reply
Bonnie Eng

When I made these, I thought of your granola post from a few weeks ago! Energy balls/bites are such a nutritious snack to get you through your day. I love sneaking pumpkin into whatever recipes I can these days…Happy Sunday Ngan! 🙂

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afracooking

Haha, I hear you! Actually I literally thought the same thing this weekend when I was thinking I can finally make pumpkin puree pancakes again 🙂 And these energy balls are a fabulous way to celebrate the start of pumpkin season!

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Patty Nguyen

Oh, I’ve had zero energy since this school year started. Scratch that–make it negative energy. I’ll take several dozen of these balls of yours, Bonnie. I bet they’d do the trick.

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Mina

I made these yesterday without the chai (just because I didn’t have any on hand), and they were absolutely amazing! Two questions though: you mention almond meal in your paragraph above, but it is not included in the ingredient list. Just wondering how much of that I should use. Also, the chai mix is separated 1/4 cup + 2T in the ingredient list, but I’m not sure why. Am I supposed to use the 2T to roll the balls in after they are formed? Thanks!

Reply
Bonnie Eng

Hey Mina! I’m so glad they turned out well for you! They will be that much more amazing with the chai powder the next time around. 🙂 Sorry about the confusion about the almond meal. I made the change on the ingredient list to reflect. As for the chai mix, I’ve changed it to say 6 Tbsp so that there’s no confusion that it should be mixed in. You could try rolling them as you had said–it will just depend not the mix you use and whether or not it is harsh on the tounge (you’ll definitely want to mix it in if it is a stronger chai mix). Hope this helps and thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂

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