Because I am basic, and I am proud!! While I love a fall sweet treat filled with butter, caramel and flour, I also love a sustaining energy bite that I can grab in between meetings, before the gym, or in between meals to give me a sustaining, fiber-filled form of energy. It’s called balance! And both things can be delicious. And both things take care of your body. I will die on that hill. So that’s where these Pumpkin Spice Brownie Energy Bites fit in.
So welcome to my post about them! These easy bites are one of my favorite recipes to make in the fall, because I always seem to have a surplus of canned pumpkin lying around, and because I love injecting a bit of brownie energy into my date balls.
These balls use primarily dates as their sweetener, which I love, because dates also give me such a burst of energy and are great for digestion. The other elements that tie the recipe together are flax, a natural binder, pumpkin, which adds moisture and flavor, cocoa powder, a touch of maple syrup, and pumpkin spice. And trust me, pumpkin spice and chocolate go WONDERFULLY together. It’s like a fall treat and Christmas cookie flavor crossover…just with fudgey brownie energy.
Table of contents
Ingredients you will need for this recipe
I call this a “batter” because it’s sticky like a brownie batter, but once you let it chill, it firms up into a very nice cookie dough consistency.
Here is everything you will need for it:
- 2 cups medjool dates, 255 grams / 9 ounces
- 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, 21 grams / .75 ounces
- 1 cup ground flaxmeal, 85 grams / 3 ounces
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée, 113 grams / 4 ounces
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or a mixture of cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg and clove)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons warm water, if needed
And then optional, for dusting:
- 2 teaspoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
How to prepare these pumpkin spice brownie bites
The beauty of these pumpkin spice brownie energy bites is you do NOT need a food processor to make them. You just need some hot water, some patience, and a fork!
To make these, follow the instructions below:
- First, pit and halve the dates. Add them to a heat-proof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Drain the dates, but reserve 2 tablespoons of the hot water.
- Add the 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, the 1 cup of flax, the 1/2 cup of pumpkin purée, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pumpkin pie spice. Use a fork to mix this into a smooth, batter-like texture.
- Add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and the reserved 2 tablespoons of hot water and continue to mix. Taste and add more salt as you prefer.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop the batter into 16 equal sized balls. Chill these in the freezer for 20-30 minutes, or until they are firm enough to roll.
- Roll the balls into smooth circles. This is optional, but you can mix together 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small dish and dust each ball with the mixture. This will make them look like small truffles.
- Store the balls in the fridge and enjoy as you please! They will keep for up to one week.
And that’s it for these Pumpkin Spice Brownie Energy Balls!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Pumpkin Spice Brownie Energy Balls
Equipment
- 1 cookie scoop optional
Ingredients
- 2 cups medjool dates 255 grams / 9 ounces
- 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder 21 grams / .75 ounces
- 1 cup ground flaxmeal 85 grams / 3 ounces
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée 113 grams / 4 ounces
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or a mixture of cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg and clove
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons warm water if needed
- 2 teaspoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional, for dusting
- 2 teaspoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- First, pit and halve the dates. Add them to a heat-proof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Drain the dates, but reserve 2 tablespoons of the hot water.
- Add the 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, the 1 cup of flax, the 1/2 cup of pumpkin purée, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pumpkin pie spice to the drained dates. Use a fork to mash this into a smooth, batter-like texture.
- Add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and the reserved 2 tablespoons of hot water to the bowl and continue to mix. Taste and add more salt as you prefer.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop the batter into 16 equal sized balls. Chill these in the freezer for 20-30 minutes, or until they are firm enough to roll.
- Roll the balls into smooth circles. This is optional, but you can mix together 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small dish and dust each ball with the mixture. This will make them look like small truffles.
- Store the balls in the fridge and enjoy as you please! They will keep for up to one week.
Cathy Wagner says
Oh my gosh. Just found you on Substack…. Have I been living under a rock?! Always looking for good energy.. bites. 😉 Your recipes are soooo fun and delicious looking. Congrats on the book!! I’m ordering one. But why don’t you give us the nutritional facts?!? I count my macros and it would be so great if you did. 😘
Justine says
Hi! And thank you so much 🙂 I only don’t do nutritional information because it’s a bit harmful to me (I used to have a pretty serious ED), but if you want them I’ve found fitness trackers have a place where you can input the calculations and find the macros!
Maggie Buckanavage says
Thank you- from one in recovery to another. Looking for recipes to incorporate variety has been a bit daunting because of that very reason. I have made a few of your recipes and you always knock it out of the park.
Justine says
This means so much to me, I’m so so glad you enjoy these <3
Annie says
Do you do anything with the dates?! Or just use the water..?
Justine says
You soak them! And that should soften them up the perfect amount to mash into everything 🙂
Rebbeca Miller says
I think these treats will be really special. They are chillin’ in the fridge while I write this. It would help if you added instructions for the dates. It looks as though you forgot to add them to the batter. I really love all your super creative and healthy recipes!
Justine says
Hi there! I added the words “to the bowl with the drained dates” so you don’t have to infer it! I’m sorry for thinking people would assume that that’s where the word “add” directed them to! Thank you for the note!
Linny says
Any recommended substitutions for the flaxmeal? Looking forward to experimenting!
Justine says
That’s the binder of the recipe, so unfortunately I don’t have any great subs at the moment, but I’ll look into it!
Dana says
Just wanted to share that I substituted with chia seeds(it’s what I had on hand) and it turned out great! These are delicious. I think the chia seeds worked well to bind.
Jennifer says
Really delicious and a great snack. Lovely flavor with the cocoa and cinnamon coating. I added 1/4 c dark chocolate chips for a little crunch!