Healthy pumpkin spice balls: no-bake treats packed with good-for-you ingredients

Calling all pumpkin spice lovers! These easy-to-make healthy pumpkin spice balls allow you to enjoy your favorite seasonal flavors without over-indulging.

I’ve learned to embrace my sweet tooth. So much better than fighting it!

Instead of making desserts off-limits—which always made me feel awful—I enjoy small treats daily. Bonus points for me when I can nurture both my taste buds and my body.

Get ready to rack up lots of bonus points with these easy, no-bake pumpkin spice balls.

What makes these pumpkin spice balls healthy?

Most of the 8 ingredients in these healthy pumpkin spice balls boast disease-fighting nutrients and phytonutrients.

Dates add so much sweetness that the entire recipe requires only 2 tablespoons of maple syrup.

I keep fresh Medjool dates in my refrigerator for a sweet after-lunch treat, often with an espresso. Their chewy, sticky sweetness satisfies my cravings, and I feel good about the fiber boost along with blood pressure-friendly potassium and magnesium, and phytochemicals like flavonoids.

We have lots of reasons to celebrate oats, and I encourage my clients and students with prediabetes or high cholesterol to eat them often. Oats (and barley) contain a unique fiber called beta-glucan, which both forms a gel in the intestines and acts as food for our gut microbes. Because of its uncommon properties, beta-glucan improves both cholesterol levels and insulin resistance. Studies find that oats and barley tamp down the blood sugar response after eating and lower LDL-cholesterol levels.

Check out all my favorite foods to prevent diabetes.

Tiny chia seeds look too small to be loaded with so much nutrition! But a mere tablespoon packs 4 grams of fiber. When a student asked me about a fiber supplement, I told her chia seeds were a better option because they’re just as easy as a supplement and have so much more to offer, including a bit of protein and a lot of ALA, an important omega-3 fatty acid.

• Toss some chia into a salad dressing
• Whip up chia pudding
• Sprinkle some in your salad
• Mix chia seeds into oatmeal, yogurt, or cottage cheese
• Google “what can I do with chia seeds” for oodles of ideas and recipes

There is no best nut for your health. All nuts are wholesome and nutrient-dense; each type has a different array of nutrients and phytonutrients. Pecans and walnuts offer different antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Use either one or a combination.

For some tasty, fun ways to enjoy nuts, check out my article about why you should love nuts.

Pumpkin is high in fiber, potassium, and beta-carotene. It’s also low-calorie, with only about 40 calories per half cup. Plus, it can be used straight from the can. My one-year-old granddaughter happily gobbles it up! You have so many ways to use up the leftovers. Mix it into oatmeal, stir it into chili or pasta, or make a savory dip for vegetables and crostini.

Look for every opportunity to jazz up your food with spices. Herbs and spices have the same health-boosting compounds you get in fruits and vegetables, including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and possibly even immune function boosters.

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Balls

4.50 from 6 votes

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Course: Dessert with Benefits

Servings: 18

Calories: 55kcal

Ingredients

• 12 sticky dates such as Medjool or Deglet Noor pitted
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup pecans or walnuts or a combination
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Process the dates in a food processor until you have a sticky mass.
• Add the remaining ingredients: oats, nuts, pumpkin, maple syrup, chia seeds, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. Pulse to combine. The oats and nuts should be in small pieces.
• Roll into 18 balls and store between layers of wax paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. If the mixture is too sticky to shape into balls, refrigerate first for at least 20 minutes.

Notes

Instead of pumpkin pie spice, you can use 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon cloves, and 1/8 teaspoon ginger.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ball | Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g

Check out all my tasty desserts with benefits!