I have to confess I'm always late to get on the pumpkin bandwagon. I'm not typically a trend follower, and naturally have a slight stubborn resistance towards things over-saturated all over the place -- like pumpkin in fall. But I also happen to love pumpkin desserts, and so inevitably each year, seeing #pumpkineverything everywhere I succumb, get some puree, and then can't stop making pumpkin desserts for months :P
These little pumpkin cinnamon nuggets are the result of this year's new pumpkin adventures, which were the result of some leftover puree from this peanut butter pumpkin pie. And although I'm a big lover of the pie, I have to say my preference goes to these homely little sweet pumpkiny bites. They're just that good. Soft, and chewy, cinnamonny... and just plain delicious.
Though unplanned, on one of the batches I made of these (and yes, there have been many) I stuck a few chocolate chips into each one and thought they looked kind of cute with them in. Chocolate + pumpkin + cinnamon are a great flavor combo too, so can't go wrong. But if you prefer a soft, smooth, and uninterrupted textural experience (sounds so fancy, doesn't it? :P), feel free to omit the chocolate -- I've made some batches without it and very much liked these plain too (maybe even preferred it that way to be honest).
Another thing I tried is rolling them in cinnamon sugar. I made a quick sugar mixture from a bit of coconut sugar and cinnamon. It was delish on the balls, and looked adorable. Though to be honest, the balls are already sweet enough on their own, so I favored the plain version in the end. But if you want to change things up and make this you'll need:
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
Just mix them up, spread on a plate, and roll the balls in the sugar.
I was also happy to share these pumpkin cinnamon energy bites with a friend who can't have nutty desserts. She loved them and they also happened to work perfectly for her daughter's school event (nut-free dessert for the win!).
The base of these little balls is coconut flour, which I find can work great for recipes like this. It gives the balls a soft, sweet, and more-ish cookie-dough-meets-cake-balls kind of a texture.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Bites
Prep Time: 20 minutes- Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 21-22 balls
Category: energy bites
Method: no-bake
Cuisine: dessert
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
These no-bake pumpkin cinnamon bites are the perfect way to enjoy a fuss-free simple pumpkin treat. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, paleo, and nut-free.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup coconut flour
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup soft dates, pitted
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
- optional: 2 tablespoon chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bits from a dark chocolate bar of your choice
Instructions
1. Process all ingredients, except for the chocolate chips (if using) in a food processor until the mixture is combined. Let sit for a few minutes.
2. Scoop up approx. 2 tablespoon of the mixture, press a few chocolate chips into it (if using), then roll into a ball. Set aside on a plate, and repeat with remaining mixture.
3. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours for the balls to firm up a little, or enjoy straight away if you prefer.*
Notes
*Store the balls in the fridge.
Made these with the kids for a pre-Thanksgiving snack (they were rather impatient for the pumpkin cake to come... so we had these throughout the day to hold us off). Really delicious and very easy to make. Though the kids' cookie balls looked rather lumpy haha, but nobody minded. They'll work on their rolling skills for next year ;-)
★★★★★
Hi Rokashi, thanks for the lovely feedback. So happy your fam enjoyed these :) As for the shape, practice makes perfect, and I don't know anyone who minds practice with a tasty reward at the end... :D
Don't know what happened, but I suspect it was the pumpkin puree. I used canned puree. I made the coconut flour by pulverizing dried coconut chips in my VitaMix. After I blended all the ingredients, the mixture was so soupy it could not be formed into balls. I have successfully made this type of treat many times before, so I'm guessing the high water content of the pumpkin puree is what accounted for the poor outcome. What do you think?
I may try to make this again but use pumpkin flavoring instead of the pumpkin puree. Do you think that would work?
In the meantime, I have a very tasty mixture for tart/pie filling or as a topping.
★★
Hi Wen, too bad it didn't work out for you. I think the problem is not the pumpkin puree but the diy coconut flour substitution in this case. Coconut flour and ground up coconut chips are not the same thing. Commercial coconut flour is usually de-fatted and has a higher fiber content, which makes it a lot more absorbent. So the flour in this recipe usually soaks up all the liquid and flavor from the pumpkin with ease. I suspect that the coconut chips used were just not absorbent enough, hence the messy soup. I think you can try one of 2 things: try the recipe with your own flour, but with a lot less pumpkin (and maybe with a pumpkin flavor if you've got some) -- I'd add just a bit of the puree at a time and process, and check the consistency. Or, make this recipe with store-bought coconut flour and keep the proportions the same basically. You can still probably salvage the wet mixture you got as a result of the swap you made if you like by adding a bit of regular coconut flour (you'd be surprised at how quickly a few tbsp can dry things out) or possibly a lot of your own DIY version, though I'm not sure how absorbent it is, so it might take a lot...). Let me know if you give this another go -- would like to hear how things turn out.
Can I opt to bake them, if so at what temp?
Thx
Hi Faiza, I haven't tried baking these, so this is just a hypothetical suggestion, but I don't see the harm in giving it a try :) I just wouldn't bake them too long as coconut flour can dry up quickly when baked. I'd start at 375F for 6-10 mins maybe, and just keep an eye on them to make sure they are not burning around the edges, etc. More time for larger cookies, less time for smaller cookies, etc. Would love to hear how they turn out if you give it a try.
I want to make these for my grandchildren and need to transport them across country when flying. Can these be frozen?
Hi Jackie, yes they freeze well.
I'm not a fan of coconut. Do you suggest a specific alternative?
Hi Sara, to be honest, you don't really taste coconut in this recipe. It's well masked by the other flavors. It's used here because of its texture and very high moisture absorbing properties which are hard to find in other flours, so I can't think of a good substitute without playing around with the recipe a while unfortunately. However, there are lots of coconut-free recipes on the site that might suit your taste buds better :) If you go to the main recipes page: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/all-recipes/ you can select the "coconut-free" tab up at the top + whatever other tabs interest you (for example "secretly veggie" for more pumpkin or other veg options, or "candy & fudge" for coconut-free balls, etc.) and see what comes up.
Thank you for posting this. I'll make these this week. They sound so yummy!
Enjoy them, Sara! :)
Can't think of an easier pumpkin dessert recipe than this one! Honestly, it might become dangerous for me because I'll find myself eating them over and over again! LOL!
lol yes, these are dangerously simple :P
Oh I am so going to make these! I even have some pumpkin in the fridge from another recipe.
I love how simple your recipes are! (Your pumpkin baked oatmeal cups are a staple of my fall and winter breakfasts.)
Oops I just realized the baked oatmeal cups I referred to are from another site. It's your raw hemp chocolate recipe that I use all the time!
No worries, Kara -- I was wondering which recipe you meant at first, then realized you must have been thinking of another blog. Great you have pumpkin leftover from something else -- that's exactly how this recipe happened for me :)
Hi! These look good- to clarify, is it 1/2 cup of dates?
Thanks!
Hi Bridget. It is 1/2 a cup of dates. Thanks for the catch (that's what happens when you publish a recipe at midnight... :P). All fixed now.