Pumpkin Energy Balls

’tis the season for EVERYTHING pumpkin and these balls didn’t disappoint.  We made them for a treat on our Urban hike and everyone loved them, well except for the few that did not like pumpkin!  You can share these with your dog IF you leave the chocolate out!   They  are super simple and they make a ton so the first time that I made them, I halved the recipe.

I make small, bited sized balls so this recipe made 5 dozen!

Ingredients

• 3 cups dry, uncooked oatmeal (I used gluten-free thick cut oats)
• 1 cup all-natural Pumpkin Puree ( I used canned ) 
• 1 cup all-natural Peanut or Almond butter  ( I used half of each ) 
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup or raw honey ( I used honey ) 
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice  ( I used ginger & a little nutmeg ) 
• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 4-6 Tbsp ground flax seeds  ( I used 6 Tbsp )
• 1 cup small chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, chopped peanuts, coconut flakes, or any combination of mix-ins that equal 1 cup total.  ( I used walnuts & shredded coconut ) 
• 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips. You could use dark chocolate/cacao pieces, or just skip them altogether.  ( I skipped them so we could share with the dogs! ) 

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients together in a medium bowl until very thoroughly mixed.
2. Roll into balls of about 1″ in diameter ( mine were a bit smaller ).
3. Place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper & freeze one hour.
4. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Source:  Cleanfoodcrush.com