Fiber-Filled Black Raspberry Pumpkin Balls October 02 2023, 0 Comments

Every October, it's all about pumpkin spice. Everything from lattes to cookies has pumpkin spice. But what about the actual pumpkin? For this recipe, we wanted to focus on the actual pumpkin! Pumpkin is low in sugar, a good source of fiber, and has a ton of vitamins and and minerals like calcium, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin K.

This black raspberry pumpkin ball recipe loads up on fiber with pumpkin, oats, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and of course black raspberry powder to give a big boost of anthocyanin antioxidants to the mix. We also take a traditional pumpkin spice in cinnamon and give it a new pairing with an optional sprinkle of cayenne pepper to bring a hint of heat to each bite. A coating of unsweetened coconut makes them easy to grab for a healthy snack during the day.

Black Raspberry Pumpkin Balls

 

Black Raspberry Pumpkin Balls:

Ingredients (Makes around 12 pumpkin balls):

  • ¼ cup dark chocolate (see notes)
  • 2 Tbsp Black Raspberry powder
  • 1 cup oats
  • ⅓ cup canned pumpkin puree
  •  2 Tbsp almond butter or your favorite nut butter
  •  2 Tbsp chia seeds
  •  2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  •  2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut shreds for coating the pumpkin balls.

 

Instructions:

  • Pulse coconut in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour the chopped coconut in a separate small bowl for coating the rolled pumpkin balls later. You can also coat the balls in finely chopped nuts if you prefer. 
  • Pulse all ingredients (except coconut) in a food processor until well-mixed.
  • Roll the mixture into walnut sized balls and then coat balls in the bowl of finely chopped coconut.  Store the balls in the freezer or refrigerator.

 

Notes:

  1. If you are buying canned pumpkin puree, make sure it is puree and not pumpkin pie mix (which has spices and sugar added).
  2. If you want to make these pumpkin balls even healthier, take a bar of 70%+ dark chocolate and add it to the food processor with the rest of the ingredients to break it into smaller pieces. Dark chocolate chips are usually only 50% dark chocolate!
  3. The cayenne pepper should not be "hot" but add just a little warmth to the flavor of the pumpkin balls. If you are sensitive to spice, adjust the cayenne pepper and cinnamon to your taste.
  4. The mixture should come together in the food processor, but may be a little crumbly until forming the balls. If the mixture is very crumbly, add a teaspoon or two of water or juice.