I love the fall. It’s my favorite time of year; it always has been. Here in Southern California you don’t necessarily know it’s fall by the weather, though this year has started out way more fall-like than it did last year (it was in the 80’s through Thanksgiving last year – this may not sound like a complaint to some, but it is). You know it’s fall when you start seeing pumpkin everywhere. Starbucks brings out pumpkin kind of early (the beginning of September). For me, when I see sugar pumpkins on display at grocery stores, I know it’s fall.
I was delighted when I saw some mid-October when I stopped at Trader Joe’s on a whim. I had forgotten that I used to buy sugar pumpkins on an annual basis, roast them and then freeze the pumpkin puree for later use. My first order of business with my newly roasted pumpkins cooling on my stove? Find a doable pumpkin cookie dough bite recipe. I found one that looked at Well Plated.
ingredients.
- 5 or 6 large Medjool dates (about half a cup)
- ½ c. nut butter (I used cashew)
- 2 + 1 c. old fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ c. coconut or brown sugar
- ⅓ c. walnuts
- 1 c. almond meal
- ½ c. pumpkin puree
- 4 T. pure maple syrup,
- 2 T. chia seeds
- 2 T. hemp seeeds
- 2 T. ground flax seed
- 1 scoop raw chocolate protein powder
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ c. mini chocolate chips
- ¼ c. cacao nibs
directions.
- If the dates are dry or hard, let soak in hot water for 10 or 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Transfer the dates to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until the dates are in small pieces and form a sticky ball.
- Add 2 cups of oats, nut butter, walnuts, pumpkin, sugar, maple syrup, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, almond meal, protein powder and salt. Pulse to combine. The oats and nuts should be in small pieces but not completely smooth. The dough should be rather stiff. Add the last cup of oats, cacao nibs and chocolate chips and pulse to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (I refrigerated overnight). With a spoon, scoop the mixture then roll it into balls that are roughly the same size. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator (up to 2 weeks) or freeze (for up to 2 months).
I’m terrible at following recipes sometimes and this was one of those times. I decided I wanted to add a few items to the recipe and sometimes when you add a few items you have to make adjustments here or there. The recipe I have written above is the recipe I used … to the best of my knowledge. I was throwing more of this and more of that in there (left and right!) trying to get cookie dough consistency. The end product turned out fine. Good even. But I felt like the color was anemic. Could have been the pumpkins’ fault. One of the pumpkins I got looked a bit anemic on the inside.
I got 24 balls from this recipe which come in at 181 calories, 3.6 g fiber, 5.3 g protein and 10.6 g sugar, each.
Cheers to fall weather, sweaters and pumpkin everything.
Food Snob 