When your fitness goals and pumpkin cravings are neck in neck, here’s a quick, easy fix: Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Energy Bites. Food is fuel for my active family, as well as something we all love! We have our favorite sports: My husband loves tennis, my daughter hits the surf, and I’m an avid runner. When we need a little healthy boost, these tasty bites, at about 100 calories each, deliver. They are packed with nutty protein, vitamin A-rich pumpkin, Omega-3 and fiber-filled chia seeds, and just a touch of tart and sweet to make the perfect on-the-go snack. They are also gluten and dairy free!

Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Energy Bites

Makes about 18 bites

Ingredients:

I cup all natural pumpkin puree, with no other listed ingredients, just pumpkin (organic is great!)

1 cup nut butter: peanut, almond, cashew, etc

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup of cranberries, very finely chopped

1/2 cup of pecans, very chopped

3 Tablespoons chia seeds

3 Tablespoons maple syrup (Grade A preferred)

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract, each

Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until fully incorporated and smooth. Alternately, put into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. The mixture should ball together and should not be very sticky to touch. Mix in more almond flour, a tablespoon at a time, if the mixture is too wet.

Using a small cookie scoop, form the nut mixture into balls and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, and then, using your hands, roll the balls into a uniform round shape. You could also press on more nuts, chopped fruit, cocoa nibs or coconut flakes on the outside of the bites.

These energy bites can be made with lots of substitutions! You could use any type of nut butter, flax seed instead of chia, ground oats instead of almond flour, honey instead of maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon and nutmeg. Feel free to make them your own!

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