Healthy, No-Bake Pumpkin Spice Bites
Need a quick and healthy snack to satisfy those fall cravings? Try these little bites.
Healthy, No-Bake Pumpkin Spice Bites
by Katie Cullum
Sometimes, you just need a little bite to satisfy a craving. Oh, you may want a whole big helping but do you really need it? These snacks would be a great treat after visiting a pumpkin patch.
That's where mindful eating can come in. As the holidays approach, you may be tempted more often to indulge in more than you need. It's so good, why stop?! If we tend to eat quickly and shove the food in, then we may not be savoring the food. I love these 12 Steps to Mindful Eating from North Carolina State Extension. The last step is one to keep in mind with these Pumpkin Spice Bites - Take One Bite (of special foods & desserts).
Savoring each bite can be so helpful. I love this quote from Lilian Cheung - “By acknowledging and embracing our cravings through a few breaths,” Cheung said in a February 7, 2012 New York Times article, “we can stop the autopilot of reaching out to the pint of ice cream or the bag of chips.” From this Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health article
So you may have some pumpkin spice cravings....and we've been showing you some healthier way to indulge this holiday season. Here's another great recipe to help you out!
Healthy, No-Bake Pumpkin Spice Bites
2 cups oats (rolled or quick, or oat bran or oat flour)
2 Tablespoons granulated sweetener of choice (I used sucralose)
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (see below to make a batch)
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup nut butter (I used peanut but any nut butter would work)
¼ cup honey (or another sticky sweetener)
1 Tablespoon+ milk of choice
Cinnamon and granulated sweetener of choice to coat bites in (optional)
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, sweetener, spices, and mix well.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan on stove, heat your nut butter with the honey until combined. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Pour your wet mixture and pumpkin into the dry mixture and mix well. Depending on consistency, either add milk or extra oats until a firm texture is formed. I didn’t need to add any extra – I just kept mixing well.
- Using your hands, form into small bite-sized balls. Roll balls in optional cinnamon/sugar mixture and place on a baking tray or plate. Refrigerate at least 10 minutes to firm up.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix: make your own batch to keep on hand with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
Nutrition information (serving size: 2 balls or 1/16 of recipe): 97 calories; 3g protein, 16g carbohydrate, 3g total fat.