During my junior year of high school, one of my senior friends invited me along on her “birthday day” with her parents. They planned to spend the afternoon shopping in upscale stores in San Francisco’s Union Square, followed by a nice dinner at one of their favorite Swiss fondue restaurants.
Mid-morning on that Saturday, they drove over to my house to pick me up, but before hopping on the freeway for the 45-minute drive into the city, we stopped by Starbucks. Although her parents insisted on buying me something, I politely declined since I had just barely finished breakfast when they knocked on my door and still felt full.
We chatted and caught up while waiting for the barista to prepare my friend’s drink. Her parents both opted for regular cups of coffee, with a splash of milk and sprinkle of sugar from the self-serve bar, but my friend ordered a latte, complete with a tall swirl of whipped cream and sprinkle of chocolate shavings, to celebrate her special day.
While it seemed completely natural to her to sip her fancy espresso drink, it felt so strange to me to see… I didn’t realize people started consuming coffee at such a young age! In middle school, my mom jokingly threatened to kick me out of the house if she ever caught me drinking it, mainly because she didn’t want me to become dependent and suffer through caffeine headaches like my dad if he missed his morning mugs, so I waited until partway through graduate school to taste coffee for the first time.
Even then, I kept that a secret from my mom for months!
Now, I absolutely love the flavor of straight black coffee, just like my dad, but… I stick almost exclusively to decaf. (That’s for you, Mom!) I’m really sensitive to the caffeine jitters, so I try to get my quality eight hours of sleep every night instead. Yet every once in a while, my eyelids start to feel heavy midway through the afternoon, so when that happened last week…
I made these Pumpkin Spice Latte Energy Bites as a compromise. They taste just like the iconic Starbucks drink, complete with plenty of pumpkin, spices, and coffee flavors, and they give you a big protein boost to get you through the day!
Pure fall bliss… Yum! ?
The base of these protein bites starts with instant oats and protein powder. Instant oats are also known as “quick-cooking” or “one-minute” oats, and they’re sold in canisters right next to the old-fashioned oats at the grocery store. I’ve started to prefer instant oats in my energy bites because they’re smaller and thinner than old-fashioned oats, so they have a more pleasing texture.
When making this recipe, I tested it with this plant-based protein powder. It’s relatively inexpensive, and I buy it online here. You may substitute other plant-based protein powders, but remember that not all protein powders absorb liquids equally! You may need to add a touch more protein powder if the mixture seems really wet or a hint more pumpkin if the mixture seems too dry.
Note: Do NOT substitute whey-based protein powders. The energy bites will not set, and the mixture will be very sticky and gooey.
For the latte flavor, you’ll dissolve instant coffee into pumpkin purée. Just regular ol’ pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie mix! (Pumpkin pie mix contains refined sugar, which we’re avoiding in this healthy recipe.) This is the instant coffee that I used, and it’s shelf-stable and keeps for ages. You’ll also use it to make my pumpkin spice latte protein overnight oats! It requires quite a bit of stirring for the instant coffee to fully dissolve, so be patient. And of course, it wouldn’t be a PSL without the spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger!
To sweeten your energy bites, you’ll use one of my favorite ingredients: vanilla crème stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s highly concentrated. You just need ½ teaspoon for this entire recipe! This is the kind that I buy because I love its warm flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertastes like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I usually buy mine online here. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Who else is excited about this healthy snack?? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your energy bites and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Pumpkin Spice Latte Energy Bites | | Print |
- 3 scoops (90g) PlantFusion vanilla bean protein powder
- ½ cup (50g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary)
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (244g) pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 ½ tsp instant coffee granules
- ½ tsp vanilla crème stevia, or adjusted to taste
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the protein powder, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, instant coffee, and stevia until the coffee has fully dissolved. (It may require a few minutes of stirring!) Add in the oat mixture, mixing until everything is fully incorporated.
- Divide the mixture into 30 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time, roll the mixture into a small sphere, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer the bites to an airtight container, and refrigerate until ready to eat.
If you prefer, 1¾ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
I highly recommend using the instant coffee granules, if possible. In a pinch, you may substitute extra-strong brewed coffee, but you’ll need to reduce the amount of pumpkin by about double the amount of coffee that you use to compensate for the added liquid.
Any sweetener may be substituted in place of the vanilla crème stevia. However, you may need to adjust the amount of protein powder if the dough is too wet OR add more pumpkin if the mixture is too dry. You’ll need the equivalent of 6-8 tablespoons of granulated sugar. (I highly recommend using the vanilla crème stevia, if at all possible! I buy it here. And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
For more tips and answers to all other questions, including substitutions, see my Protein Powder Recipes: Tips & FAQ page.
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, low sugar, high protein}
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You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥ Pumpkin Spice Latte Protein Overnight Oats
♥ The Ultimate Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte
♥ Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Bites
♥ Skinny Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer
♥ Pumpkin Pie Protein Cookies
♥ Skinny Single-Serving Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mug Cake
♥ The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
♥ The Ultimate Healthy Pumpkin Pie
♥ …and all of Amy’s other pumpkin recipes!
Experimenting with healthier recipes. Is there a smaller or less expensive sub for the protein powder. If family doesn’t react well….very expensive to just try. Need healthier snacks for us and grandson at college, but have to ease them into the changes.
That’s so great that you’re trying to start eating healthier snacks and give them to your grandson too! There isn’t a good substitute for the protein powder in this recipe, but you can find the rest of my snack recipes here. There are lots that don’t use protein powder, so those may be a better option for you and your family right now. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of any of those that you try Janice!
Would you be able to substitute something like hulled hemp seeds or something else for the oats? I’m following a primarily ketogenic diet, and 2 grams of carbs per “bite” is higher than I’d like, particularly if I could bring that down to 1 gram… Perhaps subbing out half the oats? I cannot stand shredded coconut, but anything else is game. Thanks in advance for ideas!
I haven’t tried substituting anything for the oats, but I’m sure you could make something work! You’d want to substitute an ingredient that could absorb some moisture so the bites hold together and have the proper texture. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you try and how it turns out Carly!
This is TOTALLY my kind of snack! I’ll skip the latte any day and have a couple of these bites! No sugar crash and more sustained energy = a happy Marina 😉
This is why I love you… We’re totally twins! ?
I love pumpkin spice lattes, as well as easy on-the-go snacks, so these look brilliant! This is such a good one for if I need to use up some pumpkin, as sometimes I don’t necessarily want to bake a whole thing in the oven, so the fact that these are so simple to make is fantastic for those days where I want a little energy boost!?
Thanks Katie! 🙂 I’m the queen of half-empty cans of pumpkin… So I can definitely relate to what you’re saying! 😉
In the recipe: If you substitute a different plant-based protein powder, you may need to add more protein powder if the dough is too wet OR more milk if the dough is too dry.
I don’t see milk listed anywhere in the recipe other than the above line. In the narrative before the recipe, you mentioned using more pumpkin if the dough is too dry.
Can you clarify?
Thanks for catching that Lea! I’ve updated the Notes section. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the energy bites!
Oh my YUM! I have predictably been craving pumpkin everything as these past couple weeks have been cooler, so these look SOOO yummy!!
Thanks Andrea! 🙂
i have these all prepared…I feel like i need to double check though. no baking required? thanks!
That’s correct — no baking required! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the energy bites Hannah!
I made half the recipe (13x balls) and ate it all for dessert ?
Used a pouch of the Pumpkin-Apple-Amaranth baby food for the puree and added some vegan, sugar-free coffee energy plus gummies for some texture! Yummmm
I’m so glad you enjoyed these energy bites Connie! I love your idea of using baby food for the purée. So creative!! 🙂