Give your little one a taste of pumpkin spice with these healthy pumpkin date balls! Whip up a batch of these delicious snack balls made with wholesome ingredients like real pumpkin, oats, pecans and dates. Not only are they perfect for busy moms, but they are baby led weaning and toddler friendly, too!
This post has been written and medically reviewed by Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist).
Pumpkin Date Balls
As a mom of two babies under 2 when my second was born, I was constantly relying on easy, make-ahead snacks that were deeply nourishing to power me through the busy days, early wake-ups and nursing. It was even better if I could share those snacks with my toddler and baby starting solids. Energy balls were a go-to for me. These pumpkin date balls are at the top of the list for a favorite fall treat! They are super easy to make with just a handful of healthy ingredients that will nourish both mom and little ones, and are sweetened only with dates. The fine texture makes them a great way to introduce pumpkin, pecans, and dates to baby led weaning babies in a safe way. And both you and baby will love the taste of real pumpkin with warm fall spices!
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Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree (100% pumpkin) - you can use canned or homemade
- Dates - I used pitted Medjool dates, but any pitted variety will work
- Rolled oats (also called old fashioned oats)
- Pecans - use raw, unsalted pecans (see 'Recipe Variations' for other options)
- Spices - Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon add a delicious fall flavor
Helpful equipment: Food processor, small cookie scoop
Step By Step Instructions
For the full printable recipe, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- In a food processor, blend the dates, oats, and pecans until ground as fine as possible. It should look like big sand grains or slightly larger.
- Add the pumpkin and spices and blend again, until the mixture comes together into a thick dough.
- Scoop the mixture by the tablespoon and roll into balls. Use wet hands to prevent sticking.
Tips
- If your dates are dry and hard, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes or so. Drain the liquid before adding them to the food processor.
- The dough will be slightly sticky, but not too much. Using wet hand when you roll the balls should help prevent sticking.
- If the dough seems too sticky to hold a ball shape, blend in more oats until it firms up just a little.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Pumpkin: You can also try this recipe with mashed sweet potato
- Pecans: Substitute walnuts or even pumpkin seeds.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, add a mixture of ground cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and/or allspice. Whatever you have on hand will work just fine!
- Other additions: Feel free to add 1-2 tablespoon of chia seeds, hemp seeds, or a splash of vanilla. You can also roll the balls in crushed pecans or finely shredded coconut if you like.
Storage
These snack balls will keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
How To Serve Pumpkin Date Balls To Babies 6 Months and Up
Baby led weaning babies 6 months and older who are developmentally ready for solids can enjoy these little snack balls! Roll them into longer finger shapes instead of balls for baby, as this shape is easier to grasp. Once little ones have the ability to take small bites (12 months or older) you can offer ball shapes - just make sure they are a full tablespoon and not smaller.
More BLW Friendly Pumpkin Recipes
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Baby Friendly Pumpkin Date Balls
Give your little one a taste of pumpkin spice with these healthy pumpkin date balls! Whip up a batch of these delicious snack balls made with wholesome ingredients like real pumpkin, oats, pecans and dates. Not only are they perfect for busy moms, but they are baby led weaning and toddler friendly, too!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 balls 1x
- Category: snack
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups rolled oats
- 4 pitted Medjool dates, or a scant ½ cup pitted dates (see notes)
- ⅓ cup raw pecans
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup 100% pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend the oats, dates, pecans and spices until they are finely ground. You want the texture of large sand grains or slightly larger.
- Add the pumpkin and blend again until the mixture comes together in a thick dough.
- Scoop the mixture by the tablespoon and roll into balls with wet hands to prevent sticking. For BLW babies 6-12 months, you can roll into finger shapes instead of balls.
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Notes
- If your dates are dry and hard, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes or so. Drain them before adding to the recipe.
- The dough will be slightly sticky, but firm enough to hold a ball shape. If it's too sticky, add more oats, just a tablespoon at a time.
- See "Recipe Variations" section above for substitutions for pumpkin, pecans, and pumpkin pie spice.
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