Pumpkin Energy Balls

October's featured veggie is PUMPKIN at Veggie Buds Club, and we are very excited to bring you a recipe from Stephanie Middleberg's new cookbook, "The Big Book of Organic Toddler Food" for this week's post!

Stephanie Middleberg, MS, RD, CDN, is one of New York City's most sought-after health experts and the bestselling author of "The Big Book of Organic Baby Food". The founder and owner of Middleberg Nutrition, she and her team of registered dietitians offer nutritional counseling and cooking classes to individuals and families as well as consulting, advising, and planning services to food companies. When she isn't working with her clients or media outlets, Stephanie enjoys eating and playing with her young children, Julian and Remi, jogging with her husband, Andrew, and concocting recipes in the Middleberg Nutrition Test Kitchen. Follow or connect with Stephanie online: Middleberg Nutrition, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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Pumpkin Energy Balls

These no-bake pumpkin balls are tasty, and they freeze well so they're perfect on-the-go snacks your toddler (and probably everyone else in your family) will enjoy. I also find with energy bites that you can really add anything to them. Check what's in your pantry - these would be excellent with shredded coconut, dried fruit, or cacao powder added in. Use gluten-free oats to keep them gluten- and allergen-free.

Serves 10 to 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup sun butter
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Pinch sea salt

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, sun butter, pumpkin puree, flaxseed, honey, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, mixing well.
3. Form the mixture into 1-tablespoon balls and place on the prepared tray. Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and store, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

Substitution Tip: For vegan, you can replace the honey with 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup. You may need to add up to 1/4 cup more of the oats to adjust the texture of the balls.