No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Date Balls

These irresistible No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Date Balls are made with graham crackers, canned pumpkin, juicy dates, and then covered in chocolate for a decadent, freezer-friendly, Fall themed dessert! 
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You know I can’t let October go by without publishing something pumpkin. This time, I went full-on dessert and ended up with a decadent truffle copycat made up of dates, graham crackers, canned pumpkin and spices. 

The graham crackers really give it the pumpkin pie feel, getting those crust flavors in there. While not a traditional crust for pumpkin pie, just go with it? It’s delicious, I promise.

What are the ingredients in these No-Bake Pumpkin Spice Date Balls?

If you’re like me and you always have some dates on hand for a sweet treat (that’s technically fruit?!), these should be easy to whip up! If not, you can find dates at most grocery stores by the dried fruit. 

Otherwise, I found the rest of these ingredients in my pantry and fridge! Here’s a rundown of my ingredients used in this recipe:

• graham crackers – Any brand works, I started testing with only 5 crackers and slowly realized the entire sleeve is necessary! 
• medjool dates – I prefer using medjool dates. Buying them with pits and removing pits yourself is the way to go for the juiciest dates! Removing the pits is super easy.
• water – I add a little water in when blending the dates so they process a little better. You can add another tablespoon if your dates are dry, or soak them in hot water for 5 minutes before starting.
• canned pumpkin – AKA pumpkin purée, find the kind with pumpkin as the only ingredient. You only need a little for this recipe so it’s a good one for using up leftovers from another recipe.
• almond butter – This helps everything stick together! Don’t sub for peanut butter, as that will make the flavor a little confusing.
• pumpkin pie spice & cinnamon – Classic pumpkin pie spices. Make sure to use both here.
• vanilla extract – Another ingredient that helps you get that pumpkin pie flavor combo in your mouth!
• chocolate chips & coconut oil – Melt these two together for your chocolate topping! I prefer to cover in chocolate rather than dip in chocolate. So much less messy.

How do you make these Pumpkin Spice Date Balls?

These No-Bake Pumpkin Spice Date Balls do not require any baking or intense mixing, the food processor does it all! The important thing is following the steps in order so you get the right consistency every time.

Here’s a detailed step-by-step description along with photos of how to make these Date Balls. There are four main steps involved.

First, you need to process a couple of ingredients on their own so you can get the consistencies right. Start with the graham crackers. Add them to the bowl of the food processor, and pulse until all the crackers are turned into crumbs. Pour all the crumbs into a bowl and set aside.

There’s no need to clean the food processor bowl. Simply move on to the pitted dates. Add the pitted dates and water to the empty bowl and pulse until a lumpy date paste has formed. Use a spatula or scraper to push down the sides every once in a while.

Once you’ve got the lumpy date paste, add all those pumpkin pie ingredients, except the crumbs. This includes the canned pumpkin, almond butter, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt, all go into the food processor bowl.

Put the lid on and blend until a mostly smooth mixture has formed. Remove the lid and push down the sides as needed. Next, pour in the graham cracker crumbs and blend until a thick, sticky paste has formed. 

Now for the sticky part! Time to roll the balls. Line a small baking sheet or plate with parchment paper. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of mixture into your hands and roll into a ball.

During testing, I found that wetting my fingers with water in between every 2-3 balls helped the mixture not stick to my fingers so much.

The mixture should form about 20-22 balls depending on the size of your dates. Once all the balls are rolled, stick the tray of balls into the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

While the balls are chilling, melt the chocolate and the coconut oil in a small microwave safe bowl. You can do this in the microwave in 10 second intervals, in a double boiler, or on a stovetop warming zone. Stir until completely smooth and melted.

Take the balls out of the freezer and use a spoon to gently cover each ball with some chocolate, letting it run down the sides. Don’t worry, the dripping chocolate will all stay frozen and attached to the date ball!

Before the chocolate hardens, add some themed sprinkles – I went for Halloween colors! Once all the balls are covered with chocolate, place the tray back in the freezer so the chocolate and date balls can harden.

Chill the balls in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving or they will be very soft. Keep stored in the freezer in an airtight container for 3-6 months (but they won’t last that long!). I eat them directly from the freezer!

Testing notes for these Date Balls:

While testing these Pumpkin Spice Date Balls, I noticed a few things I think you should know!

• graham cracker crumbs – you gotta make the crumbs before everything else, if you try to add the graham crackers to the paste and blend them in that way, it will NOT work (x2)
• sticky date pumpkin mixture – this mixture is sticky, and I noticed that using a little cup of water to wet your fingers helped keep it from getting overly sticky and stuck on your fingers.
• freezer is better – these date balls don’t really ever reach a hard/solid state, I’ve found they are delicious directly from the freezer

Alternative customization ideas:

• do a full dip in chocolate instead of just covered
• add totally different toppings instead of sprinkles
• chocolate drizzle, or caramel chip drizzle!

What food processor do you recommend?

For this recipe, I used this Cuisinart 8-Cup Food Processor (affiliate link!). I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I’ve had it for several years and it always gets the job done! I also use it to grate cheese. Such a time saver!

How do you meal prep this sweet treat?

Make the recipe as described and then store in an airtight freezer safe container with a lid! This treat is perfect for making ahead and keeping stored in the freezer to grab whenever.

Is this recipe freezer-friendly?

Yes! I recommend keeping these date balls in the freezer for storage.

How to store, freeze & reheat:

To store: Store these date balls in the freezer for best results. Keep in an airtight freezer-safe container or silicone bag and store in the freezer for 3-6 months.

To thaw: I recommend enjoying these date balls directly from the freezer. They will be soft enough to bite into.

 

Did you make these No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Date Balls? Tag me in your social media post and use #projectmealplan when you share!