Pumpkin Spice Carrot Cake Energy Bites

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I hope you’re not sick of pumpkin spice season yet. Today’s recipe includes some of fall’s best flavors- root vegetables, pie, and of course, pumpkin spice- all rolled up into tiny balls of energy!

I was inspired to make this recipe during my 2 week rotation with the HyVee grocery store dietitian, my favorite rotation so far. As a way to encourage healthy eating on-the-go, the HyVee dietitians roll “energy bites” in 2 different flavors, Peanut Butter Chia and Monster Cookie, to sell in their stores. These bites fly off of the shelves, and are just one of the many ways that HyVee dietitians promote wellness. During my rotation, other responsibilities included grocery store tours for customers, 1-on-1 nutrition counseling (with doctor referral), employee wellness screens, college health fairs, social media outreach, healthy food demos, evening cooking classes, and weekly lessons for high school students. And that was just in 2 weeks! Needless to say, I loved all aspects of this rotation. So in true HyVee fashion, I came up with an energy bite of my own!

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Pumpkin Spice Carrot Cake Energy Bites

Enjoy these sweet and subtly earthy energy bites for breakfast, dessert, or as an afternoon snack! Packed with healthy fats and whole grains, these bites are a great choice for sustained energy.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 carrots scrubbed (peeled if desired) and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 5 tbsp tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp coconut oil melted
• 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
• 1 tsp ground ginger optional
• Shredded coconut for dusting

Instructions

1. Place carrot pieces in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Next, pulse walnuts and pecans in food processor until finely chopped. Add to mixing bowl.
3. Add rolled oats, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, pumpkin spice, and ground ginger (optional). Stir until combined into a sticky mixture. (Note: if mixture is too dry, consider adding a bit more melted coconut oil.)
4. Roll mixture into bites (about 2 tbsp per bite). In a separate bowl, roll formed bites in shredded coconut until covered.
5. Place bites in a covered container and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour until firm. Bites will keep in fridge for up to 1 week.

Hungry yet?!

Enjoy these beautiful fall days!

-Lizzie