My final recipe in my healthy Halloween series with Free People this month is for a simple, quick no-bake cookie ball, that is full of delicious fall flavors. Instead of the cut-out cookies and donuts and wayyy too much Halloween candy, why not snack on these? Gluten-free, vegan and sugar-free these no-bake treats will still wow your socks off.

The spicy pumpkin flavor is perfect for this time of year and the whole recipe can be put together from start to finish in about 15 minutes. Plus, you can have fun with these and add in your own favorite extras like coconut, raisins, additional nuts, chocolate chips, powdered sugar or maybe even a drizzle of caramel sauce.

This recipe was originally shared on the Free People Blog, BLDG 25 

[print_this]No-Bake Pumpkin Spice Cookie Balls (Gluten-free, Vegan + Sugar-free)

Makes approximately 18 balls

• 8 Medjool Dates, pitted
• 1/4 cup creamy almond butter
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin purée (canned or fresh, if you use fresh be sure to drain as much water out as you can)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Dash of ground cloves
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup raw walnuts
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut plus more for rolling

Optional Add-ins:

• raisins (I used raisins in half of the recipe, about 1/4 cup)
• additional coconut for rolling
• additional chopped walnuts for rolling
• mini chocolate chips

Add just the pitted dates to the food processor and process for a minute or two until a thick paste forms – if they are quite dry, you may need to add a teaspoon or two of water to get it moving. If they are pureed and form a large ball in the food processor, don’t worry too much, the other ingredients will thin it out. Next, add the almond butter, pumpkin puree, the spices, salt and the vanilla extract. Process for a minute or two again until thick and creamy. Add in the nuts and coconut and pulse a few times until the nuts are chopped and it all comes together into a thick dough. Try to roll a little in your hand, if it is holding together it is ready, if it is too crumbly try adding more almond butter and/or pumpkin. If it is too creamy and sticky, add more nuts and coconut. If you are adding raisins, just fold them in by hand with a spoon or spatula.

Take the blade out of the processor and roll the dough into balls, about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Roll into shredded coconut, if you wish. You should end up with approximately 18 cookie balls. You can eat them right away, or place them in the fridge for a bit to firm up (which is what I prefer).

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