Pumpkin Pie Cottage Cheese Balls
No-bake pumpkin pie protein bites made with cottage cheese and almond flour, dipped in white chocolate.
Prep30 min
CookNone
Chill / rest1 hr 35 min
DifficultyEasy
Makes24 balls
Credit: Original recipe by Nourish with jass. See the original post on Facebook. We link instead of embedding so the creator gets the view.
Our version uses the cleanest organic ingredients, stays gluten-free, and avoids corn wherever we can. The original is shown exactly as the creator posted it.
balls
Our clean version
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic cottage cheese (no added gums)
- 1/3 cup organic pumpkin puree
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour
- 2 scoops clean vanilla protein powder (grass-fed whey, no maltodextrin; check flavoring)
- 2-3 tbsp pure organic maple syrup
- 1 tsp organic vanilla extract (corn-free)
- 1 1/2 tsp organic pumpkin pie spice
- Pinch of sea salt
- Organic white chocolate (check for corn-derived vanillin), for coating
- 1 tsp organic virgin coconut oil
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Method
- Blend the cottage cheese, pumpkin, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth. Mix in the almond flour, protein powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until it comes together as a dough.
- Freeze the dough for 15-20 minutes so it firms up, roll it into balls, and freeze the balls for 1 hour.
- Melt the white chocolate with the coconut oil, dip each ball to coat, and dust with a little pumpkin pie spice. Freeze briefly to set the shell.
What we changed and why
- Many protein powders contain maltodextrin, which is usually corn.
- Many vanilla extracts use corn-based alcohol. Look for one made with cane alcohol, or use vanilla bean powder.
- Iodized table salt usually contains corn-derived dextrose. Sea salt does not.
- Conventional white chocolate often uses artificial vanillin.
Items marked "check" need a quick label read: corn hides in starches, dextrose, and vinegar.
Original as posted
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
- 2-3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Pinch of sea salt
- White chocolate, for coating
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Method
- Blend the cottage cheese, pumpkin, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth, then mix in the almond flour, protein powder, spice, and salt to form a dough.
- Freeze 15-20 minutes to firm up, roll into balls, and freeze 1 hour.
- Coat in melted white chocolate thinned with coconut oil, sprinkle with pumpkin spice, and freeze briefly to set.
Notes from our recipe log: Gluten-free (almond flour base). No-bake dessert.
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Estimated nutrition
Per serving (1 of 24 balls), for our clean version. This is an estimate, not lab tested.
| Calories | 96 |
| Protein | 4.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 6.1 g |
| Fat | 6.3 g |
Based on: About 24 balls, 2.5 tbsp maple syrup, and roughly 3 oz white chocolate for coating, since the source gives no amount.
Gear we use
- High-speed blender (our pick coming soon)
Some gear links may become affiliate links. We only recommend things we use.
Swap ideas
- Cheese: Nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor; Cashew-based cheese
- Cottage cheese: Lactose-free cottage cheese; Blended firm tofu (if soy is OK)
- Maple syrup: Raw honey
- Almond flour: Sunflower seed flour (it can turn green with baking soda; harmless); Tigernut flour
- Whey protein: Organic pea or pumpkin seed protein (dairy-free)
- Chocolate: Carob chips (caffeine-free); Sugar-free chocolate sweetened with monk fruit
