Apricot & Pumpkin Seed Snack Balls

Name: Apricot & Pumpkin Seed Snack Balls
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 100 g Oats ((porridge or jumbo)); 75 g Pumpkin Seeds; 100 g Apricots ((dried, ideally natural brown & unsulphured)); 60 g Sunflower Seed Butter; 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract ((liquid or powder)); 1/3 tsp Salt ((sea salt or Himalayan)); 30 ml Oranges ((fresh or ready squeezed juice plus zest))

I created these apricot and pumpkin seed bliss balls for busy parents who need easy and healthy snacks to feed their tribe. These little balls of goodness are perfect for lunch boxes, and you can also pop them in your kids’ snack boxes ready for pick-up after a busy day at school.

I have used un-sulphured dried apricots, which have a lovely caramel taste, instead of the bright orange ones preserved with sulphur dioxide. Dried apricots provide iron, potassium, vitamin A and fibre, so they offer much more than just sweetness. Pumpkin seeds are powerhouses of nutrition, containing magnesium, iron, manganese and zinc, as well as tryptophan.

It can be difficult to find snacks to suit those with allergies and food sensitivities, which is why I have made these snack balls nut-free, dairy-free, soya-free and egg-free. They can also easily be gluten-free if you use certified gluten-free oats.

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Apricot & Pumpkin Seed Snack Balls

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Chilling time 30

Total Time 50

Course Lunch Boxes & Picnics, Snacks & Treats

Servings balls

Calories 76 kcal

Suitable for Special Diet (or adaptable) Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Low-sugar, Nut-free, Sensory, Vegan, Vegetarian

Ingredients

100 g Oats (porridge or jumbo)
75 g Pumpkin Seeds
100 g Apricots (dried, ideally natural brown & unsulphured)
60 g Sunflower Seed Butter
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract (liquid or powder)
1/3 tsp Salt (sea salt or Himalayan)
30 ml Oranges (fresh or ready squeezed juice plus zest)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170°C (conventional) or 150°C (fan). Spread the oats and pumpkin seeds on a baking tray and toast for 8–10 minutes, shaking the tray halfway through, until the oats smell nutty and the seeds begin to pop. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Put the cooled oats and two thirds of the toasted pumpkin seeds into a food processor. Blitz for about 30 seconds until they form coarse crumbs. Set the remaining third of the pumpkin seeds aside.
Add the apricots, sunflower seed butter, vanilla and salt. Process for 1–2 minutes until the mixture starts to clump together.
Add the orange juice and zest a little at a time, pulsing between additions, until the mixture holds together when pressed between your fingers. You may not need all the juice.
Add the remaining pumpkin seeds and pulse a few times until broken into small pieces, retaining a little texture.
Take around a dessert spoon of mixture and squeeze it firmly in your palm to bring it together, then roll it into a ball. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.

Notes

If your apricots feel firm or leathery, soak them in just-boiled water for 10 minutes, then drain well and pat dry before using. Allow extra preparation time for this.

You can use the juice and zest from a satsuma or tangerine if you don’t have an orange.

We like to use roasted sunflower seed butter but you can use tahini (sesame paste), almond butter or cashew butter instead, provided sesame or nuts are suitable for those eating them.

For bars instead of balls, press the mixture firmly into a lined loaf tin. Chill for 1 hour instead of 30 minutes, then cut into 12 fingers.

Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free porridge oats.

Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost before eating.

This recipe was first published on 3rd January 2017 and was updated in 2026

Nutrition

Calories: 76kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.003gSodium: 49mgPotassium: 84mgFibre: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 127IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mgManganese: 1mgMagnesium: 51mgZinc: 1mg

Per serving. Nutrition content in food is never consistent, so take these estimates with a pinch of salt! Also, our recipes tend to use low-GI carbs and sugars, so these values are not directly comparable with shop-bought UPFs.

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