Cinnamon Oat Energy Balls (2024)

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posted: 10/10/20 — updated: 10/05/23 by Deryn Macey Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe·4.7 from 15 reviews

These nut-free and low-fat cinnamon energy balls are easy to make with 4 ingredients for a sweet and satisfying cinnamon snack.

These easy no-bake balls are nut-free, which can be hard to come across in energy ball recipes! All you need to make these sweet bites is dates, oats, cinnamon and maple syrup.

These balls are perfectly portable so work well for kids lunch boxes, road trips, hiking, long runs and any snacking on-the-go. They can also be frozen so you always have a little treat on hand!

If you love cinnamon, you’ll love these sweet, soft and chewy energy balls!

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

They’re vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and nut-free. Perfect for those with allergies or other dietary restrictions.
Low in added sugar or can be made sugar-free.
They’re naturally sweetened with dates and are low-fat making them easily digestible. Try them pre-workout or during a long run or bike ride!
Just 80 calories per energy ball!
Easy to make in 10 minutes with just 4 ingredients. No baking needed.
They travel well so they’re great for hiking, camping and busy days on-the-go.
They can be customized with different add-ins and swaps.
They’re bursting with cinnamon flavour!

Ingredient Notes

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

Oats: You can use rolled oats, quick oats, minute oats or large flake oats. The oats can be substituted with nuts such as cashews or almonds.
Dates: Any variety of date works as long as they’re soft and moist. I like medjool and sayer dates the best. If you have dates that are quite dry, you can soak them in hot water before making the recipe.
Maple Syrup: Adds just a touch of extra sweetness and helps mind everything together. You can substitute agave syrup or honey.
Cinnamon: You can use anywhere from 1-2 tbsp of cinnamon. Start with 1 tbsp and taste the batter, if you love a strong bite of cinnamon, add a little more.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1. Add the oats to a food processor and blend into a grainy flour. You don’t need to blend them as far as oat flour but break them down a bit.

Step 2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend into a thick, sticky dough you can easily press between your fingers.

Quick Tip: If your dates were too dry, the dough may be too crumbly to roll into balls. In this case, add 1 tsp warm water and process again. That should do the trick but if no, repeat 1-2 times.

Step 3. Use your hands to roll the dough into balls.

Quick Tip: Don’t want to roll the dough? You can also press it into bars in a baking pan or just leave it crumbled as a “raw granola”. This is yummy to sprinkle over oats, smoothie bowls and yogurt!

Sprinkle the balls with cinnamon or roll in a mixture of cinnamon and coconut sugar or shredded coconut for an extra treat!

Notes and Tips

Dates: It’s essential to use soft, moist dates such as medjool or sayer dates. If your dates are overly dry, soak them (pitted) in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe.
Sea Salt: Optional but I love the way it enhances the sweetness and cinnamon flavour.
Raw Granola: Instead of rolling the blended dough into balls, leave as a crumbly, raw granola. Store in the fridge and enjoy with yogurt or a splash dairy-free milk or crumbled over smoothies bowls and ice cream.
Coating: Try shredded coconut, cinnamon, cinnamon sugar, cocoa powder or a drizzle of melted chocolate. You can also completely coat them in melted chocolate or dunk half of them in melted chocolate and place in the fridge or freezer until set.

Variations & Add-Ins

Add up to 1/2 cup chocolate chips, chopped dark chocolate or mini chocolate chips.
Add up to 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries.
Swap up to 1/2 of the oats for shredded coconut.
Add up to 1 tsp vanilla extract to enhance the flavour.
Add 2-3 tbsp ground flax or chia seeds for extra nutrition.
Try swapping the cinnamon for apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.

FAQ

Can I make cinnamon balls without oats?

Yes. You can substitute the oats with cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans or a mix of nuts. The instructions are the same. Add the nuts to the food processor and break them down into a grainy flour then proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Are cinnamon energy balls gluten-free?

Yes, this recipe is naturally gluten-free though make sure to use gluten-free certified oats if gluten cross-contamination is a concern

Can I make these sugar-free?

Yes. To make these sugar-free (no added sugar), omit the maple syrup and blend in 1-2 tbsp of warm water if the dough is too dry to roll.

You might also like these sugar-free Cinnamon Sugar Balls made with monk fruit, these lime coconut bites, pecan pie bites or chocolate bites.

Storing

Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Freezer: Store in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Room Temperature: If taking to-go, they’ll keep for a few days at room temperature, they’ll get soft though so keep cool for best results.

More Energy Balls

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls: Cashews, dates and chocolate chips.
No-Bake Cashew Coconut Balls: Just 3 ingredients!
Cinnamon Date Coconut Balls: Similar to these ones but with coconut and hemp seeds instead of oats.
Banana Bread Bites: These easy energy balls taste like banana bread!
Sunflower Seed Energy Balls: Another nut-free energy ball option.
Carrot Cake Energy Balls: Similar ingredients to these with added carrot (also nut-free).
No-Bake Pecan Pie Balls Recipe: Just 4 ingredients.

For more easy desserts, you might like these healthy baked pears, 3-ingredient tahini date cookies or healthy pumpkin oat cookies.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Low-Fat Cinnamon Energy Balls

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.7 from 15 reviews

Author: Deryn Macey
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 20
Category: Snack
Method: Food Processor
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan

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Description

These yummy cinnamon energy balls are just 80 calories a pop so you can go ahead and enjoy a couple anytime for a healthy sweet treat. Try them straight from the freezer, yum!

Ingredients

2 cups (200 g) oats
1.5 cups (283 g) packed, pitted soft dates
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt, optional but enhances flavour

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Blend Oats: Add the oats to a food processor and pulse a few times to break down into a grainy flour.
Add Remaining Ingredients & Blend: Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until it forms a thick, sticky dough you can easily press between your fingers. If your dates were on the dry side and the mixture seems too crumbly, you may need to add 1 tsp warm water and process again
Roll into Balls: Use your hands to roll the dough into about 20 balls.
Coat if Desired: Option to sprinkle with or roll balls in shredded coconut, cinnamon, cocoa powder or a mixture of cinnamon and coconut sugar.

Notes

It’s important to use soft, moist dates in this recipe. If your dates are dry, or hard soak them in “just boiled” water for 15 minutes and then drain well before using in the recipe.

Store balls in the fridge for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 3 months. If taking to-go, they’re okay at room temperature for a few days if kept cool.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1
Calories: 80
Sugar: 9 g
Fat: 0.7 grams
Carbohydrates: 18 grams
Protein: 1.7 grams

Originally published on July 22, 2017.

Breakfast Dessert Energy Balls Gluten-Free Low-Fat No-Bake Recipes Snacks

posted by Deryn Macey on October 10, 2020

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55 comments on “Cinnamon Energy Balls”

Lauren A. — January 28, 2024 @ 8:36 am Reply

Just made these as written, and really like them. Shared the recipe with my three kids (18-28 years old) and hope they’ll try them. They’re tasty, filling, and fairly easy to make. I noticed 1 reviewer said their dough came out just crumbs. It’s possible they weren’t processed enough. I used packaged Natural Delights Fresh Medjool Dates and used the 12 oz package. I didn’t time how long it took to process them, but I kept checking on them after a few seconds, then processed some more, maybe four or five times. I didn’t think they’d have been easy to roll into balls before then. By the time I got to the right stiffness, the food processor was struggling, as the dough was clumping up. I stopped then, and they rolled just fine. I’ve popped them in the fridge to eat within 10 days, but I don’t think they’ll last that long. With so many reviewers saying they eat them straight from the freezer, I may freeze a few just to try that. I don’t think they’ll last three months, the max time to be in the freezer, as I enjoy them!
Jessica — January 18, 2024 @ 6:42 pm Reply

These are so delicious! I store and eat them right out of the freezer….so do the kids.
Joanne Haslemore — December 23, 2023 @ 5:51 pm Reply

I have made these for the first time as Christmas gifts this year. They are such a hit! I’m not a big chocolate fan so the cinnamon is perfect. Next time I’ll try the coconut on the outside. Perfect little treat – thanks!