Cinnamon Roll Energy Balls
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Cinnamon roll energy balls are an easy, delicious, no-bake treat! They’re soft and chewy, sweetened with dates, and spiced with warm cinnamon. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and made with 6 ingredients including cashews and oats. Reminiscent of real cinnamon rolls, they’re a healthy alternative to the traditional breakfast pastry. Enjoy them as an on-the-go breakfast, snack, or nutritious dessert!
What happens when you’re craving gooey cinnamon rolls but you’re trying to eat less sugar? Cinnamon roll energy balls. That’s what happens. And, wow, they’re truly delicious! As an avid lover of all things cinnamon, and a self-confessed energy ball addict (this marks my 15th energy ball recipe on the blog), I knew this combo would become a new favorite.
Sweet medjool dates are paired with warm cinnamon, roasted cashews, oats, vanilla, and a dash of salt. All 6 ingredients come together in just 5 minutes to form sweet, soft, chewy balls that are reminiscent of cinnamon rolls. They’re like the real thing, but without all of the flour, butter, and refined sugar. Instead, each ball is packed with fiber, nutrients, and healthy fats. Grab one (or two, or three!) as a pre-workout snack, post-workout fuel, or to satisfy your sweet tooth after dinner.
These cinnamon roll energy balls are:
- Vegan, no-bake, gluten-free, dairy-free, and oil-free
- Quick and easy // made in 10 minutes or less
- Naturally sweetened with medjool dates
- A healthy dessert recipe // no added sugar
- Made with 6 ingredients
- Great for meal prep and on-the-go snacking
- Freezer-friendly
What ingredients are in cinnamon energy balls?
- Cashews: You can use raw or roasted cashews. They contain healthy fats and several nutrients like copper, magnesium, zinc, iron, and selenium.
- Dates: Medjool dates are a key ingredient in most energy ball recipes. They’re a sticky-sweet fruit that creates a soft, chewy texture. So delicious!
- Oats: Oats come in several varieties: quick, rolled, and steel-cut. For these cinnamon energy balls, use quick oats. If you’re following a strict gluten-free diet, double check to make sure your package states certified gluten-free.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is essential for the warm cinnamon-roll flavor.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract helps to sweeten the flavor and provides a nice aroma.
- Salt: Just a dash is needed.
How to make no-bake cinnamon roll bites
For the full ingredients list and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to view the recipe card below.
First, combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. This includes cashews, oats, medjool dates, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt.
Next, process the ingredients until a nearly-smooth, sticky dough forms. This should take a few minutes. Note: See tips below if your dates are too dry, causing the mixture to not stick together.
After, use a mini cookie scoop or a tablespoon to separate the dough into 13-15 rounds. Using clean hands, roll each round of dough into a ball. Enjoy!
Tips for perfecting this recipe
Use soft medjool dates. Whenever you’re creating a no-bake recipe, it’s always best to use soft dates. If your dates are quite dry and hard, you may need to add more moisture to the recipe. If you’re having a difficult time getting a sticky dough to form, simply add 1 tsp melted coconut oil to the food processor. Alternatively, you can just toss in a few extra dates.
Quick oats are the best option. You can find a few varieties of oats at your grocery store – including steel-cut, rolled, and quick oats. I recommend using quick oats for this recipe. Do not use steel-cut oats, as they need to be cooked first.
Use raw or roasted cashews. Either raw cashews or roasted cashews can be used. If your cashews are already salted, remember to use less salt in the recipe. Otherwise, they may taste a bit too salty.
Store the cinnamon energy balls in a sealed container. I keep mine at room temperature, but you can place them in the refrigerator for a chewier treat. They are freezer-friendly, too! They’ll keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
More energy balls with oats and dates
If you try these Cinnamon Roll Energy Balls, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Instagram and YouTube!
PrintCinnamon Roll Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 14 energy balls 1x
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Cinnamon roll energy balls are no bake, healthy, raw, vegan, and gluten-free. Believe it or not, they taste just like gooey cinnamon buns! These energy bites are made with dates, oats, and cashews, It’s an easy snack recipe that’s great for kids, meal prep, and can be enjoyed as dessert. #energyballs #energybites #cinnamonrolls #cinnamon #nobake #healthysnack #snackrecipes #snackideas #dates #cashews #snack
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup medjool dates, tightly packed (~15 dates)
- 1/2 cup oats, preferably quick oats
- 1 + 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt, less if your cashews are salted
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor.
- Process the ingredients until a nearly-smooth, sticky dough forms. See notes if your dough isn’t sticking together.
- Use a mini cookie scoop or a tablespoon to scoop the dough into 13-15 rounds. Roll each round of dough into a ball. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t forget to pit the medjool dates.
- If your dates are dry and hard, you may have a difficult time processing the ingredients into a sticky dough. If this is the case, simply add 1 tsp melted coconut oil. Alternatively, add in a few extra medjool dates.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ball
- Calories: 135
- Sugar: 16g
- Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
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My son is allergic to cashews (peanuts and pistachios) any other nut I can use instead?ย
Hi Erica! You could try using almonds and/or pecans instead. It will change the texture a little bit, so feel free to play around with the quantity of the other ingredients. You may find that you need a couple more medjool dates to get the dough sticky!
Truly mind blowing and delicious! How do you store them?
So glad you love these cinnamon roll energy bites, Tara! Thank you for your 5 star review ๐ I keep them stored inside a sealed container (or sealed ziplock bag) in the refrigerator.
Easy to make and taste great!ย
Awesome to hear you enjoyed these cinnamon roll energy bites, Laura! Thank you! ๐
Ohmygoodness!! These are amazing! ย I used oats with flax flakes and added some Maca powder and ashwagandha powder and increased the cinnamon to offset any bitterness the ashwagandha may cause. No coconut oil was needed. These are amazing! ย
I’m so happy to see this wonderful review, Teri! Excited that you enjoyed these cinnamon roll energy bites ๐
oh my God … this sounds PERFECT โฅ I will make it as soon as I buy oats on Tuesday
Aw thanks so much, Angie! I hope you enjoyed them and I can’t wait to hear your feedback after you make them! ๐
Delicious and so easy. Big hit with the whole family.
Aw thanks so much, Anne! So happy you and your family enjoyed these cinnamon roll energy bites ๐
โฆand just like that I will never bake a cinnamon roll again!
Outstanding recipe- taste exactly like cinnamon rolls! Healthier and easier too!
Thank you โบ๏ธย
I will be making these for the rest of my days ๐ฅฐ
Aw I am so happy to hear you loved these cinnamon roll energy bites, Kayleigh! Thank you for sharing! Enjoy ๐
Hello i was wondering if i can replace oats with another ingredient, since i cannot eat oats and im gluten intolerant ๐
Hi Sara! You could try replacing the oats with almond flour instead. I would suggest using 1 cup!
These were great! Simple, easy and tasty. I did not have medjool dates, so I used raisins instead. They turned out just as good and tasted more like oatmeal cookies.
Thank you for sharing, May! I’m glad these turned out well with raisins ๐
I think these are delicious and I add a couple of comments just to share. I found 10 dates were more than a packed cup, but even so my mixture was dry. I hesitated to process it to a dough because I was afraid it would get gummy, but found a wet crumb was sufficient to press into balls. I did end up adding a couple of T of oil as well. I made two batches and to my taste the first batch was a bit too salty; I halved the salt in the second batch and there was not quite enough to punch the flavor. Since salt is such a personal preference, I suggest adding a smaller amount, tasting, adding more, tasting, etc until it tastes right to you. Lastly, Kaylie said in a comment to add an โextraโ dash of maple syrup which confused me at first – I had to go back and re-read the recipe for syrup. No syrup, so I think she just meant it as an extra ingredient, not to mean more. They are perfectly sweet as is and quite rich so if you have any restraint ๐ a batch will last awhile. My batches made about 18 walnut sized balls and thatโs with a lot of tasting along the way. My dog enjoyed one too and we agree itโs a 5-star recipe!
Thank you for such a detailed comment, Heather! I appreciate it. Enjoy these cinnamon roll energy bites! ๐
I have vanilla and cinnamon protein powder – could I add a scoop of this instead of the cinnamon and vanilla?
Hi Toni! No, I wouldn’t recommend doing that. Two scoops of protein powder will create an entirely different in texture and flavor than ground cinnamon and vanilla extract. It will also make the dough very dry. If you want to add a scoop of protein powder, feel free to try it… but just know that you’ll need to add more moisture into the recipe then. This could be done by adding an extra dash of maple syrup or several extra medjool dates. ๐
These are Amazing! Taste exactly like a cinnamon roll!! So yummy!! Thanks for the recipe! They are my favorite bliss/energy ball of all time!
Thanks so much, April! ๐
I have maple syrup but no datesโฆ.can I sub that out? I know itโs not as healthy.
Hi Susan! You must use medjool dates for energy ball recipes. They are the most important ingredient! Medjool dates are a natural sweetener and bind all of the ingredients together.
These are so delicious. Had to add a few more dates to make them form together. Popped them into the freezer and a hour later… perfection! Defiantly will be rotating this desert recipe. Thank you!!
Thank you, Tyra! Great idea to store them in the freezer for a chilled treat. Enjoy! ๐
These are sooooo delicious and ADDICTIVE! I had to try to not eat them all at once bwahahah! I’ve made them 3 times nice, so delicious and easy to make!
Thank you so much, Ally! Lol, I don’t blame you! I agree that these are so addictive ๐ Enjoy!
I was skeptical that these would taste like cinnamon rolls but they really do! Theyโre delicious and I just got done making a second batch!
Thank you so much, Melissa! I know – it doesn’t look like they would actually taste like cinnamon rolls, does it? ๐ So glad you enjoyed them!
WHOA!! These are literally so amazing, they taste exactly like you’re eating a cinnamon roll! I’m seriously blown away. I’m making more asap and doubling the recipe for sure. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Thank you so much, Madeline!! I’m super happy to hear you loved these cinnamon roll energy balls ๐ Enjoy! xo
Definitely easy to make them! I added some chocolate chips and they wer absolutely delicious! Thank you for all your recipes!