No-Bake Cinnamon Energy Balls
on Oct 10, 2020, Updated Aug 29, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links.
These nut-free and low-fat cinnamon energy balls are easy to make in 10 minutes with just 4 ingredients for a sweet and satisfying cinnamon snack. All you need to make these sweet bites is dates, oats, cinnamon and maple syrup.
About the Recipe
These easy no-bake balls are nut-free, which can be hard to come across in energy ball recipes though I also have these Nut-Free Sunflower Seed Energy Balls. If nuts are ok for you, these Lime Coconut Energy Bites and Chocolate Energy Balls are delicious.
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! Here are all the details:
- Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and nut-free.
- 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 each.
- 10 minute recipe made with 4 ingredients.
- 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!
Ingredients
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. 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
If you 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!
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.
FAQ
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.
Yes, this recipe is naturally gluten-free though make sure to use gluten-free certified oats if gluten cross-contamination is a concern
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.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to comment section below to leave your star rating and review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Low-Fat Cinnamon Energy Balls
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add the oats to a food processor and pulse a few times to break down into a grainy flour.
- 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
- Use your hands to roll the dough into about 20 balls. Option to sprinkle with or roll balls in shredded coconut, cinnamon, cocoa powder or a mixture of cinnamon and coconut sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on July 22, 2017.
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!
These are so delicious! I store and eat them right out of the freezer….so do the kids.
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!