Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Oatmeal Balls (With Protein!)
These no bake brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal balls are a delicious grab and go snack or end of the night treat. Loaded with the classic brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal ingredients, these oatmeal balls are full of cozy flavors yet are mixed with an unflavored collagen protein powder for a protein spin on the classic breakfast.
I’m no stranger to fun flavors in my morning bowl of oats. That said, of all the ways that you can serve oatmeal, I always find myself partial to the classic brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal recipes. Sweet brown sugar and spicy cinnamon combined with creamy oats will always give you a cozy bite!
With my love for these classic flavors, I have found a way to present them in many forms including my cinnamon overnight oats and brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal bars. It’s only natural that I also found a way to make them grab and go with these brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal balls.
These brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal bites feature all of the classic ingredients that you would find in a bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar and cinnamon, but in a convenient grab and go form. Oat flour and oats mixed with other cozy ingredients then tossed in a light cinnamon sugar topping make these oatmeal balls perfectly sweet and super delicious.
Beyond their portability, these cozy oatmeal balls are also mixed with unflavored collagen powder to give them a nice protein boost that you won’t even know is there! Prep them as a snack or enjoy them at the end of the day as a sweet tooth treat… either way, your taste buds will thank you.
Let’s get to the recipe!
Why you’ll love these brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal balls:
You and your family will love these cozy oatmeal balls with brown sugar and cinnamon flavors because they are:
Classic flavors: Sure, peanut butter oatmeal balls are fun but sometimes you need new flavors. These cinnamon brown sugar oatmeal balls are loaded with sweet brown sugar, spicy cinnamon, and a cozy nut butter and butter blend for a switch up in flavor.
Have protein: I added unflavored collagen powder to this oatmeal ball recipe to balance out the macronutrients and add a nice protein boost. The collagen powder does give these oatmeal balls a denser texture but it also makes them higher in protein so… we’ll count that as a win.
Customizable: You can change your level of sweetness, change the type of protein powder, add nuts and seeds, or make any other adjustments to these oatmeal balls that you would like.
Coated in cinnamon sugar: While this step is optional, the cinnamon sugar topping adds an extra boost of sweetness to your oatmeal balls and also makes them look pretty.
Gluten free: Made with oat flour and gluten free old fashioned oats, these oatmeal balls are completely gluten free!
Great for a grab and go snack: Prep these brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal balls on a weekend and enjoy them as a grab and go snack or end of the night treat throughout the week.
No-bake: Oatmeal balls are super easy to prep because they require minimal ingredients, minimal dishes, and are generally no-bake because their ingredients are all safe to eat raw.
You’re going to love these oatmeal balls! Now let’s get into the simple ingredients you will need to make them:
Classic Brown Sugar Cinnamon Oatmeal
Ingredients you’ll need:
These brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal balls are made with all of the classic ingredients like:
Old fashioned oats: Old fashioned oats are my favorite type of oat to include in oatmeal balls. They will soften as they sit in the refrigerator and add a nice boost of heart healthy, soluble fiber to your recipes.
Oat flour: While some oatmeal balls are made entirely with oats as the base, I like to add in some oat flour for a softer texture.
Unflavored collagen powder: I used this unflavored collagen powder but you could use any collagen powder you prefer. Don’t have any on hand? Feel free to add a flavored or unflavored protein powder as a substitute!
Brown sugar: A must in a brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal ball.
Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon added to taste.
Butter: In my opinion, you MUST add butter to brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal recipes because it enhances the cozy flavors. Trust me, it makes it better. If you don’t want to use butter, feel free to add extra nut butter or swap it for another substitute.
Vanilla extract: This will add flavor depth.
Milk: Just a few tablespoons to help bind your ingredients together. Add this as needed.
Nut butter: I used walnut butter because it is one of my personal favorites but you could use almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower butter, or any other nut butter you have on hand.
Cinnamon sugar topping: For finishing touches, roll each brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal ball in a light cinnamon sugar topping for an extra boost of sweetness.
That’s it!
Step by Step Instructions:
1) Add your oat flour, collagen powder, cinnamon, and brown sugar to a medium sized mixing bowl.
2) Add your butter and nut butter to a small, microwave safe bowl and microwave in 15 second intervals until everything is fully melted. Stir together.
3) Pour your butter and nut butter mixture over your dry ingredients then add your milk and vanilla extract.
4) Add your oats and stir your ingredients together until a cohesive dough is formed. If needed, add more milk to help your ingredients stick together.
5) In a small bowl, mix together 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp white sugar, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon to form a simple cinnamon sugar coating.
Take a small piece of dough and roll it into your hands until it forms a smooth, one inch ball. Toss your oatmeal ball in the cinnamon sugar until loosely coated then place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all of your dough has been used.
6) Refrigerate your oatmeal balls for at least one hour before enjoying. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy these brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal balls throughout the week!
Swaps, substitutions, and serving suggestions:
These no-bake cinnamon and brown sugar oatmeal balls have become one of my favorite ways to enjoy the classic oatmeal flavors. You can customize them the way you like them and a few suggestions would be to:
Add seeds: Chia seeds, ground flax seeds, and even hemp hearts would be easy and nutritious additions to this recipe. Adding ingredients like these help add healthy fats and more protein to your oatmeal ball recipe.
Skip the cinnamon sugar coating: You can skip the coating all together and just enjoy the oatmeal balls as they are or sprinkle them with other flavors like melted chocolate, caramel, or coconut shavings.
Change the nut butter used: I think this recipe is best made with walnut butter or almond butter but you could easily use whatever nut butter you have on hand!
Add fruit: Oatmeal made with brown sugar and cinnamon is always delicious topped with fruit like berries or bananas so why not mix them into these oatmeal balls as well?
Swap your protein source: Unflavored collagen is an easy addition to these protein oatmeal balls but you could use flavored collagen, flavored protein powder, or unflavored protein powder instead.
And more! Make this recipe your own and tag me on instagram with any fun ideas you come up with!
Recipe FAQ:
How many calories are in each oatmeal ball?
How many calories depends on how many oatmeal balls you make from your dough. If you make 10 oatmeal balls, each oatmeal ball will have approximately 150 calories.
How many grams of protein are in each oatmeal ball?
Each oatmeal ball has roughly 5 grams of protein. If you want them higher in protein, you could always add another scoop of collagen protein powder or eat these oatmeal balls along side other protein containing foods like greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and more.
How to store oatmeal balls
These brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal balls should be stored in the refrigerator and served chilled. Keep them in your fridge for up to one week!
Other oatmeal recipes that you will love:
Looking for other ways to enjoy oatmeal? From baked oatmeal to overnight oat meal prep, I have a few recipes on my blog that I think you will love:
Banana Bread Oatmeal Bake
Blended Mango Overnight Oats
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls
Snickers Overnight Oats
Maple Pecan Granola
Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Oatmeal Balls (With Protein!)
These no bake brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal balls are a delicious grab and go snack or end of the night treat. Loaded with the classic brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal ingredients, these oatmeal balls are full of cozy flavors yet are mixed with an unflavored collagen protein powder for a protein spin on the classic breakfast.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add your oat flour, oats, collagen powder, cinnamon and brown sugar to a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Add your butter and nut butter to a small, microwave safe bowl and microwave in 15 second intervals until it is fully melted. Stir together.
- Pour your nut butter and butter mixture into your dry ingredients then add your milk and vanilla extract. Mix together with a spatula until it forms a dough.
- In a small bowl, add your cinnamon sugar ingredients and lightly toss together to form your cinnamon sugar coating.
- Take a small piece of dough and roll it in your hands to form a 1 inch oatmeal ball then toss it int Repeat this process until all of your dough has been used. Toss each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture until lightly coated (optional).
- Place your cinnamon and brown sugar oatmeal balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before enjoying. Store chilled and enjoy throughout the week!
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Hey! I’m Lauren
I’m a Registered Dietitian and busy toddler mom committed to bringing you delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make recipes!