When your daughter, who is 5, wants to just eat this right out of the food processor before they even become bars, you know it’s good. She was practically screaming “yummy” for about 10 minutes straight, hahaha. I had to stop letting her eat it so there would be some left for bars and photos.
Cinnamon is without a doubt my very favorite flavor. I think it tastes good on pretty much anything and everything. It’s warm, sweet and comforting. These No-Bake Cinnamon Roll Spice Bars were literally a throw-together moment when I wanted to satisfy my cinnamon craving and also have something for my daughter to take to school for snacks. She was beyond excited when I told her these would be her snacks.
These have a lot of nuts and healthy fats and a good dose of iron in them, so they are very filling and great for kids. Instead of refined white sugars, I use natural maple syrup. Instead of butter or oil, I used cashew butter and almond meal.
These are made with whole food ingredients, no butter or oil, and are perfect for snacks or even a quick breakfast if on-the-go. The fact that they taste like a cinnamon roll is a huge bonus!
The drizzle is a combo of cashew butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla and my daughter absolutely LOVED IT. It was comical watching her eat one of these.
I hope you all enjoy them as much as my daughter and I have. Be sure to leave feedback below after you make them! I love to hear it and so do others!
No-Bake Cinnamon Roll Spice Bars
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (72g) raw cashew butter
- 6 heaping tablespoons (128g) pure maple syrup or agave
- 1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup (108g) almond meal, this is with the skins on (I use Trader Joe's)
- 1 1/2 cups (150g) quick-cooking oats, use GF if needed (these hold MUCH better than whole oats)
- 2 tablespoons (13g) ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon (6g) ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
ICING DRIZZLE (this makes plenty for the bars)
- 2 tablespoons (32g) raw cashew butter
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (28g) maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon water
NOTE
- These bars are extremely delicious on their own, so if you are wanting a much lower fat option, you can leave off the icing.
Instructions
- Warm your cashew butter for 30 seconds or so in the microwave to ensure it is a runny, smooth consistency. I keep mine in the fridge, so it gets rather hard. Then measure. Add to a food processor.
- Add the syrup, vanilla and water and blend until completely smooth.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond meal, oats, flaxseed, cinnamon, allspice and salt and make sure it is well mixed before adding to the processor. Otherwise, the flax and spices/salt may not mix well because it's gets very thick.
- Add the dry ingredients to the food processor and process until it all comes together in large, sticky chunks. (see photo) The batter should be very sticky and hold together easily when pressed between your fingers.
- Press into a lined 9x5 loaf pan flat and compact, not forgetting the edges. Place a piece of parchment on top and really press down hard.
- Place in the freezer to firm up for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare the icing. Simply whisk the ingredients until completely smooth. Remove bars from the freezer, drizzle icing on top by placing the icing in a baggie, cutting off a small corner and squeezing it out. Place back in the freezer or fridge to let the icing firm up some. Then slice the bars. For storage, I prefer to wrap each bar individually so they retain their shape best. I like to keep them in the fridge, but room temperature is fine, but they will soften more at room temp.
Well she know’s what’s YUMMY! I can a cinnamon fiend myself…you can never have enough! The more you use and consume daily, the more you need! When I cook I have to pour in GALLONS to even get a strong enough cinnamon flavor for my taste buds!
Haha, gallons?! That’s a lot 😉 I know, I’m the biggest cinnamon fan ever, give me more, give me more!
I can see why your daughter loved these cinnamon bars so much, Brandi! I mean who doesn’t love cinnamon? I do and can’t never get enough of this flavor especially in fall and colder days, yes it has to be cinnamon, always! 🙂
Love that these bars are no bake, really amazing idea and a clever timesaver to make these without any baking.
The last close up seriously I wanna eat the whole stack with all the delicious cashew dizzle on top, yum!
Thank you so much Florian! Cinnamon is the best flavor, isn’t it?!
I almost, ALMOST thought you joined the date dark side when I first saw these. I was shocked there for a minute, like no-way, not Brandi!?! They look SO much like a date + nut larabar-like bar it’s incredible! You are a wizard with a little bit of maple syrup and cashew butter. Also cashew butter is the bomb and my fave nut butter (especially raw) so I know I will love these. Plus all those glorious spices <3 And the glorious drizzle. I am a little jealous of Olivia that I wasn't there to steal it all straight from the food processor too 😀 I would happily forgo fruity bars for these!
Hahahaha, you are so funny…dark side!! I actually do have some dates in the fridge! I need to use them. I’m totally cool with them when they are mixed with coconut sugar or syrup, then they don’t taste like dates to me, lol. Thank you so much! I love cashew butter so much, too. So sweet and so vanilla-ish. I originally tried these with almond butter but didn’t like the drizzle being too almond-y, so I switched to cashew butter and it was perfect.
Yes, she seriously loves these…never heard her go on so much before about a granola bar, haha!
You know what I love? Having every ingredient required for each of your new recipes already in my cupboard. I whipped these up today, and oh wow, yum. I cut them into bite-size squares and I will keep them in the freezer, otherwise Ryan and I will demolish them in no time, lol. Thanks, Brandi, great recipe!
Awesome Regan! I can’t wait to hear what you think of these!
I had all the ingredients, made them in jig time, waited IMPATIENTLY for freezer time to be over – WORTH THE WAIT!! A tiny nibble of the “dough” before pressing made me realize that these need to be BITE SIZE for me – way rich, way too good to stop eating!! What a luscious little afternoon treat, with a cup of favorite vanilla tea! I’ll store in freezer – but I bet they are good FROZEN, too, LOL!!! Thanks for such a nice, simple treat!
Aww yay! So happy to hear that you loved them so much Candice!! Thank you so much for the feedback!
Mmmmm, cinnamon roll anything?! These look so yum! Perfect snack. Or breakfast. Or dessert. Or I want to lay in bed and indulge. Or leave me alone I’ve had a hard day….you get the idea. LOVE!! And yes, drizzle, always yes.
Bahahaha, yes these will suit just about any snack, breakfast, moment you have, ha!
I see I’m not the only fan of cinnamon (I buy it in bulk) visiting your site! Although I love it year-round, it really does epitomize the fall/winter season. Yum, Brandi!
Yes, cinnamon year round is a must!!
Can you make these using store-bought almond meal? I don’t believe this is made with the skins as you recommend. Will that still work? Any thoughts?
Thanks for your creative amazing recipes – love that I have everything in the kitchen!
Hi Megan, yes, that is exactly what I used, storebought almond meal from Trader Joes. Almond meal is simply finely ground up whole raw almonds, with the skins. Blanched almond flour does not have any skins and the almonds have been blanched, making it more moist. So, therefore, the almond meal works better here. The bags will be labeled correctly, by either “almond meal” or “blanched almond flour” and you can tell the difference by how light the color is of the “blanched almond flour”, as it is a pale yellow color. Hope that helps! 🙂
These look so good, Brandi, especially with that decadent sauce drizzled on.
These look so good! I can see why your daughter wanted them so much! I’m totally drooling over that icing drizzle!
These look so good, Brandi! I love that cinnamon glaze. No wonder your daughter loves them so much.
What a smart little girl you have!! 🙂 You KNOW I love the cinnamon as much as you do. These would be the perfect snack in this house too!
Thank you! Yes, I know, we are cinnamon twins, haha!
Brandi, I drooled when I saw your post on these awesome Cinnamon Roll Spice Bars. I had everything except cashew butter, so I used almond butter (I always use your recipe for that). I made these amazing bars and they turned out so good! As always, five stars for flavor and creativity! You rock! Thank you!!!
Yay! So very happy you loved these Lana! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
Holy yum Brandi! These kick the pants off of packaged bars.
Aww, thanks Alisa!
So funny! I made some bars that look so similar to these last weekend. Your frosting looks much neater than mine though and they both have totally different ingredients. They could be twins though! I love the cinnamon roll flavour you’ve got going on!
Haha, great minds think alike!! Thank you, Mel!
Anything with ‘cinnamon roll’ in the title grabs my attention. These were so easy to make. I didn’t have allspice so I substituted nutmeg and they were still delicious. They have very quickly become my morning and afternoon tea snack.
Oh, and instead of the drizzle, I sprinkled small vegan chocolate chips on the top and pressed them in slightly.
This is a wonderful recipe and I thank you for your amazing food creativity.
So happy you loved these Trudi!! Wow, that sounds so delicious, will have to try that!
These bars look incredible Brandi! Cinnamon roll flavour sounds amazing and I love the drizzle of icing on top!!!! <3
Thank you so much, Harriet!!
How did I miss this post?!?!?!? Oh. MY. Goodness!!!! Gimme all the cinnamon! Hahaha! Love it – Olivia is a smart girl with great taste! I love how these are packed with all sorts of great for you ingredients – I definitely need to make these for Willow as soon as I get some almond meal. That icing drizzle looks and sounds incredible and while you say the bars are delicious on their own (I trust that they are), I probably wouldn’t skip the icing 😉 I’ll let you know when I make them! xo
Thank you so much my friend!! Oh yes, Olivia and I both are obsessed with cinnamon! Thank you girl, I hope Willow loves them. You are the best!! xoxo
Oh yeah!!!
I’ll skip the drizzle although it sounds dreamy! They won’t last long either I’ll bet with such delicious fall flavors 😎
Thank you so much, Angela!
Well, that’s 3 batches I’ve made in a week! My 18 year old daughter is addicted to them and when she takes them to school all of her friends are envious! One girl even told me I was the best Mum because I make these treats and other delicious food thanks to you Brandi 😊 They are fantastic for breakfast on the run or to pop in lunch kits. I do them without the icing drizzle so they are easier to wrap in Saran and it’s not even missed. Thanks again Brandi 😀
Oh yay! So very happy to hear that Beverley! Thank you so much for the feedback and wow, that is awesome you got that praise!
Just made this recipe today! love it! I love that it is not too too sweet (since i am trying to cut back), and they are chewy…..awesome!
Yay! So happy to hear that girl, thank you so much for making them!
Genius. That’s all I can say. Who would have thought cashew butter could be this good and useful in the kitchen?!? We were licking the spoons off. I am not into granola bars at all, but this recipe was a game changer! Soooo yummmy! We are ready for our next batch, I wonder for how long they would be good in the fridge?
Then I don’t…. they won’t last.
You are too kind Vess! I’m so very happy you loved this recipe, thank you so much for the amazing feedback!
These look so wonderful!! Over the last year, I have learned about some food sensitivities I have. Vegan baking/cooking has fit well into my diet! However, I am sensitive to almonds….so is there a subsitute that can be used?
I have been craving cinnamon and these definitely satisfied my craving. Yum! My toddler daughters loved them as well! We will be eating these for breakfast all week. Thank you for the delicious recipe 🙂
So very happy to hear that Nicole, thank you so much for the feedback!!
Hi
Just found your website; dying to try your sweet potato pancakes and the no bake cinnamon bars; but I can’t do almonds/almond meal or flour. Can you suggest a substitute? Many thanks Zoe
Hi there! The sweet potato pancakes are crucial to using almond flour and will not work correctly without it. However, I have a TON more amazing gluten-free pancake recipes that are very popular with readers. I would suggest these “Buttermilk” pancakes to try. So good. Also, if you go to my Recipe Index, then “Breakfast”, “Pancakes”, there are other ones listed as well! As far as the cinnamon bars, you could try using ground up raw, unsalted sunflower kernels in place of the almond meal. Just use the same amount, or you can try hazelnut meal or tigernut flour. I haven’t tried either of those, but I think they should work.
Here is the Buttermilk pancake recipe: https://thevegan8.com/2016/05/25/fluffy-gluten-free-vegan-buttermilk-pancakes/
Brandi,
Do you make your cashew butter or can it be purchased?
Thanks
Hi Bruce! I usually make my own because it’s so hard to find raw cashew butter without any added oil. But if you can find some, then you certainly can use storebought. If you want to make your own, here is how to do it:
Just add 2 cups RAW, unsalted cashews to a food processor and process for about 10 minutes or so. You will need to scrape the sides down a few times during. Process until completely silky smooth, do not stop until it becomes almost pour-able like almond butter. Then just use 1/4 cup for the recipe as listed.
Thanks Brandi
I agree that is pretty easy and I doubt I could find it without oil. I can’t wait to make my first batch of cashew butter and these bars!
🙂
Just made these…winner, winner, Vegan dinner! I love that they are healthful, and still yummy! I accidentally picked up Quick Cooking Oats (Steel Cut!), but they turned out perfectly! I also didn’t want that many calories or fat grams, so after drizzling the icing, I cut them into bite-sized pieces, about 24 in total…I think…I sorta ate a few while cutting them…well, you know, the imperfect corner pieces, ha ha ha! THANKYOU again, BD, for a wonderful creation! ❤️
My whole family loves these! I just made another batch for my kiddos’ lunch. We can’t wait for your cookbook to come out! (I did preorder!!!!)
Hi! I’d love to try making these for my parents, and I might be subtly trying to make them go vegan also 🙂 Haha, but anyway I was wondering what the nutrition info is without the icing? They’re on a diet so I wanna make sure I stay as low-fat, low-carb/calorie as possible, while still keeping it nutritious and filling!
Hi, I’m not sure since the nutrition stats were calculated years back including the icing. But it wouldn’t be that much less fat since 2 tablespoons of cashew butter is 16g fat divided by 6 bars is 2 g fat, so it’s still a very high fat bar because of all the almond flour, etc. These aren’t a low fat dessert, it’s based on whole food fats instead of oil, but it’s definitely not low-fat! So, it may not be the best option for them. Nuts and seeds are healthy, but calorie-dense!