Healthy Cinnamon Recipes

Find healthy, delicious cinnamon recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Cinnamon-Roll Overnight Oats

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It takes just minutes to assemble this healthy no-cook breakfast, and you'll have meal-prepped grab-and-go breakfasts on hand for the rest of the week. Top these delicious vegan oats—inspired by classic cinnamon bun flavors—with fresh or frozen fruit and your favorite nuts and seeds.
By Carolyn Casner

Crispy Smashed Apples with Cinnamon Sugar

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Toasted pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon combine in a crunchy, nutty topping for these apples. Smashing the fruit helps create a crispy edge. Serve these apples warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
By Carolyn Casner

Fried Apple Pie Rolls

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In this healthy take on apple pie, egg roll wrappers stand in for pie crust, saving you calories and the headache of rolling out dough. We like to use Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape and provide tart balance to the sweet filling. Try dipping these handheld crispy treats in whipped cream.
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

Cinnamon-Sugar Roasted Chickpeas

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Roasting canned chickpeas until crispy makes a simple and healthy snack. In this riff on candied nuts, chickpeas are coated with cinnamon sugar to make them irresistible! This snack is best enjoyed the day it is made.
By Carolyn Casner

Spicy Coconut Chicken Soup

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This spicy coconut chicken soup is a meld of sweet and sour flavors, while dried chile adds subtle heat.
By Samantha Fore

Spiced Pumpkin Cookies

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The deep flavors of molasses, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg make these wholesome pumpkin cookies delicious without the addition of butter--and they lend themselves beautifully to the inclusion of whole-wheat flour. They are also the perfect texture for a sandwich cookie--fill them with a slightly sweetened cream cheese frosting.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie

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While pumpkin pie deserves respect as a Thanksgiving icon, it's fun to shake up tradition. Surprise your family and friends with a frozen pie this year--it just might become one of their holiday favorites. No need to let them know how easy it is.
By Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

Peanut Butter-Banana Cinnamon Toast

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This satisfying peanut butter-banana toast gets a sprinkle of cinnamon for an extra flavor boost.
By Victoria Seaver, M.S., R.D.

Slow-Cooker Spiced Lentil Soup with Vegetables

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Spices often used in Moroccan cuisine like turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and black pepper give this soup complexity and deep flavor. Make it a day ahead, if you can, to give the spices time to mingle and develop. This easy slow cooker recipe makes it a cinch to get the soup cooking while you do other things.
By Joyce Hendley, M.S.

Fresh Apple Squares

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One batch of dough does double duty as both the crust and streusel topping to make one of the easiest desserts around.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sweet Potato Pie with Cream Cheese Swirl

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This creamy sweet potato pie recipe is seasoned like a pumpkin pie with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg and gets nice ginger flavor from the gingersnap crust. For the best results, roast sweet potatoes in the oven; in a pinch, microwave them instead.
By Stacy Fraser

Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices

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These baked cinnamon apple slices have just the right level of tenderness and bite and a gooey apple caramel that forms at the bottom of the pan. Enjoy this healthy dessert spooned over ice cream, with biscuits or served over yogurt—the options with these are endless!
By Melissa Gray
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Inspiration and Ideas

12 Apple and Cinnamon Recipes That Feel Like Fall on a Plate
Celebrate a classic fall duo with these apple and cinnamon recipes. The combination of fruit and spice will leave your kitchen smelling warm and delicious. Plus, the duo is also good for you, with apples being full of fiber and cinnamon helping with steadier blood sugar. Recipes like Apple-Cinnamon Cake and Apple Dutch Baby Pancake are healthy, comforting and the perfect treats to make for breakfast or dessert.
Roasted Spaghetti Squash Seeds
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When you prepare spaghetti squash, don't throw away the seeds! You can roast them into a crunchy, healthy snack--just like roasting pumpkin seeds. The seasoning mix in this recipe is a mix of spicy, salty and sweet, but feel free to experiment with your own flavor combinations.
Banana-Bran Muffins
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Cinnamon Popcorn
Slow-Cooker Chicken & Rice Noodle Soup with Star Anise
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This comforting slow-cooker soup is inspired by pho, the traditional Vietnamese noodle dish made with rice noodles and meat, and served in a flavorful, clear broth with a multitude of garnishes. For this recipe, we've used low-sodium chicken broth seasoned with star anise, clove, ginger and cinnamon. Ngo gai (culantro) and onion are also commonly used to flavor the broth. It's perfect for the slow-cooker because pho usually simmers for at least three hours, becoming infused with the flavor of the spices. For garnishing, we've lined up bean sprouts, basil, mint, cilantro, sliced chile and lime wedges, but you could also use cabbage or scallions. One of the best parts of this dish is how customizable it is.

All Healthy Cinnamon Recipes

Easy Apple Galette

This simple apple-cinnamon galette is easy to make thanks to premade pie crust—no need to make your own dough! Serve it for Thanksgiving dessert or after any fall meal.
By Andrea Mathis, M.A., RDN, LD

Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars

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These easy apple-cinnamon fruit bars make a big batch--perfect for fall potlucks and parties.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cinnamon Roll for One

Enjoy a delicious, homemade cinnamon roll with this make-ahead recipe. This recipe yields eight rolls, so you can make the rolls in advance and store them in the freezer, then just pop one out when you're ready to bake. These rolls are made with whole-grain flour and have less sugar than most cinnamon roll recipes, but they're packed with flavor and just as fun to eat.
By Sara Haas, RDN

Moroccan Chickpea-Stuffed Acorn Squash

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Think of this healthy vegetarian side dish recipe as a meatless tagine served in a squash bowl. Kabocha, sweet dumpling or carnival squash make good alternatives to acorn squash. To make this side a hearty vegetarian meal, serve 2 halves each.
By Raghavan Iyer

Apple Cider-Mezcal Margarita

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This fall version of a margarita features apple cider and mezcal, a liquor made from agave much like tequila. Like a classic margarita, this one blends sweet and sour flavors with a hint of cinnamon and orange from triple sec.
By Carolyn Casner

Riesling Baked Pears

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Here's an elegant yet simple twist on the autumn classic. Pears are oven-poached in Riesling wine, which is known for its floral accents and aromas and hints of honey and pear. Serve this dessert with lightly sweetened ricotta cheese. Delicious hot, room temperature or chilled.
By Marie Simmons

Make-Ahead Cinnamon Rolls

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Here's one take on wake and bake—you do all the prep work the day before and let the rolls have their final rise in the fridge while you sleep. Not only does that allow them to develop extra flavor, you get more shut-eye.
By Stacey Ballis

Easy Apple Pancakes

Kids and adults will love these easy apple pancakes. The apples lend nice texture and blend well with the spices, while whole-wheat flour gives this healthy breakfast a boost of fiber. Serve with maple syrup or more fresh apples on the side.
By Pam Lolley

Quick Applesauce

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This quick homemade applesauce recipe makes a healthy snack or fruit dessert for kids. Applesauce is also a fabulous complement to potato pancakes or latkes.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cinnamon-Toasted Oats

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This quick toasted oats recipe is a lower-sugar alternative to granola. Serve it on top of yogurt with sliced fresh or frozen berries. You can double the recipe easily; just be sure to use a large skillet.
By Joyce Hendley, M.S.

Healthy Banana Bread

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Got leftover bananas? Give everyone's favorite baked good recipe a healthy whole-wheat spin with this easy banana bread recipe.
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

Air-Fryer Apples

These air-fryer apples are warm and tender, with cinnamon and orange zest adding subtle spice and flavor. Maple syrup makes these air-fryer apples just sweet enough.
By Laura Kanya

Carrot Cake

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Carrots give carrot cake a health-halo effect--people think it's health food, but it's usually very high in fat and calories. But our version has about 40 percent less calories and 50 percent less fat than most. First, we use less oil in our batter. Then we skip the butter in the frosting (don't worry, it's still light and smooth). To ensure the cake is moist, we add nonfat buttermilk and crushed pineapple.
By Patsy Jamieson

Apple-Cinnamon Muffins

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These healthy apple-cinnamon muffins will put you in an autumnal state of mind no matter the time of year. Sprinkling the muffins with sugar before baking gives them a crispy top, just like a coffee-shop muffin--but these are a whole lot more nutritious than your average coffee-shop muffin, thanks to wholesome ingredients like white whole-wheat flour. Serve them for breakfast or a grab-and-go snack.
By Julia Levy

Cinnamon Streusel Fresh Apple Bars

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These sweet, cinnamon-flavored apple bars are the perfect accompaniment for your afternoon cup of coffee or tea.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies

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Indulge your PSL obsession with these pumpkin spice cookies. Instant espresso powder gives these soft, cakey cookies a subtle yet recognizable coffee flavor. Spread with cream cheese frosting (with more pumpkin pie spice flavors) and sprinkle with cinnamon to finish. And, go ahead, drink a pumpkin spice latte while you eat them for the full PSL experience. After all, it's only fall for so long (though we'd eat these cookies year-round). To make these cookies kid-friendly, simply omit the espresso powder.
By Adam Dolge

Air-Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

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Air-fried sweet potato fries are crispy, tender and delicately sweet. They're also made with less fat than traditional fries, so they're a healthier option when you're craving crunchy spuds. If the cinnamon-pepper spice is too intense, try thyme, oregano, paprika or garlic instead.
By Sarah Epperson

Kahlua Cocoa

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While regular hot cocoa is lovely and warming, sometimes something a bit more spirited is in order. Some other tasty additions to hot chocolate: bourbon, creme de menthe, Galliano, creme de cassis, Chambord.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Hot Cider with Apple Brandy & Spices

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A natural, cloudy apple cider is delicious for this exotically spicy and aromatic winter warmer, but if you desire a sparkling-clear drink, apple juice can be substituted. Calvados, which is a French apple brandy, adds richness. If you wish to omit it, just add more cider or juice.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Christmas Cider

Chai tea and fruit juices make this festive hot drink a must-serve at your next holiday gathering.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Cinnamon-Sugar Microwave Popcorn

This easy cinnamon-sugar microwave popcorn recipe serves up a hint of something sweet in a whole-grain snack you can feel good about enjoying.
By Devon O'Brien

Bean Salad with Lemon-Cumin Dressing

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The bold flavors of the lemon-cumin dressing in this healthy bean salad recipe make it a wonderful side dish to grilled beef and lamb, yet it's also a stellar meatless main when served with whole-wheat couscous.
By Katie Webster

Candied Sweet Potatoes

These candied sweet potatoes are super simple to make. The sweet potatoes are tender and buttery, while cinnamon and cardamom add warmth and flavor. The pecans add a great crunch.
By Jasmine Smith

Cinnamon Icebox Cookies

Slice-and-bake icebox cookies are the ultimate make-ahead treat. You can make a batch and bake as many as you like, saving the rest of the dough in the freezer. These simple swirled cookies are rolled in finely chopped pecans. They're mildly sweet—perfect for after dinner or paired with coffee.
By Hilary Meyer
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