How to make cinnamon tea – a soothing, warming drink packed with antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds! Perfect for cold & flu season, with caffeinated, non-caffeinated, and several flavor variations below!

While I dream of warmer days and summery treats, classic British winter is in full effect here. This means I’m starting and ending each day with warming, soothing, health-boosting drinks like fresh mint tea, ginger tea, and this fragrant cinnamon tea (aka cinnamon stick tea).

Cinnamon tea is typically made by infusing cinnamon (either in cinnamon stick, powder, or even tea bag form) in hot water and often combined with a tea such as black tea, green tea, or oolong tea. For the version below, I’ve added black tea leaves, though that’s 100% optional. I’ve included a ton of ways to adapt the recipe with additional flavor, too.

No matter how you enjoy it, this cinnamon stick tea is woody, warm, and aromatic with a naturally sweet flavor (invoking images of cinnamon apple pie, baked apples, and other fall favorites). It’s perfect for relaxing and unwinding. Best of all, it’s packed with health benefits, too, and leaves your kitchen smelling fantastic!

What Are The Benfits of Cinnamon Tea?

Cinnamon sticks come from the inner bark of a cinnamon tree and are beneficial to your body in several ways, thanks to plant compounds and antioxidants. These benefits include:

• Reducing inflammation: this can ward off several chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.
• Antibacterial/Anti–fungal: this includes E. Coli and salmonella and has a positive effect on mouth health, including bad breath and helping prevent tooth decay.
• Fighting harmful free radicals: and can even increase the “total antioxidant capacity”, which is the number of free radicals your body can fight off.
• Positive PMS benefits: several studies show that cinnamon may help with menstrual symptoms, including pain relief, nausea severity, etc.
• Reducing blood sugar levels: as a compound within can mimic insulin. It can also help slow the breakdown of carbs in the gut to prevent blood sugar level spikes.
• Beneficial to heart health: largely thanks to the anti-inflammatory properties. However, cinnamon may also reduce blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels while increasing the good cholesterol.

It will also help to soothe a sore throat. You can read more about the science-backed benefits of cinnamon tea and cinnamon. When combined with a small amount of honey, you boost the drink further with additional antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, and immune-boosting properties!

Looking for more soothing warm tea recipes? Check out this pineapple skin tea (anti-inflammatory tea), masala chai (which also contains cinnamon among other warming spices), or this post on making green tea (with no bitterness)!

The Ingredients

You only need 3 base ingredients to prepare this light yet soothing cinnamon bark tea.

• Cinnamon: this recipe uses cinnamon sticks. Check the FAQs below for the method with ground cinnamon.

What type of cinnamon is best for cinnamon tea? It’s best to use cinnamon sticks rather than powder. In terms of type, there are two main types of cinnamon: Ceylon and cassia.
Cassia cinnamon is the most common variety in grocery stores and is darker, with a more robust flavor. However, it contains more of a harmful compound called coumarin (read the FAQs below for more info).
Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is known as the “real” or true cinnamon. It’s more expensive than cassia cinnamon varieties, but is best for this cinnamon tea recipe and has a milder flavor and lighter color.

• Black Tea: you can use loose tea leaves or a teabag of your choice of black tea (use decaf if preferred). You could use green tea instead of black for a lighter flavor (that still packs in a ton of health benefits). Rooibos tea will also work well.
• Water: to make up the base of the Ceylon cinnamon tea.
• Honey: (optional) it’s up to you what type of sweetener you use for this cinnamon tea recipe (if any at all). I particularly like honey and cinnamon tea (for flavor and health benefits), though dandelion honey will work for a vegan option. Alternatively, use erythritol/swerve or a similar sweetener for a sugar-free version.

Flavor Variations

Once you have the base cinnamon tea recipe sorted, you’ll be happy to know that there are tons of ways to adapt this warming tea to your liking, including:

• Lemon: when sweetening the cinnamon honey tea, I love to add a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Cinnamon orange tea: instead of a splash of lemon juice, use orange juice. You can further infuse the flavor into the cinnamon stick tea by adding some orange zest to the mixture as it steeps.
• Apple cinnamon tea: add a few apple chips to the tea or a few spoonfuls of freshly squeezed apple juice. This tastes wonderful and naturally sweetens the drink.
• Ginger cinnamon tea: ginger will add a spicy “zing” to the Ceylon cinnamon tea along with several beneficial health benefits. I recommend using a 1/2-3/4 inch piece of fresh ginger root, finely sliced, or ginger powder, per cup.
• Turmeric: add a few slices of fresh turmeric or ½ tsp turmeric powder (per cup) to the cinnamon tea recipe. Add a pinch of freshly cracked black pepper too, to make the most of the turmeric health benefits (which are plentiful!).
• Bay leaves: will add flavor and is said to increase the weight loss benefits.
• Cloves: add 1 clove per cup for a subtle warming flavor and blood sugar benefits.
• Nutmeg: just a pinch for added flavor.
• Cayenne pepper: just a tiny pinch for a hint of heat and several health benefits.
• Cinnamon milk tea: the same way you would enjoy regular milk tea, simply top up your cup with a splash of your favorite milk (dairy or non-dairy) and enjoy this cinnamon tea with milk.

You can tailor the tea based on the health benefits you wish to access. For example, honey, lemon/orange juice, ginger, turmeric, etc., all contain several health benefits, including cold and flu busting, soothing a sore throat, boosting immunity, etc.

How to Make Cinnamon Tea?

1. Add the cinnamon sticks and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat on the stove.
2. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and allow the cinnamon to steep for 10 minutes.

3. Then, remove the pot from the heat and add the black tea leaves (either in a strainer or directly in the pot to be strained later). Allow it to steep for a further 1-2 minutes, based on how strong you want the flavor.

You can also optionally remove the cinnamon sticks at this point or allow them to steep for longer.

4. Finally, transfer the cinnamon tea either to a teapot or directly to your cup/mug of choice. Give it a quick try and sweeten it to your liking, then enjoy!

If you leave the cinnamon sticks in the teapot, the flavor will infuse more over time, becoming more robust with each cupful. If you find it too intense, you can dilute it with a small amount of additional hot water.

To make cinnamon tea using a tea kettle, boil the water first. Then pour it into your teapot and add the cinnamon sticks, allowing them to steep for 10 minutes before serving.

For Cinnamon Iced Tea

After steeping the tea, add any sweetener while it’s still warm, then transfer it to the fridge to chill. Then, serve the cinnamon iced tea over ice with an optional squeeze of lemon juice and enjoy!

FAQs

Recipe Tips and Notes

• To keep a teapot warm: fill the teapot with boiling water and allow that to sit for several minutes. Then discard that and add the cinnamon tea. This will keep it warmer for longer. If you have one, a tea cozy works wonders, too.
• To save leftovers: steeped cinnamon tea can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days and enjoyed iced or reheated.
• Adjust the ratio: if you want a stronger Ceylon cinnamon stick tea, either allow it to steep for longer or add more to the water in the first place. You could also break the stick up into pieces. However, that makes it harder to re-use later on.
• The color will vary: depending on the steep time and if you’ve added lemon (which naturally bleaches the tea).
• The steeping time: the longer you steep the cinnamon (and the black tea leaves), the stronger the flavor. Strain it once it reaches your desired taste.

More Warming Drinks

• Easy masala chai (Indian spiced tea)
• Healing mushroom coffee (adaptogen coffee)
• Hot mulled ‘spiced’ apple cider
• How to make a matcha green tea latte
• Simple hot cocoa recipe
• Fresh Mint Tea (Honey Citrus Mint Tea + Flavor Variations)
• How To Make Hibiscus Tea
• How To Make Turmeric Tea
• British Tea (English Tea | Milk Tea)
• How To Make Chamomile Tea

If you try this Ceylon cinnamon tea recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!