When I first learned how to make cinnamon tea, it seemed too good to be true. Boil a couple of cinnamon sticks in water. The result? A health-packed, delicious drink. Cinnamon tea is simple to make with only two ingredients, it's satisfying and an excellent healthy beverage that is sure to warm your spirits!
Making tea is part of my daily routine. I change what types of tea I drink based on my mood and the season. Some of my favorites teas from scratch are earl grey (I especially love a London fog), lavender tea, chamomile, and mint tea. I now consider cinnamon tea a favorite too! Soothing, satisfying, and a healthy treat. Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments below.
Jump to:
Benefits of Cinnamon Tea
There are so many documented and potential health benefits of cinnamon tea. First, I want to point out that many of these claims have been scientifically documented in regards to Ceylon cinnamon, but there isn't much research on other types of cinnamon.
Also, I want to be very clear, these benefits have not all been attributed to cinnamon tea per se but to the cinnamon itself. As I read the studies, I noted that many studies used different forms of cinnamon such as cinnamon extract or essential oil. Additionally, human studies are sparse (i.e. many of the best studies we have are rat studies). This is more accurately a list of the potential health benefits of cinnamon as a whole.
I must mention that this information is shared from personal research, not from the perspective of a healthcare provider, this information is not meant to treat any medical condition, please speak to your health care provider before consuming cinnamon tea for health reasons. Now let’s get to it!
cinnamon could potentially boost your immune system
- Anti-microbial: This means that cinnamon could help to kill or slow the spread of microorganisms. In practical terms, it could prevent illness or help your body fight off a bacterial or viral infection. In general, cinnamon seems to support our immune system.
- Anti-parasitic: Helps to prevent or treat parasites.
- Antioxidant activity: High levels of free radicals in our bodies can cause countless diseases. Cinnamon contains antioxidants that can neutralize these free radicals. This contributes to overall health and wards off disease.
- Soothe a sore throat: Last but not least, cinnamon is known to soothe a sore throat. So, next time you’re laid up with a cold, ask someone to brew you a warm cup of cinnamon tea.
your organs may love cinnamon
- May Improve heart health: Cinnamon can lower your overall cholesterol and can contribute to a healthy heart.
- May Protect against Alzheimer’s: Cinnamon has also been shown to promote a healthy brain and reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
- Could Protects your bones: Another suspected benefit of cinnamon is healthy bones.
- Beneficial for the stomach: Cinnamon may soothe the stomach and prevent or help heal stomach ulcers.
- May help your liver: Cinnamon has also shown to be hepatoprotective, or protective of the liver.
cinnamon and overall wellness
- Lowers blood sugar: Cinnamon could potentially help lower or regulate blood sugar levels. In part, it does this by helping mitigate insulin resistance.
- Improves blood pressure: It also could support healthy blood pressure, or even lower high blood pressure.
- Lowers cholesterol: Cinnamon has also been studied for its ability to lower serum cholesterol levels.
- Anti-inflammatory: This is certainly a buzzword today! However, cinnamon has been studied for its anti-inflammatory properties.
- Wound healing: Some believe that cinnamon’s wound-healing quality is tied to its antioxidant, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Weight loss: Many people claim that cinnamon helps aid in weight loss. With all the benefits we’ve listed so far, it doesn’t surprise me. When all of our organs are functioning well, our bodies may feel “safe” to drop extra weight.
Types of Cinnamon For Tea
Cinnamon comes from the dried inner bark of the cinnamon tree. The cinnamon plant is actually a medium-sized, bushy evergreen tree
When the bark is harvested, it is light in color. Cinnamon bark darkens as it dries.
The most important thing to know is that there are four different types of cinnamon. While they are all from the Cinnamomum genus, there are four distinct species.
And one of them is the clear “winner” when it comes to making cinnamon tea.
ceylon cinnamon
Without suspense, Ceylon is the top choice for cinnamon for pretty much any use including tea. Ceylon is often called true cinnamon. However, that’s a bit misleading because all the species of cinnamon are truly cinnamon.
Ceylon is special because it is the only species that doesn’t carry the risk of coumarin toxicity (we’ll discuss this in the next section). So, it is by far the best choice for enjoying regularly.
Ceylon cinnamon or the Cinnamomum verum tree is the is native to Sri Lanka. This species of cinnamon is said to have a mild and sweet flavor. While it is generally more expensive than cassia cinnamon, it is still somewhat affordable and readily available.
cassia cinnamon (three varieties)
The other three varieties of cinnamon are all considered cassia cinnamon. They also come from a medium-sized evergreen tree.
- First up, Korintje cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii) is the most common cinnamon in the US. Some sources say it makes up about 70% of the cinnamon we consume here.
- Secondly, Saigon cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) is also very common in the US. Grown in Vietnam, this variety of cinnamon is sweet and not very spicy.
- Finally, Royal cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi) has a very strong flavor. It is both sweet and spicy. However, this flavorful variety is not widely available.
Different Types of Cinnamon For Tea
Though you can make cinnamon tea with any type of cinnamon, some make better tea than others.
coumarin in cassia cinnamon
As I’ve mentioned, cassia cinnamon is shown to have high levels of coumarin. Coumarin is an organic chemical compound naturally found in some foods. However, high levels of coumarin are proving to have some serious potential side effects.
The recommendation is to consume a maximum of 1 teaspoon of cassia cinnamon per day. The recommendation would be even less for children.
choose ceylon cinnamon when possible
Ceylon cinnamon, on the other hand, has only trace amounts of coumarin. This makes it an excellent choice for enjoying often!
Ceylon cinnamon is also a great choice for its sweet flavor.
How To Make Cinnamon Tea
Ingredients
Cinnamon tea is pretty simple and you can make it with only two basic ingredients.
- 2 cups water
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks
Directions
This cinnamon tea recipe is quite simple. Just add water and cinnamon sticks to a saucepan, bring it to a boil, then allow it to simmer strongly for 15 minutes. Lastly, remove the cinnamon sticks and enjoy!
Steps
- Add cinnamon sticks and water to a sauce pan
- Bring water to a boil.
- Allow to simmer for approximately 15 minutes
- Add other tea bags, herbs, or lemon (optional)
- Strain and enjoy
how to make cinnamon tea with ground cinnamon
For a super quick version of this tea, simply boil 1 cup of water and add 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder per 1 cup of hot water.
Stir well, I recommend using a frother (this method can result in gritty tea), and enjoy!
Pro Tips
If you only have cinnamon sticks or optional tea bags, simply remove them from the water with a fork or tongs. If you have loose leaf tea in the mix, you’ll need to use some sort of strainer.
Yummy variations of cinnamon tea
As I mentioned, cinnamon tea is a soothing treat on its own. However, adding honey or sugar gives it a nice sweet boost.
But if you’re looking for even more variety, here are some fun ideas.
Add-ins
- Honey - Raw, local, and organic is best. Honey is known to pack many health benefits as well.
- Organic sugar - Get a classic tea-party flavor with some simple cane sugar.
- Lemon juice - Now, I haven’t tried this personally, but many say lemon juice is a yummy addition. The benefits of fresh lemon juice are far too many to list here! But if we’re honest, basically any whole food is a “superfood” when it comes to potential health benefits.
- Milk - Cinnamon milk tea, or cinnamon tea with milk and honey is a delicious variation.
Drink it hot or cold
Not surprisingly, cinnamon tea is also refreshing when served as iced tea! To do this, store your extra cinnamon tea in the fridge, then serve it over ice.
I truly hope you enjoy this delicious and cozy drink!
Cinnamon Tea
Cinnamon tea is simple to make with only two basic ingredients, it's satisfying and an excellent healthy beverage that is sure to warm your spirits!
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
1. Add cinnamon sticks and water to a sauce pan
2. Bring water to a boil.
3. Allow to simmer for approximately 15 minutes
4. Add other tea bags, herbs, or lemon (optional)
5. Strain and enjoy
