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, stuffed 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! 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.
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 dairy free milk) 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?
You can also optionally remove the cinnamon sticks at this point or allow them to steep for longer. 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!
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!
