How to Use Cinnamon Sticks

How to Use Cinnamon Sticks

Cinnamon sticks add rich flavor, wonderful aroma, and natural warmth to countless recipes. They can be used in tea, curries, soups, stews, rice, mulled wine, desserts, or infused into extracts and syrups. Unlike ground cinnamon, whole sticks release their flavor slowly, producing a fresher, more refined taste while retaining more of the natural essential oils that make cinnamon so irresistible.

While Cassia Cinnamon has been more traditionally used in the USA and Canada, Mexico predominantly uses Ceylon Cinnamon. But more people are discovering the US are discovering Ceylon Cinnamon. Ceylon Cinnamon is much milder and more delicate, making it the preferred choice for recipes where cinnamon should complement rather than dominate. It blends beautifully with other ingredients to create complex, layered flavors.

  • MAKE CINNAMON TEA

    While you can simply add a cinnamon stick to tea or coffee, the best way to extract its flavor and beneficial compounds is to gently simmer it. Slow boiling allows the essential oils to infuse fully, creating a rich, aromatic tea with a smooth taste.

  • CURRIES, SOUPS AND STEWS

    A cinnamon stick adds warmth, depth, and complexity to soups, stews, and curries, particularly beef and chicken dishes. Ceylon Cinnamon is the traditional choice in Sri Lankan cooking, where it provides subtle flavor without overpowering the other spices.

  • ADD TO RICE

    Drop a whole Ceylon Cinnamon stick into the pot while cooking rice to give it a delicate, fragrant aroma. For beautiful golden rice, add ½ teaspoon of turmeric at the same time.

  • CINNAMON WATER

    Simmer a cinnamon stick in water and add a slice of orange for a refreshing, naturally flavored drink. For another variation, try adding fresh lime for a bright citrus twist.

  • MULLED WINE

    No mulled wine is complete without cinnamon sticks. Ceylon Cinnamon adds a refined aroma and gentle sweetness that pairs beautifully with red wine, citrus, cloves, and other warming spices, making it a holiday favorite.

  • CINNAMON VODKA

    if you enjoy warm, baking spices, as the natural infusion creates a clean, fiery-yet-smooth flavor that is completely different from sugary, syrupy commercial schnapps.
    It introduces woody, earthy, and warm notes that cut through the harshness of raw alcohol.

  • HOME MADE EXTRACT

    Place two cinnamon sticks in 3 ounces of light rum and store in a cool, dark place for two weeks, shaking the bottle daily. You'll have a homemade cinnamon extract that's perfect for baking, desserts, and cooking.

  • CINNAMON SYRUP

    Homemade cinnamon syrup is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to enjoy cinnamon sticks. It's wonderful in cocktails, drizzled over vanilla ice cream, fruit salads, pancakes, waffles, or French toast. Ceylon Cinnamon produces an especially refined flavor and aroma.

  • FOOT SOAK

    Break 2–3 cinnamon sticks into warm water and soak your feet for about 20 minutes. Cinnamon contains naturally occurring compounds with antifungal properties, making it a popular traditional home remedy for athlete's foot.