What Is Cinnamon and How Can I Use It?

Wondering what to do with cinnamon? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 4,995 recipes to put it to work.

What is cinnamon?

Ground cinnamon bark is widely used as a spice. It is principally employed in cookery as a condiment and flavoring material.** It is used in the preparation of chocolate, especially in Mexico, which is the main importer of true cinnamon.

It is also used in the preparation of some kinds of desserts, such as apple pie, donuts, and cinnamon buns as well as spicy candies, tea, hot cocoa, and liqueurs. True cinnamon, rather than cassia, is more suitable for use in sweet dishes.

In the Middle East, it is often used in savory dishes of chicken and lamb. In the United States, cinnamon and sugar are often used to flavor cereals, bread-based dishes, and fruits, especially apples; a cinnamon-sugar mixture is even sold separately for such purposes. Cinnamon can also be used in pickling. Cinnamon bark is one of the few spices that can be consumed directly.

Types of cinnamon

Specific kinds of cinnamon and the recipes that use them.

Cinnamon sticks

Cinnamon bark is widely used as a spice. It is principally employed in cookery as a condiment and flavoring material. It is used in the preparation of chocolate, especially in Mexico, which is the main importer of true cinnamon.

Cinnamon bark is one of the few spices that can be consumed directly.

Cinnamon sticks

Its flavor is due to an aromatic essential oil that makes up 0.5% to 1% of its composition. This oil is prepared by roughly pounding the bark, macerating it in seawater, and then quicklydistilling the whole. It is of a golden-yellow color, with the characteristic odor of cinnamon and a very hot aromatic taste.

Cinnamon sugar

Cinnamon sugar is exactly what it sounds like: granulated sugar premixed with ground cinnamon, ready to sprinkle. It is the warm, sweet dust on toast and churros, and it saves you from measuring two ingredients every time you want that flavor.

You can buy it in a shaker jar, but most cooks just stir their own. The ratio is the whole recipe, and once you know it you will rarely buy the premade kind again.

A common everyday blend is ¼ cup of sugar to 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, which works out to about a 4-to-1 ratio by volume.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 tbsp (6g)

Amount per Serving

Calories 15Calories from Fat 1

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 0.2g 0%

Saturated Fat 0.0g 0%

Trans Fat ~

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 1mg 0%

Total Carbohydrate 4.8g 2%

Dietary Fiber 3g 13%

Sugars 0.1

Protein 0.2g

Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 3%

Calcium 7% • Iron 13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

recipeland.com/nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find cinnamon: Cinnamon is usually found in the spices section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Cinnamon is a member of the Spices and Herbs US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese: 肉桂
British (UK) term: Cinnamon
en français: la cannelle
en español: canela

How much does cinnamon weigh?

Amount	Weight
1 tbsp	6 grams
1 teaspoon	2 grams

Spices and Herbs

Allspice 904 Allspice berries 37 Star anise 178 Aniseed 23 Bay leaves 2049 Caraway seeds 321 Cardamom pods 100 Cardamom seeds 317 Celery seeds 283 Chervil 65

Recipes using cinnamon

There are 5150 recipes using and its varieties.

Adam's Chai Latte Ice Cream

My brother Adam loves this ice cream so much that I asked him for the recipe. It's a Chai Latte with chunks of gingerbread cookies hidden within.

Very P-Nutty Muffins

Peanut butter banana muffins with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a swirl of sour cream for extra-tender crumb. Elvis-inspired snack muffins, freezer-friendly, ready in under an hour.

Jello Any-Fruit Cake

A soft cake bottom, with a fruit filled middle topped with a tantalizing cinnamon topping. Learning how to make Jello fruit cake that use any fruit you have on hand including summery rhubarb with strawberry gelatin.

Easy Skillet Apple Pancakes

Fluffy skillet pancakes loaded with cinnamon-sugar apples cooked right into the batter. One pan, four gorgeous pancakes, minimal cleanup.

Tom's Favourite Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Chocolate chip pancakes from scratch with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla. Fluffy, kid-approved breakfast that hits the table in 30 minutes flat.

Cinnamon Brownies

Cinnamon-spiked fudgy brownies with cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and a cinnamon cocoa frosting on top. Mexican chocolate-inspired warm-spiced treat.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie with a gingersnap crumb crust, dark rum, heavy cream, and freshly grated nutmeg. The double-boiler trick warms the filling before baking for a smoother, less weepy custard.

Berry Dutch Baby

Puffy, golden berry Dutch baby pancake baked with fresh raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. This dramatic oven pancake rises sky-high in 25 minutes for a stunning weekend brunch.

Winter Squash Soup with Cinnamon & Cloves

Winter Squash Soup with Cinnamon and Cloves recipe

Gloria's Best Gingerbread Cookies

Soft, warmly spiced gingerbread cookies made with molasses, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Roll and cut into festive shapes for Christmas decorating with simple icing.

Dave's Light Pumpkin Pie

Dave's light pumpkin pie uses artificial sweetener, skim milk, and nonfat evaporated milk for a holiday-classic flavor with significantly less fat and sugar. Thanksgiving dessert you can serve guilt-free.

Mommy's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft-baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with warm cinnamon and nutmeg spices, ready in under 30 minutes for chewy or crispy texture

Chocolate Raisin Poppyseed Cookies

Eastern European chocolate poppyseed cookies with milk-soaked poppy seeds, melted unsweetened chocolate, raisins, lemon zest, and warm cinnamon-clove spice. A tea-time treat unlike any other cookie.

Tradional Pumpkin Pie

Traditional pumpkin pie made with sweetened condensed milk, two eggs, pumpkin puree, and warming cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. The Eagle Brand classic that ends up on Thanksgiving tables for a reason.

Streusel Snack Apple Muffins

Apple oat muffins topped with cinnamon-brown sugar streusel. Quick oats add hearty texture, fresh apple keeps the crumb moist. One-bowl batter, ready in 30 minutes.

Apple with Cream Cake

Cherry Pie

Classic double-crust cherry pie with warm spices, buttery crust, and tart cherries. A timeless dessert that works equally well with fresh or canned fruit.

Opal Deneke's Fig Jam

Opal Deneke's fig jam with ripe figs, pineapple, lemon juice, and warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Old-Southern hand-me-down preserve perfect for biscuits, cheese boards, or holiday gifting.

Nonfat Holiday Hot Chocolate

Nonfat hot chocolate mix made with skim milk powder, unsweetened cocoa, sugar substitute, and a hit of cinnamon for warm holiday spice. Mix once, store for weeks, and scoop into a mug whenever cravings hit.

Easy Ginger Spice Cookies

Easy ginger spice cookies with no sugar in the dough: cinnamon, ginger, and cloves rolled and cut into rounds, then tossed warm in a sugar-substitute cinnamon coating. A diabetic-friendly cookie.

Favorite Linzer Cookies

Crisp nut cookies sandwiched together with a raspberry filling, which peeks through the cutout in the top cookie.

Seascape Pumpkin Bread

Moist pumpkin bread with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and optional toasted walnuts. Large-batch quick bread that yields two loaves perfect for fall gifting, freezing, or holiday breakfasts.

Paneer Basmati Pilaf--Paneer Pulao

Paneer Pulao is a delightful and mildly aromatic Indian rice dish that combines basmati rice with paneer, which is a type of Indian cottage cheese.

Spiced Baba Gannouj

Spiced baba ghanoush with broiled eggplant, lemon, olive oil, and a warming hit of allspice and cinnamon. A Middle Eastern dip with unexpected spice depth, served with pita and fresh herbs.

Fruited Passover Kugels

Learn how to make Fruited Passover Kugels using matzo, eggs, apples, and prunes. This satisfying dish is perfect for Passover celebrations. Enjoy a tasty, kosher dessert that is sure to impress your family and guests.

Delicious Thanksging Pumpkin Pie

Classic Thanksgiving pumpkin pie with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves bound by evaporated milk and eggs in a flaky shell. The straightforward holiday standard, two pies from one batch.

Oatmeal Scotches

Oatmeal scotches with butterscotch chips, brown sugar, cinnamon, and rolled oats. Bake 7 minutes for chewy or 12 minutes for crispy, your choice in a versatile oatmeal cookie.

Homemade Noodles Bird’s Nest

This recipe is very easy and fun to make. And it’s a kid friendly recipe. Try it.

Borani Esfanaj (Spinach-Yogurt Salad or Dip)

Spinach yogurt dip with a touch of kick. Musky and sweet spices compliment the spinach and tangy yogurt.

Breakfast Fruit Focaccia

Breakfast fruit focaccia uses thawed frozen bread dough as a shortcut base, topped with sliced plums, butter, and cinnamon sugar. Tastes like a Tuscan breakfast pastry without the dough work.

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

Homemade Mexican chocolate ice cream with cinnamon, almond extract, and a rich egg custard base churned in an old-fashioned ice cream freezer. Warm spice meets cold, creamy chocolate.

Apple Oat Breakfast Pancakes

Apple oat breakfast pancakes with shredded apple, oats and cinnamon stirred into pancake mix. Fluffy, fragrant fall-flavored pancakes ready in 20 minutes from pantry staples.

Cinnamon Nut/Raisin Biscuits

Cinnamon nut or raisin biscuits with a brown sugar cinnamon filling tucked inside layered biscuit dough. The pocket of sweet spice goes molten as the biscuit bakes, giving you breakfast pastry without the yeast wait.

Karen's Pumpkin Pie

Karen's pumpkin pie uses fresh roasted pumpkin, heavy cream, brown sugar, warm spices, and a splash of whiskey for the richest holiday pie. From-scratch Thanksgiving classic.

South Indian Vegetable Biryani

Hi friends this is my first recipe hope you all like it.

Breakfast Apple Pancakes

Quite easy to make, and I liked these apple pancakes especially served with maple syrup. Yum!

Tom's Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie

Old-fashioned pumpkin pie with molasses, evaporated milk, and the four classic spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. The grandmother-style holiday pie with a deep, dark filling.

Homemade Steamed Buns

This buns are very smooth and delicious.You can adapt this bun recipe to your own taste.Shape as a porcupine.

Favourite Spiced Tea

Favourite spiced tea: a fragrant homemade chai blend of peppercorns, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger ground fresh, stirred into a pot of tea and served hot with milk and sugar.

Hot Mocha Milk

Hot mocha milk made in the microwave with chocolate syrup, instant coffee, a dash of cinnamon, and steamy milk. A cozy 5-minute coffeehouse drink at home.

Graham Wafer Crust

This easy graham cracker pie crust recipe creates a sweet, buttery, and crisp base perfect for cream pies, cheesecakes, or no-bake desserts. With a blend of crushed graham crackers, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and a touch of flour, it bakes to golden perfection in just 20 minutes.