How to Make Cinnamon Tea

Co-authored by Erica Docimo, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.

Last Updated: August 11, 2022

Cinnamon has been used in traditional Ayurveda and Chinese medicine to treat a wide range of ailments, including the common cold and indigestion. In addition to its health benefits, cinnamon has a naturally sweet flavor, which makes it an ideal ingredient for a cup of tea.

Ingredients

Tea with Cinnamon Sticks

1 cinnamon stick
1 ½ cup (355 ml) water

Cinnamon Black Tea

1 cinnamon stick
1 cup (237 ml) boiling water
1 black tea bag
Sugar, stevia, or other sweetener of your choice (optional)

Cinnamon and Ginger Tea

2 cinnamon sticks
¾ cup (40 g) ginger, chopped and peeled
3 quarts (2.8 l) water
Honey, to taste

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Tea with Cinnamon Sticks

1
Fill a pot with water and a cinnamon stick. Pour 1 ½ cups of water into a medium saucepan. Add 1 cinnamon stick, and cover the pot with a lid before placing it on the stovetop.^{[1]
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- You can use a glass tea kettle instead of a saucepan if you prefer.
- If you want a stronger tea, break the cinnamon stick into several pieces.
2
Bring the pot to a slow boil. The cinnamon flavor comes out of the stick when it’s slow boiled, so set the stove’s burner to medium low. Allow it to come to a boil, which should take approximately 15 to 25 minutes.^{[2]
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- Don’t be alarmed if the water’s only a pale yellow color even when it comes to a full boil. It takes some time for the tea to darken.
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3
Allow the tea to steep for 15 minutes. Once the water and cinnamon mixture has come to a complete boil, remove it from the burner. The tea must cool slightly for the rest of the cinnamon to be released from the stick, so let the tea steep for approximately 15 minutes off the heat.^{[3]
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- As the tea steeps, it will start to darken, turning a golden red color.
4
Strain the tea into a mug and serve. After you’ve allowed the tea to steep for a while, pour it through a very fine strainer into a mug. The strainer will remove any bits of the cinnamon stick that might have broken off during brewing. Serve or drink the tea right away.^{[5]
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- During the steeping and straining process, the tea will cool. If it’s not as hot as you’d like it when it’s finished, pour the strained tea back into the pot and reheat it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using a Tea Bag to Make Cinnamon Black Tea

1
Combine the cinnamon stick and boiling water in a mug. Place a cinnamon stick in a mug or teacup. Next, pour 1 cup (237 ml) of boiling water over the stick so that it’s fully submerged.^{[6]
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- Using filtered water usually results in better tasting tea.
2
Cover the mixture and let it steep. When the cinnamon stick and water are combined in the mug, cover it with a saucer. Allow the mixture to steep for 10 minutes so the cinnamon stick starts to release its flavor.^{[7]
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- If you don’t have a saucer to cover your mug, you can use a piece of foil.
3
Add the tea bag and steep for several more minutes. When the cinnamon stick has finished steeping in the water, add 1 bag of black tea. Allow the tea bag to steep in the mug with the cinnamon for another two to three minutes.^{[8]
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- You can use regular or decaffeinated black tea, depending on your preference.
- If you aren’t a fan of black tea, you can substitute rooibos tea or honeybush tea.
4
Mix in some sweetener and serve. After the tea bag has steeped for a few minutes, remove it and the cinnamon stick from the mug. Add sugar, stevia, or the sweetener of your choice if desired, and drink immediately.^{[9]
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- If the tea has gotten cold while you waited for it to steep, reheat it in the microwave. Heat it on high in 10 second intervals until it reaches the desired temperature.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Preparing Cinnamon and Ginger Tea

1
Combine the cinnamon, ginger, and water in a pot. Add 3 quarts (2.8 l) of water, 2 cinnamon sticks, and ¾ cup (40 g) of chopped, peeled ginger to a large saucepan . Cover the pan, and place it on the stovetop.^{[10]
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- For a stronger cinnamon flavor, break the sticks into several smaller pieces.
2
Allow the mixture to simmer. Turn the burner under the pot to medium low, and bring it to a gentle simmer. Let the mixture continue to simmer for at least an hour to ensure that all of the flavor from the cinnamon and ginger is released.^{[11]
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- You’ll know that the tea is simmering when you see gentle bubbling in the pot. Watch it closely to keep the tea from coming to a full boil.
3
Strain the tea. When the tea has simmered for an hour, remove the pot from the stove. Next, use a fine strainer to strain the cinnamon and ginger pieces out of the tea.^{[12]
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4
Serve with honey. The recipe makes 3 quarts (2.8 l) of tea, so pour it into individual mugs or teacups for serving. Mix in some honey to taste, and serve.^{[13]
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- You can prepare the cinnamon ginger tea several hours ahead of time, but be sure to reheat it before serving.

Community Q&A

Question

Can you stir ground cinnamon directly into boiling water to make tea?

Community Answer

For the best results, you should actually stir the ground cinnamon into the water before you boil it. Adding to already boiled water usually results in the cinnamon clumping together and sinking to the bottom. Mix the ground cinnamon into the water, boil it on the stove, and then strain it through a fine sieve to remove any clumps before drinking the tea.
Question

How can I use cinnamon, tumeric and ginger powder for tea?

Junkhna Hemnani

Community Answer

Take a big bowl of boiling water, add a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of fresh grated turmeric/turmeric powder and a pinch of fresh grated ginger/ginger powder. Let everything boil for a couple more minutes, sieve this water in your tea mug and enjoy the drink.
Question

Can I put cinnamon tea in the fridge?

Community Answer

You can put cinnamon tea in the fridge for up to three days. Make sure to stir before drinking it.