Ground Cinnamon
Ground cinnamon is warm, sweet-spicy bark powder from cinnamon trees, one of the most widely used baking spices in the world and also a common savory seasoning in many global cuisines.
How to buy
Two main types exist: cassia cinnamon, the common, stronger, more pungent kind found as plain "cinnamon" in most grocery stores, and Ceylon, or "true," cinnamon, which is milder, sweeter, and more delicate. Check the label if a recipe specifies one, and look for a warm, sweet smell rather than a flat, dusty one, which signals staleness.
How to store
Keep in an airtight container in a cool, dark pantry away from heat and light. It keeps reasonably well for a year or two, though its aromatic intensity gradually fades, especially once ground.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Warm, sweet, and slightly woody with a peppery bite, especially from cassia. Ceylon cinnamon is softer, sweeter, and more citrusy by comparison, and toasting briefly can deepen its warmth.
- Texture
- A fine powder that disperses evenly into batters, doughs, and sauces without clumping if whisked in with the other dry ingredients first.
- Aroma
- A warm, sweet, woody aroma from cinnamaldehyde, instantly recognizable and central to many baking spice blends.
How to prepare
- Whisked into dry mix — Blended with flour and sugar before mixing into batters and doughs.
- Dusted on top — Sprinkled over baked goods, coffee drinks, or oatmeal as a finishing touch.
- Simmered in liquid — Steeped in milk, cider, or syrup to infuse warm spice flavor.
- Mixed into spice blends — Combined with nutmeg, clove, and ginger for pumpkin spice or chai blends.
Classic dishes
American
- Cinnamon rolls — Sweet yeasted dough rolled around a cinnamon-sugar filling and baked into spirals.
- Apple pie — A classic baked pie whose filling relies on cinnamon to warm the apples' sweetness.
- Cinnamon toast — Buttered toast sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, then broiled or toasted again.
- Pumpkin pie — A spiced custard pie whose warm flavor comes largely from cinnamon alongside other baking spices.
Mexican
- Churros — Fried dough pastries rolled in cinnamon sugar right after frying.
- Mexican hot chocolate — Hot chocolate spiced with cinnamon, often alongside a touch of chile.
- Horchata — A sweet, milky rice drink flavored with cinnamon.
Chinese
- Chinese five-spice powder — A spice blend in which cinnamon or cassia is one of the five core components.
Indian
- Garam masala — A warm spice blend in which cinnamon plays a central aromatic role.
- Biryani — Layered spiced rice whose fragrance often includes cinnamon among its whole spices.
Greek
- Baklava — Layered phyllo pastry with nuts, sometimes spiced with a hint of cinnamon.
- Moussaka — A layered eggplant and meat casserole whose meat sauce is often warmed with cinnamon.
Vietnamese
- Pho broth — A fragrant beef noodle soup broth often simmered with a cinnamon stick alongside star anise.
Middle Eastern
- Moroccan lamb tagine — A slow-braised lamb stew whose warm spice base leans on cinnamon.
- Warm-spiced rice pilaf — Rice cooked with whole or ground cinnamon alongside other warming spices.
German
- Lebkuchen — Spiced German cookies whose flavor relies heavily on cinnamon and other warm spices.
British & Irish
- Mince pies — Small pies filled with spiced dried fruit, warmed with cinnamon among other spices.