An easy 2-ingredient recipe for invigorating homemade cinnamon tea that can be served cold over ice or in a hot mug. This recipe includes both stove top and Instant Pot instructions.
Cinnamon tea is a soothing remedy for colds and a sore throat. It's also a refreshing drink on a hot summer day. I love cinnamon iced tea during the summer!
Homemade cinnamon tea (also called canela tea) has a natural flavor that comes across as sweet and spiced, without tasting too spicy. Your house will smell amazing when you make this aromatic tea.
If you want a remedy with more kick to it, try my Winter Elixir made from ginger, turmeric and cinnamon.
You might also enjoy garlic, ginger and lemon tea, which is more savory than sweet. For a cozy treat, try maple syrup coffee. For a refreshing frozen treat, try watermelon popsicles.
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Ingredients
To make cold or hot cinnamon tea, you only need two ingredients, cinnamon sticks and water.
How to Make Cinnamon Tea (Stove Top or Instant Pot)
You can prepare homemade cinnamon tea on the stove top or in a pressure cooker. I prefer using my Instant Pot, because the flavor is richer and the tea is ready faster.
Stove Top Instructions: Combine water and cinnamon sticks. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat let the tea steep until desired flavor is reached.
Pressure Cooker Instructions: Combine water and cinnamon sticks. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, with a natural release.
For detailed instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Add More Flavor
This tea has a subtle, gentle flavor. If you want to add more flavor, consider adding one of the following ingredients to the water before you brew the cinnamon tea.
- Fresh orange peel
- 1-inch knob of fresh ginger, smashed or sliced (for cinnamon ginger tea)
For more flavor, add any of these ingredients after the tea has already brewed.
- Squeeze of lemon or orange juice
- Splash of apple cider vinegar
- Honey, to make cinnamon honey tea (or your favorite sweetener)
- Black tea bag (1 or 2 tea bags - let steep for about 4 minutes)
- Caffeine-free rooibos tea (1 or 2 tea bags - let steep for about 4 minutes)
- Masala chai tea (1 or 2 tea bags - let steep for about 4 minutes)
- Chamomile tea bags (1 or 2 tea bags - let steep for about 4 minutes)
- A few drops of echinacea or other herbal remedy
- Black pepper, for more spice
FAQ About Cinnamon Tea
Cinnamon is tree bark from a tropical evergreen tree. Here's an interesting video that shows how cinnamon bark is harvested.
According to The Spice House, there are over 250 plant species in the cinnamon genus. The main varieties of culinary cinnamon are Ceylon, Cassia and Saigon.
If you're buying cinnamon sticks in an American grocery store, it's most likely Cassia cinnamon. You might also be able to find ceylon cinnamon sticks.
I use generic cinnamon sticks from the grocery store, which are most likely cassia cinnamon. You can experiment with different types of cinnamon, and see which type you like best.
I've noticed that some grocery store brands of cinnamon sticks have more flavor than others, so if your tea doesn't have enough flavor, this might be why. Buying tea from a spice company usually will get you more flavorful cinnamon sticks, because the quality is higher and they are fresher.
Cinnamon sticks lose most of their flavor after one brewing. However, instead of throwing the sticks out, they can still add a lovely scent to a pot of simmered pot pourri to make your house smell nice.
There are many claims of cinnamon tea benefits for health. It is thought to be a remedy for menstrual symptoms, premenstrual syndrome, weight loss, chronic inflammation, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels and heart disease. It is best to consult your doctor before drinking cinnamon tea for any health benefit.
You can, although the flavor won't be quite the same and the tea might have a slightly gritty texture. Try adding 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to every 3 cups of water.
Delicious Treats to Enjoy with Tea
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📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Tea Recipe
Cinnamon tea can be served hot or cold. It's soothing on a cold winter day and refreshing on a hot summer afternoon. You can make this tea on the stove top or in a pressure cooker.
This recipe was updated December 15, 2021
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Snacks, Treats & Little Things
- Method: Instant Pot or Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 6 cups water (regular tap water or filtered water)
- 6 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
Stove-Top
- Bring water to a boil.
- Add cinnamon sticks.
- Turn down the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let the cinnamon sticks steep until the desired flavor is reached. You can remove the cinnamon sticks right away, or let the cinnamon sticks steep in the water for up to an hour.
Pressure Cooker
- Combine water and cinnamon sticks in an electric pressure cooker (I use an Instant Pot)
- Secure the lid and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure
- Let the pressure release naturally (takes about 20 minutes)
- Remove the cinnamon sticks. Enjoy the hot tea immediately, or store the tea in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
This tea will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can drink it cold or reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.
Read the blog post above for additional ingredients that can be added after the tea is brewed. I like adding a squeeze of lemon. You can also add ingredients like honey, orange juice, drops of echinacea or apple cider vinegar.
You can combine cinnamon stick tea with other types of tea by adding 2 tea bags to the hot water after brewing the cinnamon tea. An herbal tea like chamomile or caffeinated tea like black tea are both good. Let the tea bags steep for about 4 minutes.
Carol
When I use ground Ceylon cinnamon in my tea, it doesn’t seem to dissolve, but floats on top. How can I fix this?
Jenny Meier
When using ground cinnamon, it won't dissolve fully into the tea. I'd recommend straining the tea through cheesecloth. Hope that works for you!
Mamokwena Jane Mosiamang
can I use powder to make cinnamon tea
Jenny Meier
Yes, you can. The tea might have a slightly gritty texture from the powder, but most of the powder usually settles on the bottom of the cup and tea will have a cinnamon flavor.
Angelee
I just learned that cinnamon is a good cure for shingles and any viruses. That recipe was perfect for my friend who has shingles.
Anjali
I had no idea it was so easy to make such a delicious tea from scratch using just cinnamon sticks and water! This hot cup of tea was the perfect pick me up this afternoon!
Vanessa
Such a comforting drink for those winter colds that the kids seem to bring home!
Michelle
I'm a sucker for "spiced" anything. This one checks all my boxes. I love it!
Irina
I have heard about cinnamon tea as a remedy to a sore throat. Thanks for sharing the recipe. It's so in need during wintertime. 🙂
Heather Perine
Came down with a cold last week, and been drinking this every day since! It's heavenly and reminds me of Christmas!
S.
This tea is really easy to make in the Instant Pot and I love the cinnamon flavor.