Cinnamon Tea: Benefits, Taste And How To Brew

Cinnamon tea, in summary: Cinnamon tea is a sweet, warming, caffeine free cup. The one decision that matters is Ceylon versus Cassia (coumarin); the blood sugar evidence is modest, not a treatment.

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Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in February 2026.

General information, not medical advice. If you manage a condition or take medication, talk to a pharmacist or GP before drinking it daily.

Cinnamon tea is a sweet, warming, naturally caffeine free cup that pairs beautifully with apple, ginger or vanilla. It has a modest clinical evidence base behind its blood sugar reputation, but the genuinely important thing to know is practical: not all cinnamon is equal. Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon have meaningfully different safety profiles for daily use.

What cinnamon tea is

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Cinnamon tea is the infusion of cinnamon bark in hot water, sometimes alone, sometimes blended with other herbs and tea bases. Two species are sold:

Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum). Native to Sri Lanka. Soft, layered, papery bark. Sweet refined flavour. Lower coumarin content. Often called "true cinnamon."
Cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia). Native to southern China and Vietnam. Hard, thick bark. Bolder flavour, slightly more bitter. Higher coumarin content (potentially harmful in large daily doses).

UK supermarket cinnamon is almost always Cassia (cheaper, more available). Ceylon cinnamon is sold separately as a premium option, usually labelled clearly.

The coumarin problem

Coumarin is a naturally occurring compound in Cassia cinnamon. In high doses it can stress the liver in sensitive individuals. The European Food Safety Authority sets a tolerable daily intake at 0.1mg per kg of body weight; for a 70kg adult that's about 7mg of coumarin a day, roughly 1-2 teaspoons of Cassia powder.

Ceylon cinnamon contains roughly 1/100th the coumarin of Cassia, so daily Ceylon consumption is essentially unrestricted from a coumarin perspective.

Practical takeaway: if you drink cinnamon tea daily, switch to Ceylon. If you're using it occasionally (a cup here and there), Cassia is fine.

Ceylon versus Cassia, the one decision that matters

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	Ceylon (Cinnamomum verum)	Cassia (Cinnamomum cassia)
Bark	soft, layered, papery	hard, thick
Flavour	sweet, refined, less bitter	bolder, slightly more bitter
Coumarin	roughly one hundredth of Cassia; daily use essentially unrestricted	higher; liver risk in large sustained doses
UK shelf	premium, usually labelled clearly	the cheap default

The blood sugar evidence

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Some small trials and a 2019 meta analysis suggest cinnamon modestly supports fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes. The effect is real but small, the trials used concentrated cinnamon extract rather than a brewed cup, and cinnamon is not a substitute for diabetes medication. Treat a daily cup as a pleasant warming drink that may sit alongside diet, exercise and prescribed treatment, not as a remedy, and if you manage diabetes talk to your GP before drinking it daily. Cinnamon is also credited with antioxidant and heart effects, but the human evidence for a brewed cup is weak; enjoy it as a warming spice cup, not a supplement.

How to brew cinnamon tea

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Method 1: Stick infusion (best flavour)

1 small cinnamon stick (preferably Ceylon)
250ml just boiled water
Steep 10 minutes (covered)
Optional: honey, lemon, slice of fresh ginger

The stick can be reused for a second cup with longer steeping (15-20 minutes for the second infusion).

Method 2: Powder infusion (faster)

½ tsp Ceylon cinnamon powder
250ml just boiled water
Stir and steep 5-7 minutes
Strain through fine cloth (powder will settle but some sediment remains)

Powder produces a more intense cup but is gritty unless strained.

Method 3: Cinnamon black tea blend

Add a snapped cinnamon stick to a black tea base (Yorkshire, English Breakfast). Brew normally. The cinnamon adds warmth without dominating.

Cinnamon tea blends worth buying

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Pukka Three Cinnamon. Three cinnamon types blended for fuller aromatic. Caffeine free. More Pukka here.
Twinings Cinnamon Spiced Apple. Cinnamon + apple, sweet and warming.
Clipper Sweet Cinnamon Chai. Rooibos based, caffeine free, cinnamon forward.
Yogi Egyptian Liquorice Cinnamon. Liquorice + cinnamon for sweet warming evenings.
Heath & Heather Cinnamon & Apple. UK herbal, organic.
Specialist Ceylon cinnamon sticks. Loose Ceylon cinnamon from specialty grocers, best for daily drinking.

Cautions worth knowing

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Liver and Cassia. Heavy daily Cassia consumption is best avoided due to coumarin, especially with a liver condition; choose Ceylon for daily drinking.
Medication, pregnancy and children. Cinnamon may interact with diabetes medication and blood thinners. If you take regular medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are buying for children, check with a pharmacist or GP before drinking it daily, and avoid concentrated cinnamon supplements.

Caffeine

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Pure cinnamon tea (no tea base): 0mg caffeine. Cinnamon black tea blends: 30-50mg per cup depending on the base. Cinnamon rooibos blends: 0mg.

FAQ

Is cinnamon tea good for blood sugar? Some modest evidence, but it's not a treatment or a substitute for medication. If you manage diabetes, talk to your GP.

Ceylon or Cassia for daily cinnamon tea? Ceylon. Lower coumarin content makes daily drinking safer.

How much cinnamon tea per day? 2-3 cups of Ceylon cinnamon tea is a reasonable upper limit. With Cassia, limit to a cup a day for sustained use.

Is cinnamon tea caffeine free? Pure cinnamon tea, yes. Cinnamon black tea blends, no.

Best cinnamon tea brand UK? Pukka Three Cinnamon for ready bagged. Loose Ceylon cinnamon sticks for the most authentic daily option.

Curator's note: if you drink cinnamon tea regularly, switch to Ceylon. The price difference is small, the safety margin for daily use is large, and the cup is genuinely better, sweeter, less bitter, more refined. Lee, Teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

Buy a true Ceylon or a ready blend via Pukka, or browse the full tea shop.

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Spice tea companion reading

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for Cinnamon Tea. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/cinnamon tea/