I love cinnamon sticks. They are so fragrant and I love to add them to hot drinks to add a festive touch. But other than using them as stirrers in hot beverages, how else can you use cinnamon sticks? Thankfully there are tons of different ways to use whole cinnamon sticks that not only add flavor but add a sense of style.
What Are Whole Cinnamon Sticks?
Derived from the inner bark on trees from the Cinnamomum genus, cinnamon is then dried into quills which is then cut into sticks or ground to make ground cinnamon. There are two types of cinnamon that people consume— cassia cinnamon and ceylon cinnamon. For years many have called cassia cinnamon "fake" however, according to Slate, both plants are part of the genus Cinnamomum, making it true cinnamon. 90% of all cinnamon sold in the world is Cassia Chinese cinnamon. The other 10% is a variety of Indonesian cinnamon, Saigon cinnamon ( also known as Vietnamese cinnamon), Sri Lanka cinnamon, and Malabar cinnamon. In comparison, Ceylon cinnamon has a light brown color and is milder in flavor than Cassia cinnamon.
McCormick Cinnamon Sticks
You can buy Ceylon cinnamon sticks online, just be warned they'll be a bit more pricey.
How to Use Cinnamon Sticks
Simmer Them with Your Breakfast Cereal
Oatmeal never tasted so good! Add a cinnamon bark stick in with your milk or water and cook your oatmeal. The flavoring will be throughout your entire bowl. Plus the cinnamon quills are reusable! Just dry and place in your oatmeal the next morning.
Add it to Your Morning Coffee
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We know cinnamon goes great with hot chocolate but what about coffee? Add a stick in your coffee grinder while you grind the beans for an autumn flavored brew.
Add Cinnamon Flavor to Meats
Adding cinnamon powder to beef is overpowering. Instead, add a whole stick to the pot and let it infuse.
Use it to Make Tea
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Did you know you can make tea out of them? Let it steep in hot water until flavorful.
Make Your Own Spice Mix
Grab a spice grinder and prepare your own Fall spice mix by mixing together allspice, cardamom, whole cloves, star anise, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Pumpkin spice who? This spice mix brings your cinnamon rolls to the next level.
From apple cider to hot cocoa, cinnamon sticks are always welcome.
