Cinnamon is one of the “classic” spices that are generally added to coffee drinks in the world. Its subtle, but at the same time characteristic aroma and taste go well with milk and other spices; it does not interrupt the taste of coffee, but organically complements it, introducing new tones and notes. By the way, this seasoning also has many beneficial properties. We tell you all about how to make coffee with cinnamon, how much to add to get an exceptionally positive effect, and what interesting recipes are worth trying.
Cinnamon coffee recipes that will make your life never the same.
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There are hundreds of ways to prepare the morning drink of the gods, and about the same number of ingredients that can be added to coffee. These include not only milk, ice and syrups, but also spices such as nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, cloves and even pepper.
What is best to put in your cup largely depends on your taste preferences, but in case you want to drink not only an invigorating, but also a mega-healthy drink, we suggest taking a closer look at cinnamon.
Now we will list the advantages of the coffee-cinnamon duet, warn about the harm that can occur in case of an overdose, and tell you how to properly make a drink that you will love.
Contraindications
Cinnamon can thin the blood, and coffee affects blood pressure.
Any medicine in excess can become poisonous. So in the case of this product, you should not overdo it with consumption. Despite the impressive list of benefits, coffee has its contraindications.
Consumption is prohibited:
- for certain diseases of the central nervous system;
- if you are prone to allergies, consumption is possible in small quantities and under the supervision of other people;
- if there is a risk of bleeding (cinnamon thins the blood);
- during menopause;
- with severe gastrointestinal diseases;
- for kidney and liver diseases.
Coffee removes calcium from the bones, which can soon lead to thinning of bone tissue.
Large dosages cause severe harm to the body. Beneficial substances that are necessary for normal functioning are washed out of the body. It is worth monitoring your condition even when a person drinks only 1 cup per day.
Often, instead of cinnamon sticks, markets sell cassia tree bark. Externally, it is difficult to distinguish them from each other. To identify what is in front of you, you need to drop iodine onto a stick and observe the reaction of the substance. The cinnamon will remain in its original color, but the bark will turn blue due to the presence of starch in its composition.
How much cinnamon to add to coffee?
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The number of benefits you can get from one simple addition to your morning routine is staggering—and since cinnamon is such a common and budget-friendly spice, there's no reason not to try this innovation.
But how to calculate the dose correctly? There are several ways, let's look at each of them.
Option 1
If you are brewing coffee, add 1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the coffee pot, and then brew it as usual. This will give the drink a subtle aroma.
Option 2
Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top of your coffee if it's a latte or other frothy drink. Start with a small amount of cinnamon, as if you are not used to it, the flavor may be too tart for you. Take a sip and decide whether to increase the dose for flavor intensity.
Option 3
If you're a fan of instant coffee, put about half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon in your cup. Stir the coffee thoroughly, taste and add a little more if desired.
Interesting life hack:
Toss in a few cinnamon sticks with whole coffee beans to infuse your future cups of coffee with the faintest hint of cinnamon flavor.
What kind of coffee is best to use?
There are also no strict rules for choosing the type of coffee. Individual preferences matter more. For example, black coffee contains more caffeine and is invigorating. It contains vitamin PP and phenolic compounds that activate the breakdown of fat cells. Black grains are used in the fight against cellulite.
Green coffee contains chlorogenic acid. It breaks down fats in the intestines and prevents them from being absorbed into the blood. This helps to slightly mitigate the effects of poor nutrition.
Coffee with cinnamon: not only benefits, but also harm
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Before you start pouring cinnamon into every cup of coffee, let's talk about why you shouldn't forget about moderation and how much you can consume this spice per day to avoid unpleasant side effects.
We have news for you - there is not one, but two types of cinnamon: cassia and "real cinnamon" native to Ceylon. The first one is cheaper and more common; it is the one most often sold in supermarkets. And, unlike Ceylon cinnamon, it contains very high levels of a substance called coumarin.
A number of studies, including the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, have found that excess of this substance can damage the liver and also increase the risk of cancer.
In addition, cassia contains cinnamaldehyde, which in large quantities can cause allergic reactions in some people and cause mouth ulcers.
And finally, doctors strongly do not recommend abusing cassia if you are taking medications for heart or liver disease: it can increase the side effects of these medications.
For the same reason, you should not abuse cassia cinnamon at the moment when you are taking tablets containing paracetamol - this will increase the load on your liver, and it is unlikely to like it.
How much cassia can I use per day? Safe dose: one to one and a half teaspoons per day. And if you can get real Ceylon cinnamon, you can increase the daily portion to two and a half teaspoons.
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History of the drink
This is what a cinnamon tree looks like.
Cinnamon by nature is a natural flavoring agent. It was first mentioned in ancient China, Egypt, Greece, and later in Rome. It appeared on the territory of Rus' at a time when spices began to be actively imported. It got its name due to its color.
For a long time, cinnamon was inaccessible to the average person, because... was mined in limited quantities, and the price of the goods was high. In the 16th century, colonialists from England established mass sales and during this period of time the drink became widespread.
Coffee with cinnamon - how to prepare? 4 easy and delicious recipes
So, we agreed on the dosage of cinnamon. Now we bring to your attention step-by-step recipes with photos - elementary, but tasty, according to which you can prepare coffee with cinnamon in a variety of ways.
The easiest recipe for cinnamon coffee in a French press
Step 1
: Place two scoops of ground coffee into a French press
This recipe uses screenshots from the Starbucks Coffee video, youtube.com
Step 2
: Break two cinnamon sticks in half and place in a French press.
Step 3
: pour boiling water over coffee with cinnamon
Step 4
: let the drink brew for a few minutes
Step 5
: press the press all the way and pour the coffee into the mug
Flavored latte with cinnamon
Step 1
: Place a teaspoon of ground cinnamon in a small saucepan
Screenshots from the Brewed Goodness video, youtube.com, are used for this recipe.
Step 2
: add 2 teaspoons sugar
Step 3
: pour cinnamon and sugar over milk
Step 4
: Stirring constantly, let the milk boil
Step 5
: when the milk boils, pour it into a small cask
Step 6
: brew coffee in the usual way and fill the mug 3/4 full
Step 7
: add 1/4 milk with cinnamon and sugar on top
Beneficial features
When consumed in moderation and wisely, it has a positive effect on health.
Coffee with cinnamon has a fairly wide range of uses. Each of the components contributes its own benefits and together the drink is worthy of consideration, namely:
- helps restore the immune system;
- improves brain performance;
- has expectorant properties;
- speeds up metabolism;
- slows down the aging process;
- has antibacterial and antiviral properties;
- tones and invigorates the body;
- lowers blood sugar levels;
- stabilizes blood pressure;
- removes excess water from the body.
Instant coffee with cinnamon and vanilla
Step 1
: pour a glass of water into a small saucepan
This recipe uses screenshots from the video Tasty n Yummy, youtube.com
Step 2
: add 3-4 cinnamon sticks
Step 3
: Turn on the fire. When half the water has boiled away, pour it into a blender
Step 4
: Pour milk into the pan and wait until it boils. Add 1/4 vanilla extract
Step 5
: add one and a half teaspoons of instant coffee to the blender and mix
Step 6
: pour milk into a mug and coffee on top
Which is better - cinnamon sticks or cinnamon powder?
The straws collected in India have the most pronounced taste. They cost 100-200 rubles. for a few pieces, they have a pleasant aroma, a chocolate tint and a sweetish taste with a slight pungency.
The most commonly used powder is Chinese cinnamon, called cassia. When crushed, Indian spice is difficult to distinguish from cassia, so it is recommended to buy tubes.
It is preferable to purchase Ceylon cinnamon bark in the form of sticks rather than powder, because they are stored longer without losing their aromatic and taste qualities and beneficial properties. Ground cinnamon loses them over time, becoming simply an additive to dishes.
Composition and calorie content
First I would like to say a few words about cinnamon. This one of the most popular and safest spices is grown in countries with tropical climates. In the production of spices, ancient technology is still used, which ultimately allows us to obtain a product with a valuable chemical composition. Today, different manufacturers supply cinnamon to the world market, but Ceylon varieties of the spice are in great demand. Interestingly, when a coffee drink interacts with spices, substances that have a beneficial effect on the human body are activated.
Coffee beans are considered a unique natural product because they contain:
- in huge quantities of amino acids, including essential ones;
- vegetable proteins;
- complex organic compounds;
- alkaloids;
- essential oils.
The most important active component of coffee beans is the substance trigonelline, which is part of the group of alkaloids. During heat treatment, this element is converted into pyridine, which gives the drink a specific aroma. In addition, during the preparation of the drink, trigonelline interacts with nicotinic acid, and this union ensures the presence of vitamin B3 in the finished drink.
The composition of cinnamon is more complex. The spice consists of 60% cinnamaldehyde, and 18% is eugenol. The spice also contains:
- Retinol (vitamin A).
- Tocopherol, which ensures the synthesis of sex hormones and supports the immune system.
- Vitamin B3, necessary for the normal state of the nervous system.
- Vitamin D, an essential building material for bone tissue.
- The minerals magnesium and potassium are essential for muscle tissue, blood vessels and the heart.
- Tannins, which are natural antiseptics.
- Starches that have a positive effect on the intestines.
- Essential oils that tonify the body.
In addition to these components, spicy cinnamon sticks contain mucus and resins.
The rich composition of the two ingredients makes the cinnamon coffee drink extremely healthy if consumed in moderation. Considering the low calorie content of the product, and the energy capacity of a 100-gram serving is only 40 kcal, it can be safely drunk by people with weight problems.
We recommend reading:
composition and calorie content of cinnamon
Read
In what cases is it useless?
There are a number of cases in which drinking coffee will not bring the desired result:
- Stress, depression, nervous conditions. In this case, caffeine will react with cortisol, which will lead to the opposite effect.
- Non-compliance with drinking regime. Coffee has strong diuretic properties, so if there is a lack of fluid, drinking it can lead to dehydration.
- Ignoring diet. “Empty” coffee is not enough to lose weight. The daily diet should correspond to the weight loss program. It should be free of simple carbohydrates and saturated fats.
- Low physical activity. Caffeine demonstrates its maximum fat-burning effect in tandem with exercise in the gym.
Diet and exercise should be a constant component of a coffee weight loss program. Only in this case will it be possible to see the desired number on the scales.
In a geyser coffee maker
First you need to pour water into the lower part of the geyser. Natural coffee is mixed with cinnamon and poured into the filter. The contents should not be compacted under any circumstances. You need to carefully wipe off the remaining coffee from the rim and screw the top part.
You don’t have to close the lid, but monitor the cooking. There are coffee makers with a whistle, and some without. In the second case, the geyser is removed from the heat when the water completely passes through the filter and begins to hiss. Already in the cup, you can add fresh lemon to the drink.
How to use the spice
Cinnamon is used for making baked goods, drinks, desserts, and meat. For weight loss, it can be used with main courses, cocktails, fruits, dairy products, nuts, and honey.
For weight loss
The spice accelerates metabolic processes, removes excess fluid and gets rid of fat deposits. An effective remedy in the fight against excess weight is kefir with crushed cinnamon tubes. How to use cinnamon sticks to lose weight:
- Drink made from kefir and cinnamon bark. For a glass of 1% kefir, approximately 1 cm of stick is required; it must be crushed using a blender or coffee grinder. Mix the resulting powder with a fermented milk drink; there is no need to wait for the cocktail to become saturated - it immediately turns out aromatic. You can drink it in the morning or before bed to satisfy your hunger.
- Black or green tea. Pour a few tablespoons of dry tea leaves into a teapot, add 1 broken cinnamon stick and pour boiling water over it. Brew for 15-20 minutes, then remove the spice so that the tea does not become bitter.
- Infusion of cinnamon powder and honey. Grind a small cinnamon stick and pour boiling water over it, cool slightly, add 1 tsp. honey You cannot mix it with hot water, otherwise it will lose its beneficial properties. Drink the resulting infusion 30 minutes before meals.
In folk medicine
Cinnamon has been used as a medicine since ancient times. It is impossible to replace drugs with spices in case of severe diseases of internal organs, but crushed sticks can be used for prevention.
Women often include the spice in masks to lighten or treat their hair. Anti-aging facial mixtures consisting of honey, cinnamon powder and natural essential oils are also effective.
An infusion of ground cinnamon will relieve nausea, gas and abdominal discomfort . To prepare it, you need to add 1 tsp to a glass of boiling water. spices, mix thoroughly and cool, drink 30 minutes after eating, after straining the drink.
You can prevent acute respiratory infections during an epidemic by drinking every day a remedy prepared from 250 ml of boiling water, 1 cinnamon stick and a small amount of black pepper. Dissolve the powdered spice in a glass of water, add a pinch of pepper and cool to a comfortable temperature. Before use, add 1 tsp. honey It is recommended to drink 1/3 - 1/2 glass three times a day.
How to distinguish a fake from a natural product?
Many manufacturers are not entirely honest with their consumers and often pass off cassia plant sticks as cinnamon sticks. For what? Cinnamon is a more expensive product to produce and process, so in order to save money, manufacturers use a cheaper analogue.
In order not to fall for such a trick and enjoy natural high-quality spices, below we have given some tips that will help when choosing it:
- Pay attention to the country of origin; for real spices it will most often be Ceylon;
- The real spice has a uniform light brown color, while cassia varies in color and even turns into dark gray;
- Cinnamon has a more delicate taste and aroma, while cassia has a more tart and pungent aroma;
- Ceylon natural uncrushed cinnamon is thinner and more fragile when cut, cassia is coarser and denser;
- You can also check its quality at home using a chemical method - if you drop iodine on a natural spice, the color will not change, but in cassia the color of iodine will turn dark blue.
Cinnamon sticks are a spice that has won the hearts of people who love warmth, comfort and a delicious aroma. A wide range of uses in weight loss, cooking, healing, folk medicine, cosmetology and aromatherapy have made cinnamon sticks simply irreplaceable. We told you how to use and grind them at home and how to choose the right quality spice and distinguish it from a fake in our article.
Drink Recipes with Cinnamon Sticks
The spice is used not only for cooking dishes, but also for drinks.
Coffee
The spice can be added to coffee, so the drink will become more aromatic and tastier, especially if you use cinnamon in pods. It is recommended to add them to the coffee pot while brewing coffee and remove them before serving. There is no need to leave the straws in the drink, otherwise they will add bitterness to it.
If instant coffee is being prepared, then a small amount of crushed spice is poured into a cup.
Fans of unusual flavor combinations add orange zest and nutmeg to their coffee, in addition to spices. The drink is brewed in the usual way; before serving, zest, chopped spice and nutmeg are added. You need to wait a little for the coffee to brew. If it turns out too bitter, you can add a small amount of sugar or honey.
Decoction
To improve metabolism, you can prepare a decoction with honey. To do this, 250 ml of hot water will require ½ tsp. ground cinnamon and 1 tsp. honey The spice is dissolved in boiling water, cooled and honey is added.
Drink to boost immunity
A drink consisting of the following components will help strengthen your immune system:
- juice squeezed from half a lemon;
- 1 tbsp. l. bee honey;
- 1 tsp. cinnamon;
- 1 glass of warm boiled water.
Mix lemon juice with honey and add chopped cinnamon. Dilute the mixture with water and take it in the morning before breakfast.
Diet shake
To prepare a diet shake you will need an apple, yogurt and cinnamon. For 500 ml of natural yogurt without additives, take 1 tsp. cinnamon and the same amount of honey, as well as a large green apple. Peel the fruit, puree it using a blender or grate it, then mix with the rest of the ingredients. You can add a little oatmeal and leave for 5-10 minutes. It is recommended to drink this drink in the morning to keep you feeling full throughout the day.
