There are some spices you’ll find in just about any kitchen you enter, and cinnamon is one of those. It’s no surprise, either. The kitchen staple is not only one of the most delicious and fragrant spices around, but it’s also a highly versatile ingredient and an important component in savory and sweet dishes (and drinks) served by dozens of cultures around the world. But the humble spice is surprisingly nuanced. Though not something the average home cook might pay attention to, there are actually four types of cinnamon, the most popular being cinnamon cassia, which is what you can expect to pluck off of the shelf in your average grocery store. Second in the running is Ceylon cinnamon, which has a distinctive color and a unique taste. Our Top Picks Best Overall : Best Organic: Best Budget: Best Cinnamon Sticks: Best for Beverages: Best Cinnamon Sugar: In This Article Our Picks What To Look For FAQs How We Selected Why Trust The Spruce Eats? Sources What We Like Tanzanian origins Hand-cut Good value What We Don’t Like Not widely available You can’t beat the quality and versatility of Burlap and Barrel's Cinnamon Verum, which is sourced from the Zanzibar Islands off the coast of Tanzania. The Ceylon cinnamon is packed with flavor, thanks to the way it's grown—organically on the hillside—and a cultivation process that includes hand cutting and sun-drying. What you’ll taste is notes of sea salt, brown sugar, raw honey, and citrus peel in the flavor profile. It's perfect for savory dishes, like tomato sauces, stews, chili, and even barbecue rubs. That’s because the flavor blooms when heated. Unfortunately, this cinnamon isn’t as widely available as others—you’ll be hard-pressed to find it in supermarkets, so look online. On the upside, though, it comes in a 14-ounce size for anyone who wants to stock up. And you can be sure you’re getting a quality product since Burlap and Barrel is the only importer of Zanzibar spices to the United States and it’s highly respected in the culinary world. Size: 1.8 and 14 ounces | Type: Ground Ceylon | Origin: Zanzibar, Tanzania | Tasting Notes: Citrus peel, pine, sea salt, raw honey, brown sugar | Pairs Well With: Savory sauces, stews, rubs, chilis What We Like Milder flavor Has a shaker top Organic What We Don’t Like Might be too subtle for some On the hunt for something delicate and mild? Simply Organic's Ground Ceylon Cinnamon is a widely-available USDA-certified organic product that won’t overwhelm the same way some of the more pervasive Cassia cinnamons tend to. (Just note: Because of this, some may actually think the flavor is too gentle.) This cinnamon is also paler and lighter than Cassia varieties, which is more than a marker of looks. Because of this, the cinnamon is softer and grinds better, so the resulting spice is one you can readily sprinkle onto foods or even liquids without clumping or experiencing a gritty texture. The shaker top on this product makes it a cinch. And if you need to measure, you can always pop it off to get your measuring spoon inside. Size: 2.08 ounces | Type: Ground Ceylon | Origin: Sri Lanka | Tasting Notes: Fruit, apple, floral, nectar | Pairs Well With: Coffee, tea, baked goods, oatmeal What We Like Bolder Great for savory dishes Cost-effective What We Don’t Like Comes in a bag The more common variety of cinnamon, cassia cinnamon is generally regarded as the stronger, bolder spice. But it’s one you’ll find in most household pantries, since it’s the most readily available in supermarkets. It’s plenty versatile, too—you can use it in both sweet and savory dishes with much success. Stir it into banana bread batter for extra nuance or sprinkle it onto meat or roasted vegetables. It also tastes fantastic in rich meals, like curry. We like this one, because it’s relatively inexpensive, especially considering its larger 4-ounce size, and it’s packaged in Utah. The spice is both non-GMO and vegan, plus doesn’t contain any additives—just true, flavorful cinnamon. On the downside, it does come in a bag, so it’s imperative to keep it airtight to ensure maximum freshness over the course of its shelf life. Size: 4 ounces | Type: Cassia | Origin: Utah | Tasting Notes: Strong, peppery, sweet | Pairs Well With: Cinnamon rolls, coffee, meat, curries, pho What We Like Fair-trade certified Sweet flavor Great for baking What We Don’t Like Small amount You’ll pay a bit more for this Ceylon cinnamon, especially considering the size of the container. But it’s a worthy splurge when you consider what you’re getting. The Frontier Co-op Ground Ceylon Cinnamon is not only organic, but is also non-irradiated and Fair Trade certified, which means that your purchase supports farming families and fair wages for those sourcing the product. The product hails from a highly-regarded area of Sri Lanka, too. The land produces cinnamon with a sweet and warm flavor that’s perfect for baked goods like cookies and cakes. Of course, you can also use the spice in savory dishes—just know that the flavor isn’t as pungent as other varieties of cinnamon, including Cassia. Size: 1.76 ounces | Type: Ground Ceylon | Origin: Sri Lanka | Tasting Notes: Floral, clove | Pairs Well With: Baked goods, coffee, apples, smoothies What We Like Trusted brand Strong flavor profile Versatile What We Don’t Like Can be clumpy We’re guessing you’ve heard of this one, and that’s because it’s a grocery store staple that comes at a widely-accessible price point. But it’s not just any old budget pick. McCormick, a more than 125-year-old company, is a trusted name in the food industry that you can count on to deliver a marriage of quality and affordability. Their ground cinnamon is classified as cinnamon cassia, so the flavor profile is much stronger and sweeter than Ceylon cinnamon. It’s also more prone to clumping, so it may not be best for topping beverages and other liquids, though you can try sifting to make the powder finer. For convenience, we love that this cinnamon comes in multiple sizes, including 2.37- and 7.12-ounce jars, the larger of which is great for unusual applications like ant repellant. Yep—this cinnamon can help keep ants at bay in the garden or around the house. Just sprinkle it in areas where ants normally congregate, and prepare to be amazed. Size: 2.37 and 7.12 ounces | Type: Ground cassia | Origin: Indonesia | Tasting Notes: Spicy, warm sweetness | Pairs Well With: French toast, oatmeal, baked goods, savory dishes What We Like Warm but spicy Lasts a while Organic What We Don’t Like Not as easy to use as powder For most applications, sticks aren’t as easy to use as powder, but they’re still great to stock in your pantry. When compared to powdered cinnamon, sticks, often called quills, offer a more robust and rich flavor. They also last much longer, since they’re not pre-ground. Made by Frontier Organic, these whole organic cinnamon sticks are exactly what you’d hope for. They’re fragrant, warm, and perfectly spicy. We recommend tossing one of these sticks into a bowl of oatmeal while it’s cooking or even popping one into a mug of tea for a hint of spice. They also make great additions to slow cooker soups, stews, and chilis. Of course, you can also great them to make a fresh powdered spice if you don’t mind putting in the extra effort. Size: 0.60 and 16 ounces | Type: Ceylon (Korintje) sticks | Origin: Sri Lanka | Tasting Notes: Clove, warm sweetness | Pairs Well With: Baked goods, breads, stews, curries, oatmeal, tea, coffee, hot cider What We Like Great sugar alternative Smooth taste Sticks are long What We Don’t Like Slightly pricey If you’re looking for something you can stir into tea, coffee, hot chocolate or even a warm co*cktail like a hot toddy or mulled wine, consider stocking your pantry with cinnamon sticks in addition to powder. And look for sticks that have a soft, delicate flavor profile that won’t overwhelm. We recommend the Feel Good Organics Organic Korintje Cinnamon Sticks, which is an Indonesian cinnamon called Cinnamomum burmaniia. It has a smoother taste compared to other varieties and can even be considered an alternative to sweetening with sugar. The 1-pound bag is, unfortunately, on the more expensive side, but comes packed with 100 hard cinnamon sticks that are cut to 2.75 inches long. This gives each stick plenty of length for a mug. Size: 16 ounces | Type: Ceylon (Korintje) sticks | Origin: Sri Lanka | Tasting Notes: Floral, spice | Pairs Well With: Tea, hot cider, wine, curries, cakes What We Like Grown in Vietnam Hints of brown butter, honey, and orange peel Good deal What We Don’t Like Strong smell Burlap and Barrel’s second appearance on our list, but this time a variety that hails from the Quang Nam Mountains of Vietnam, where cinnamon tree growers harvest an heirloom variety of Saigon cinnamon that is harder to find on American spice racks. It’s a unique product—one that’s both sweet and spicy, thanks to a harvesting process in which the cinnamon bark is dried while it's still on the tree. Just beware—the flavor is intense, but the smell is even stronger. We don’t recommend putting your nose right up to the jar, lest you immediately sneeze! On the upside, this characteristic does lend a wonderful aroma—notes of brown butter, honey, and orange peel—to whatever it is you’re whipping up. Size: 1.8 and 16 ounces | Type: Vietnamese cassia | Origin: Vietnam | Tasting Notes: Brown butter, orange peel, honey | Pairs Well With: Baked goods, meats, tomato-based dishes, sweet potatoes, chai What We Like Hints of maple Slightly salty Large amount What We Don’t Like Cinnamon type not indicated It’s easy to mix up your own cinnamon sugar at home. All you need is, well, cinnamon and sugar. But we like this pre-mixed version not only for convenience, but also for its nuanced flavor. The sweet alternative to cinnamon sugar has a subtle maple flavor, a hint of coconut, and even a touch of salt that you won’t get by mixing in your own kitchen. The exact type of cinnamon in the mix isn’t listed, but it’s not a deal-breaker. The product is versatile enough to use exactly the same way you’d use any other cinnamon sugar. For a special breakfast treat, mix it into your egg mixture when you whip up French toast, incorporate it into a crumble for muffins, apple crisp, or quick bread, or even stir it into a meat rub to add a touch of warmth and richness that’ll deepen the flavor profile of the final dish. Size: 7.6 ounces | Type: Cinnamon sugar blend | Origin: Jacksonville, Florida | Tasting Notes: Maple, salt, caramel | Pairs Well With: Baked goods, pancakes, sweet potato, apples, yogurt Final Verdict For versatility and overall flavor, you can’t beat Burlap and Barrel's Cinnamon Verum. It’s a high-quality spice that’s perfect for both sweet and savory dishes. But if you prefer using whole sticks, Frontier Co-op Organic Cinnamon Sticks makes a fragrant and flavor product. There are four varieties of cinnamon, but Ceylon and cassia are the two most widely available. Cassia cinnamon, which hails from China, is what you often find on grocery store shelves, but Ceylon cinnamon is generally regarded as higher quality and better-tasting, because it has a softer, more delicate flavor profile. "Most [cassia] cinnamon at the store will be the Korintje variety," says Christopher Federici, the owner ofGooey Center Bakery. "Its sweet, mild scent will remind you of your childhood and you can use it for any of your bakes. You can’t go wrong with this type!" Of course, cinnamon also comes in different forms, namely in ground powder or whole sticks. Which one you select really depends on what you want to use it for. For cooking and baking, we recommend ground cinnamon because of the convenience. However, grinding a cinnamon stick yields fresher flavor, plus sticks last longer than powder. Cinnamon sticks are also ideal for infusing hot teas or other beverages. Less common is liquid cinnamon extract, a concentrated product that can be helpful when baking or making cinnamon-infused drinks. Like all spices, the overall quality of cinnamon varies drastically. Ceylon cinnamon is generally regarded as a more quality product, thanks to its delicate yet nuanced flavor profile. But if you’re using cinnamon mainly for baking, cassia cinnamon—the most prevalent variety—is perfectly suitable. It’s also the more budget-friendly choice. And even though it’s on the stronger side, it gets milder during cooking. Most jars of cinnamon hold anywhere from 2 to 4 ounces of the spice, however you can find both smaller and larger options. The smaller jars generally hold more artisanal products, while larger sizes may be more economical for baking. Just note that buying in bulk is not always the most cost effective, since a spice like cinnamon will lose potency over time. If you’re considering a larger size, make sure you’ll use it within about a year. If you and your family are fans of arguably the most popular use of cinnamon, you may want to think about buying in bulk. "When making cinnamon rolls, you’ll go through a full cup of cinnamon in just a few batches," says Federici. "Save your money and buy in bulk at a big box store. Grocery store cinnamon jars are very expensive and too small. Plus, a little extra cinnamon in your recipe will only make for a better roll. Sprinkle liberally!" Cinnamon hails from many parts of the world, generally in Sri Lanka, India, and China. It comes from the bark of various evergreen trees that fall under the Cinnamomum genus. Evergreen trees with cinnamon bark are permitted to grow for two years. At this point, they’re cut and harvested. Farmers score sections of the bark, then peel it off the tree. They then scrape off the outer portion, leaving the inner bark—the cinnamon. Over the next year, new shoots grow where the tree was cut, starting the process over again. Ceylon cinnamon comes from the evergreen trees native to Sri Lanka and southern parts of India. It's less common than cassia cinnamon and is milder, lighter form, even though it’s higher in the essential oils that give cinnamon its flavor. Though cinnamon doesn’t technically expire, it does tend to lose potency and flavor over time, especially once opened. For best results, use ground cinnamon within one year of opening and cinnamon sticks within three to four years. And be sure to store in an air-tight container. Cinnamon is generally safe in small doses (less than one teaspoon daily), but if consumed in large amounts there could be large side effects, including allergic reactions like itching, mouth sores, or tongue or gum swelling and even liver damage, says Dr. Laura Purdy, MD, a board-certified family medicine physician. It can also irritate your throat and lungs when it is consumed dry in large amounts. “Difficulties breathing may occur, because of the fine nature of the cinnamon, so be especially careful if you already have a pre-existing condition like asthma.” Our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best cinnamons on the market, evaluating their key features—like origin, type, and price—in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. We then used our own knowledge and first-hand experiences to choose the items listed above. Donna Currieis a freelancer who writes roundups and tests products for The Spruce Eats. The author of Cookistry, her recipe blog, and the cookbookMake Ahead Bread, Donna is enamored with cooking and is always looking for the spices and condiments that push that just-good-enough recipe over the edge. She wrote the original version of this story. Brigitt Earleyis a freelance writer who covers food and kitchen-related content for lifestyle brands, including The Spruce Eats. Shereceived her culinary degree from The French Culinary Institute (now the Institute of Culinary Education) in New York City andis a former RealSimple.com editor with extensive experience testing and writing about kitchen products and appliances.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/best-cinnamon-4684621-7f78449c6ab14babb22defe1454201b3.jpg "We Found the Best Cinnamon Varieties for All Your Fall Baking (1)")
Best Ceylon
Simply Organic Ground Ceylon Cinnamon
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Best Cinnamon Sticks
Frontier Co-op Organic Cinnamon Sticks
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Best Cinnamon Sugar
FreshJax Maple Cinnamon Sugar Topping
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What To Look For
Variety/Type
Quality
Size
FAQs
Where does cinnamon come from?
How does cinnamon grow?
What is Ceylon cinnamon?
Does cinnamon expire?
Can you eat too much cinnamon?
How We Selected
Why Trust The Spruce Eats?
Sources
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Amanda McDonald is a journalist living in New York City and Commerce Updates Editor for The Spruce Eats. She has written and edited health, wellness, food, and fitness content as well as recipes for multiple publications.
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Donna Currie is a food writer and blogger specializing in recipes and kitchen gadgets. She covers kitchen tools and gadgets for The Spruce Eats and is the author of Make Ahead Bread.
Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process
