Te de Canela {Cinnamon Tea}

Te de Canela, or cinnamon tea, is the best tea to keep you warm during cold and flu season. This simple tea recipe only requires two main ingredients and is perfect for a cold winter day.

Canela Tea

Winter is almost here and I am gearing up for the cold. During those colder months, I prefer to stay indoors wrapped up in a warm and cozy blanket with a cup of hot cinnamon tea.

This is an easy tea recipe that you can make easily with a pantry staple, cinnamon sticks! I recommend using Ceylon cinnamon bark over cassia, read below for the reason.

And, if you would like to sweeten your cinnamon tea, there is a long list of some great sweeteners listed below. If you love tea, try this ginger cinnamon lemon tea.

Why make this Te de Canela Recipe

There are many reasons to love this cinnamon tea recipe, here are some of our thoughts on why we drink it and why you may love it, too.

• Full of antioxidants. This tea is actually healthy for you and provides some great antioxidants. I just don’t recommend drinking it everyday.
• Simple tea. It’s such an easy tea recipe, why not make it?
• Warms you. This tea will warm you from the inside out.

Benefits of Te de Canela

So, there are still more studies that need to be done on the health benefits of cinnamon, but here are some health claims that have been made. Of course, consult a doctor if you have questions or concerns.

• Vitamins and minerals. Cinnamon is rich in vitamins and minerals like vitamin K and potassium, but is especially high in beta-carotene, which transforms in vitamin A – great for eye sight. And it is high in antioxidants which can help fight off free radicals.
• May reduce blood sugar. This can be great if you are diabetic or have insulin resistance, but not so great if you are already on medication to reduce blood sugar levels.
• May lower inflammation. Lowering inflammation may help with chronic conditions like heart disease. It may also even lower blood pressure and the bad cholesterol (LDL).

What type of Cinnamon to Use?

There are four types of cinnamon, but the main two that are most commonly used are Cassia cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon.

Cassia cinnamon, or Saigon cinnamon, is the most common type sold in the United States. If you find cinnamon at grocery stores that just says “cinnamon” that is most likely cassia. It looks like the hard, curled bark. Keep in mind that eating a lot of cassia cinnamon can be toxic because it contains a lot of coumarin.

Coumarin can cause liver issues, so if you have liver problems already, be careful with eating this type of cinnamon. Too much would be more than a full teaspoon for a 130-lb person if consumed daily.

Ceylon cinnamon may also be called Mexican cinnamon, soft cinnamon, or true cinnamon. It is more of an herbal flavor and isn’t as sweet as other varieties. Ceylon cinnamon sticks are what you want to use for this tea.

It is a little more bitter, but it contains less coumarin than cassia cinnamon. When looking for it, you will know it because it is more delicate and crumbly. Still has a wonderful cinnamon flavor, that is a bit different than cassia.

Ways to Sweeten Cinnamon Tea

There are a lot of options to sweeten tea, but it is totally optional. If you would like to add sweetener, here are some that we like:

• Honey. Definitely a favorite addition to tea. This is the best option to use if you want to soothe a sore throat.
• Maple syrup. A great vegan sweetener. Use a pale version so that it doesn’t change the flavor of the tea.
• Ground Panela or piloncillo. A Mexican brown sugar with a sweet, earthy flavor.
• Simple syrup. A thick syrup made with water and granulated sugar. This is used in sweet tea recipes.
• Stevia. A sugar substitute made from the stevia plant.
• Brown sugar. Will add more of a caramel flavor than white sugar.
• Coconut sugar. Similar in brown sugar in flavor.
• Granulated sugar. An oldie but a goodie.
• Xylitol. Much lower on the glycemic index than regular sugar.

Te de Canela Ingredients

Here are the basic ingredients to make Ceylon cinnamon tea. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for full amounts.

• Water: I recommend using filtered water even though you will be boiling the water.
• Cinnamon Bark: I highly recommend using Ceylon cinnamon sticks for your tea.
• Sweetener: Sweetening the tea is completely optional. There is a list of great options above.

How to Make Te de Canela

Here are the basic instructions to make this cinnamon tea recipe. See the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for full directions.

• Fill a medium sized pot with 3 cups of water and place over medium high heat.
• Add in 3-4 sticks of cinnamon sticks. Cover.
• Bring up to a boil, then drop the temperature to low. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Pour into mugs and add sweetener if using.

Recipe Tips & Variations

• Make te de canela y limon. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice into your hot cup of tea.
• Add warming spices. Add in 3-4 cloves and/or 1 star anise for a spiced tea.
• Stronger flavor. For a stronger flavor add a little cinnamon extract, more cinnamon sticks or break up the cinnamon sticks.
• Add a tea bag. To the hot cup of cinnamon tea, you could add a green tea bag to make it more like a traditional cup of tea or add a black tea bag to get a little caffeine into your cup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use ground cinnamon? You could add cinnamon powder to the hot water instead of steeping cinnamon sticks. Just add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to 1 cup of hot water.

Does te de canela contain caffeine? No, there is no caffeine in this cinnamon tea.

Storage Instructions

How to refrigerate cinnamon tea? Let the tea cool and put in an airtight container. It should last about 3-5 days in the fridge.

How do you reheat cinnamon tea? Just pop the cold tea in the microwave for 1 – 1 1/2 minutes until heated to desire temperature.

How to freeze cinnamon tea? Let the tea cool completely before pouring into ice cube trays. Use the ice cubes to make cold cinnamon iced tea without it getting watered down.

Try these other cinnamon recipes!

• Camote en Dulce
• Cinnamon Apple Bread
• Cinnamon Whipped Cream
• Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

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