Honey cinnamon tea needs only a cinnamon stick, water and honey. The stick infuses the water, and the honey is stirred in afterwards so you can decide how sweet to make it. It is a simple drink to prepare when you want a spice-led cup without making a milk-based latte.
Despite the name, the base recipe is an infusion rather than a drink made from tea leaves. You can develop a black-tea variation, but it should be treated as a different preparation with its own brewing instructions.
Recipe development note: This is an original recipe draft. The base method, substitutions and variations have not been kitchen-tested. Timings and yields are estimates pending testing.
For a chai-style drink with several spices rather than cinnamon alone, try our hot or iced spiced tea with honey.
Honey cinnamon tea recipe
Serves: 2 mugs, approximately 250 mL each
Estimated times: preparation 2 minutes; heating/cooking 13 minutes; resting/brewing 0 minutes; total 15 minutes.
Equipment: Small saucepan and lid; Fine strainer; Heatproof measuring jug; Two mugs.
Ingredients
- 1 small food-grade cinnamon stick, approximately 5 cm long
- 450 mL water, plus extra hot water to bring the finished drink to 500 mL
- 2 teaspoons (10 mL) honey, plus up to 2 additional teaspoons to taste
Method
- Place the cinnamon stick and 450 mL water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, allowing approximately 3 minutes to heat.
- Partially cover and simmer gently for approximately 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Lift out the cinnamon stick and strain out any fragments into a heatproof measuring jug.
- Stir in the first 2 teaspoons of honey. Taste a cooled spoonful, adjust only as needed and top up with hot water to a final volume of 500 mL.
- Divide between two mugs. Let the drink reach a comfortable temperature before serving.
Allergen and ingredient notes: Check for individual honey or spice allergies. Milk, citrus and tea additions change the base recipe and may require additional checks.
Australian measures: teaspoon 5 mL; tablespoon 20 mL; cup 250 mL. 12
Cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon and strength
A stick is specified because you can remove it before serving. Its size, thickness and variety will affect the result, so the length is an approximate guide, not a promise of identical flavour from every packet. Make a note of the brand and amount during recipe testing.
A ground-cinnamon version will leave more visible particles. As an untested alternative, begin with a small pinch rather than replacing a whole stick with a large spoonful. Stir well and expect sediment; straining may not remove all fine powder.
For a gentler infusion, shorten the simmer slightly. For a more pronounced flavour, test the same stick for a few minutes longer before increasing the number of sticks. Record that change so the next cup is repeatable.
Which honey works in cinnamon tea?
Start with a honey you enjoy on its own. Because this drink has few ingredients, it offers a useful opportunity to notice the honey rather than hide it behind several flavours.
A simple comparison is to divide the strained cinnamon infusion into two equal cups and sweeten them with equal amounts of different honeys. The guide to honey colour and floral flavour gives context for why jars need not taste alike. This is a suggested exercise, not a claim that our team has tested a winning combination.
Use one teaspoon per mug to begin, then adjust. Do not assume a more expensive honey or a higher activity number calls for a larger serving. This recipe has no therapeutic strength or dosage target.
Variations to try
Lemon: start with one teaspoon of lemon juice per mug after straining. Taste before increasing it. For a ginger-and-citrus recipe with its own quantities, use honey lemon ginger tea.
Vanilla: stir a few drops of vanilla extract into the finished two-serving batch. Treat it as an optional flavour trial rather than part of the base recipe.
Milk: a small splash changes the drink, but for a properly milk-led version follow warm milk with honey and use its cinnamon variation as a separate trial.
Iced: prepare, strain and sweeten the infusion, then cool promptly and refrigerate. Serve chilled over a little ice. Keep refrigerated at 5 C or colder. 2 Cooling time is additional; this variation has not been tested.
Does honey cinnamon tea help with weight loss or diabetes?
This recipe does not establish either outcome. NCCIH reports that evidence does not clearly support cinnamon for health conditions and that benefits for diabetes or weight loss remain uncertain. 5 A homemade cinnamon drink should not replace diabetes treatment or prescribed medicines.
Honey contributes carbohydrate and sugar. 3 For the broader question, read honey and diabetes, rather than assuming the cinnamon cancels out the honey.
Culinary use is also different from prolonged high intakes or concentrated products. NCCIH notes that cassia cinnamon can contain coumarin and that extended use may be a concern for some people, including those with liver disease. 5 This article does not recommend a daily cinnamon regimen or concentrated cinnamon oil.
Troubleshooting your cup
Too weak: check whether the water actually reached a gentle simmer and whether the stick is old or very small. Increase brewing time cautiously before increasing the amount.
Too strong: dilute the strained drink with a little hot water. Adding extra honey may make it sweeter without solving the spice balance.
Too sweet: make an unsweetened portion of the infusion and blend it with the sweetened drink, or simply use less honey next time.
Bits in the cup: strain before adding honey and discard the used stick and any fragments. Do not leave the whole stick as an unattended garnish when serving children.
Serving and storage
Prepare the quantity you need and serve it fresh. A same-day iced version is the suggested make-ahead approach; no long shelf life has been validated for this draft. Avoid adding an old leftover drink to a newly prepared batch.
Do not give honey or honey-containing drinks to babies under 12 months. 1 Read when babies can have honey for the separate safety guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is it caffeine-free?
There are no tea leaves in the base ingredient list. A black- or green-tea addition introduces caffeine. 6 Check any premixed infusion packet instead of assuming that every product called cinnamon tea has the same ingredients.
Can I drink several strong cups every day?
This recipe is not a daily-use health programme. Do not interpret a culinary serving as a recommendation for frequent concentrated cinnamon intake, especially when you have a medical condition or take medicines. 5
Can I add the honey at the start?
You could sweeten earlier, but adding it after straining makes the amount easier to taste and adjust. The method is about practical preparation, not a claim that it creates a special health effect.
What other spiced honey drink could I make?
Try the separate honey turmeric latte recipe for a milk-based option. Its quantities and method should be followed independently rather than mixing the two ingredient lists together.
Sources and further reading
[1] Healthdirect Australia. Botulism.
[2] Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Food safety basics.
[3] Diabetes Australia. Sugar, oh honey, honey.
[5] National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. Cinnamon: Usefulness and Safety.
[6] Healthdirect Australia. Caffeine.
[12] SBS Food. Lemon cake - Cook's Notes.