Does Cinnamon Dissolve In Water, Coffee, Milk?

Is there a person who doesn’t like the flavor and smell of divine cinnamon?

It can be used in coffee, cakes, drinks, tea – almost anywhere. But there is one problem – does cinnamon dissolve and how to achieve that?

Let’s find out!

Cinnamon – A Magic Spice

Cinnamon is a spice that comes from the Cinnamomum family and it is obtained from the inner bark of the tree. This popular spice is mainly used as an aromatic condiment and flavoring additive. Its beautiful flavor and aroma come from its essential oil and its main component – cinnamaldehyde.

It is interesting that Indonesia and China produce most of the world’s needs for cinnamon.

Only a few three species are grown for commercial use. There are two main cinnamon types:

• Ceylon cinnamon – This type is known as “true” cinnamon
• Cassia cinnamon – The more common variety today, often used and people refer to this type when talking about cinnamon

When the inner bark of cinnamon stems is extracted, it forms strips that curl into rolls and we call the cinnamon sticks. Also, cinnamon powder can be created by grinding these sticks.

So let’s see, do sticks and powder dissolve?

Do Cinnamon Dissolve?

As I mentioned, many people like cinnamon and used it in beverages, cakes, etc. But there is one problem you probably face when it comes to adding cinnamon to drinks – cinnamon dissolving.

Ground cinnamon doesn’t mix well with any liquids, meaning, cinnamon won’t dissolve in liquids. In fact, the cinnamon particles expand in liquids. It’s like some kind of a water-resistant spice. 😀

Just like cinnamon powder, you can’t dissolve cinnamon sticks, too.

Why Is That?

Because cinnamon comes from bark which is very fibrous. So, the cinnamon particles won’t dissolve, actually, they will absorb water and appear on the surface of your drink.

No matter how long you stir your milk, coffee, water or any other liquid, you can’t dissolve cinnamon. Very stubborn spice, we can agree.

Does Boiling Help?

No, it doesn’t help. You can try boiling some liquid with added cinnamon for hours – there is no effort. So your attempt with boiling won’t be successful. Unfortunately, cinnamon particles are insoluble.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t add cinnamon into your drinks and consume them with the little parts of cinnamon.

Is There Any Way To Dissolve It?

Some people claim there is still a way to dissolve the cinnamon. They said that you should mix it with honey or your favorite syrup. There are two most popular ways:

• Boil a cup of water, and add half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the cup. Stir and cover the container. Let the water cool down. Then strain the mixture using a fine-mesh strainer to separate cinnamon particles from water. Add a teaspoon of honey and stir, also you can add other ingredients (apple slices). Or just add that flavored water into your coffee or milk.

• Mix half a teaspoon of cinnamon with a teaspoon of honey or syrup (you can use a food processor or blender). When you want to add this mixture to your coffee, water or milk, start with a small amount of liquid and stir vigorously. Then slowly add the rest of the liquid and keep stirring. This will prevent cinnamon clumps.

What Beverages To Add Cinnamon To?

You can add it to your tea, milk, coffee, hot chocolate and other beverages. Apart from drinks, it is commonly used in muffins, rolls, and loaves of bread.

When it comes to coffee (or any drink), you can add up to 1/4 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon per cup. If you add more, it will overpower your drink.

Here we’ll talk about coffee, but these methods work for milk and other beverages, too.

• If you don’t drink black coffee, you can add cinnamon to your coffee cream before adding it to the coffee. That will prevent cinnamon particles from floating on the surface.
• Use a teabag – put cinnamon sticks into the teabag and then into your coffee. Remove the teabag and you’ll feel a cinnamon aroma in your coffee.
• If you use coffee beans, keep your cinnamon sticks with coffee beans. They will absorb smells (that’s why there are coffee beans in perfume stores) and you’ll have coffee with a cinnamon flavor.
• Put the cinnamon stick into your coffee and leave it to sit there while you enjoy your coffee.

Why To Add Cinnamon To Drinks – Nutritional Value

Here we’ll check the nutritional value of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon (2.6g). According to USDA, it contains:

• Calories – 6.42
• Carbohydrates – 2.1 g
• Calcium – 26.1 mg
• Iron – 0.21 mg
• Magnesium – 1.56 mg
• Phosphorus – 1.66 mg
• Potassium – 11.2 mg
• Vitamin A – 0.39 mcg

Also, cinnamon contains traces of bate-carotene, lutein, vitamin K, vitamin B, antioxidants and others.

Cinnamon Health Benefits

Traditional medicine used cinnamon for thousands of years for many health issues. Now, modern medicine and science confirmed some cinnamon benefits.

• Loaded With Antioxidants – Free radicals cause oxidative damage and antioxidants protect your body from it. Cinnamon contains a large amount of antioxidants
• Anti-inflammatory Properties – Cinnamon helps your body fight infections, so it lowers the risk of various diseases.
• Promote Heart Health – It has a beneficial effect on blood markers. Also, cinnamon reduces levels of “bad” cholesterol and increases good cholesterol levels.
• Improve Sensitivity To Insulin – This spice can drastically reduce insulin resistance and lower blood sugar levels
• Beneficial Effect On Neurodegenerative Diseases – These diseases cause loss of structure and brain cell function. Cinnamon showed improvements for these diseases. Unfortunately, for now just in animal studies.
• Reduce Bacterial And Fungal Infections – Cinnamon inhibits the growth of certain bacteria and has antimicrobial effects.

In any case, don’t use it as medicine if you struggle with any health issues before contacting your doctor.

Toxicity

Since coumarin, a compound of cinnamon, is known to cause liver and kidney damage in high concentrations, you should be aware of maximum daily intake (0.05mg/pound/0.1mg/kg of body weight).