5 Reasons to Keep Whole Cinnamon Sticks in Your Spice Rack
Cinnamon sticks always make a lovely garnish and freshly grated cinnamon is a nice treat, but there are other uses for full sticks of this perfect-for-fall-spice, ones you may not have even considered. Here are five great reasons why we keep cinnamon sticks stocked in the kitchen, and why you should too!
If you don’t keep cinnamon sticks in your spice cabinet, now is the perfect time to consider stocking up. And if you’ve been keeping a jar of cinnamon sticks hidden away in the back of your spice cabinet, unsure of what to do with them, now is the time to take them out.
1. Make cinnamon tisane
- More on tisanes: Word of Mouth: Tisane
2. Flavor your oats
Add flavor to your oatmeal by including a cinnamon stick in the pot during cooking. Simply replace the ground cinnamon with a cinnamon stick. As they cook, the oats will pick up a warm cinnamon scent. Just don’t forget to remove the stick before serving.
- Try it with this → Recipe: Baked Pumpkin Steel Cut Oats (substitute a cinnamon stick for the ground cinnamon)
3. Use one as a drink stirrer
Fall and winter months and prime time for drinks like warm apple cider, cocoa and hot toddies. Add flavor and a little flair to your drink with a cinnamon stick drink stirrer.
- Try it with this → Recipe: Spiced Apple Cider
4. Spice up your coffee
Place a cinnamon stick on top of coffee grounds before you begin brewing. A subtle, yet perfect amount of warm cinnamon spice will be infused into your morning coffee.
- More on coffee: How to Brew Coffee with a Chemex Coffee Maker
5. Add it to meat in the slow cooker
Tossing a cinnamon stick into a slow cooker filled with hearty chili, or any slow cooked meat, like a roast or short rib,s will add another delicious layer of flavor and light spice to your meal.
- Try it with this: Recipe: Slow Cooker Peppered Beef Shank in Red Wine
What’s your most creative way for using cinnamon sticks?