20 Cinnamon Recipes That Celebrate Everyone’s Favorite Spice

From streusel cake to spiced syrup, these recipes are the sweetest way to spice up your life.

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake — Credit:
Brie Goldman

Much loved and much used, cinnamon is everyone’s favorite spice and for good reason, as these cinnamon recipes prove. It's warming and sweet, and stars in everything from cozy baked goods and apple desserts to hot teas and boozy beverages, even in hearty tagines and other tasty main dishes.

Why does cinnamon always take first place in the popularity stakes? It all comes down to its flavor and aroma; nothing says warm and comforting like a whiff of cinnamon from the kitchen. Much as we love nutmeg and cloves, cardamom and ginger, none are as easy-going and pair with just about any food as cinnamon does. Whether you use cinnamon sticks or the ground spice, you'll enjoy the soothing, homely flavor of this versatile spice in all kinds of recipes.

01 of 20

Cinnamon Rolls

cinnamon rolls in glass pan with bowl of frosting — Lennart Weibull

Fragrant with cinnamon and enriched with a cream-cheese glaze, these yeast-leavened morning buns make an unforgettable breakfast. We like to make them ahead of time, freeze them, and then let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking them the next day.

02 of 20

Bourbon Hot Toddy

bourbon hot toddies with cinnamon and lemon — Bryan Gardner

Cinnamon sticks and cloves spice this bourbon-based take on the coziest of classic cocktails.

03 of 20

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles — Jake Sternquist

The taste of cinnamon sets snickerdoodles apart and makes them a favorite cookie. We also love them for their crackly edges and chewy centers. It’s hard to eat just one.

04 of 20

Cinnamon Poached Apples With Toasted Walnuts

Bryan Gardner

Apples are cooked in apple juice spiced with a cinnamon stick and topped with toasted walnuts for serving in this healthy treat. Serve them with yogurt for breakfast or a scoop of ice cream for dessert.

05 of 20

Cinnamon and Orange Tea

Aaron Dyer

This soothing beverage combines fresh citrus with mint leaves and cinnamon sticks for a warming and calming brew.

06 of 20

Cinnamon-Swirl Apple Slab Pie

Cinnamon Swirl Apple Slab Pie — Will Anderson

A spectacular dessert, this cinnamon-scented twist on apple slab pie is a natural for Thanksgiving dinner or a potluck. The same dough forms the base and the topping. The magic happens when a sweetened cinnamon butter is spread on half of the dough, rolled up, then sliced into swirly rounds, and shingled on top of the spiced apple filling.

07 of 20

Lamb and Squash Tagine

Lamb and Squash Tagine — Bryan Gardner

Cinnamon is the only spice, bringing its sweet, fragrant aroma and flavor to this meaty dish of boneless lamb shoulder with butternut squash.

08 of 20

Cinnamon-Raisin French Toast Casserole

Romulo Yanes

Baked French toast is the best breakfast or brunch dish. Instead of standing at the stove flipping individual slices, the oven does the work for this rendition. Made with cinnamon-raisin bread, we up the cinnamon flavor by spicing the custard for the French toast with more of our favorite spice.

09 of 20

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake — Brie Goldman

Each bite of this coffee cake is flavored with the perfect amount of brown sugar and cinnamon, and the cake is so moist it practically melts in your mouth. It’s a must-make recipe.

10 of 20

Pineapple Smoothie

Two glasses of pineapple and ginger smoothie on a marble surface — Kelsey Hansen

A touch of cinnamon sweetens all kinds of smoothies, but we particularly love it in this pineapple version, where it plays nicely with fresh ginger and yogurt.

11 of 20

Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes

Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes — Chris Simpson

A touch of cinnamon spices the beans that fill this healthy, plant-powered meal. A little avocado, crème fraîche or sour cream, and toasted seeds bring it all together deliciously.

12 of 20

Chocolate Cinnamon-Swirl Bread

chocolate cinnamon swirl bread — Con Poulos

Chocolate and cinnamon are a sublime pairing, as this rich, babka-inspired swirl bread proves. To make sure the filling is infused into every pillowy bite, the dough is braided together before being placed in the loaf pan to proof and then baked.

13 of 20

Spiced Cinnamon Syrup

homemade syrups — Chelsea Cavanaugh

A cinnamon-forward take on simple syrup, you can add this elixir to your coffee, use it for homemade soda, shake it up in cocktails, or drizzle it over ice cream.

14 of 20

Cinnamon Sugar Popovers

Ryan Liebe

Light, airy, and full of cinnamon flavor, these popovers are not to be missed. Slather them with butter or dunk them in your coffee—we won’t tell.

15 of 20

Cinnamon Swirl Cookies

Sugar and spice, these spiral cookies combine all things nice! They’re a cookie version of cinnamon buns, yeast-free and much easier to make, but with all brown sugar-walnut-cinnamon filling that few can resist.

16 of 20

Cinnamon-Raisin Pound Cake

Classic pound cake, but better. Adding ground cinnamon and plump raisins makes a good thing even better. Then, we add a simple icing glaze to take this treat to the next level.

17 of 20

Cherry-Cinnamon Liqueur

three infused liqueurs — Justin Walker

The magical combination of fresh or frozen sweet or tart cherries with cinnamon, vodka, and simple syrup creates this singular ruby-hued liqueur. Making it is quick, but you’ll need to wait 3 days for the flavors to mingle before you sample it as a spritz or gift it to friends.

18 of 20

Spiced Snacking Cake

Spiced Snacking Cake — Lennart Weibull

Easy and delicious, this cinnamon and cardamom-scented single-layer cake is great for after dinner, after school, or a midafternoon treat, but also works well with coffee—and we hear it makes a special breakfast.

19 of 20

Picadillo Style Chili

Yuki Sugiura

Cinnamon and cumin spice this decidedly different and delicious chili. It's a Spanish dish that's light on tomatoes but big on flavor with poblanos, almonds, olives, and currants all in the mix.

20 of 20

Warm Cider and Rum Punch

cider punch

Cinnamon sticks and fresh ginger add a warming spice to this punch, perfect for a winter gathering. Skip the rum for a family-friendly version of this apple cider-based drink.

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