How to Make Cinnamon Extract + Free Labels

The sweet and spicy flavor of pure cinnamon extract is calling your name! Learn how to make it at home with only 2 ingredients and for much less than you’d pay at the grocery store. Free labels included!

Does anything smell better than soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls baking in the oven? I don’t think so! I’d argue that it’s pretty hard to beat the scent of cinnamon, especially in a favorite home-cooked treat. Cinnamon reminds me of the holiday season, and I’m so ready for it!

But of course, cinnamon isn’t just for the holidays. Cinnamon is a most-loved spice for so many people and I totally get it. Cinnamon is complex with a sweet and warm, spicy flavor. It blends really well with other flavors like vanilla, chocolate and fruit.

Today I’ll be showing you how to make your own cinnamon extract at home. Just like other homemade extracts, homemade cinnamon extract has much better flavor than anything you’ll buy at the store.

I have a whole collection of homemade extract recipes. If you want to get started making your own, try homemade almond extract, homemade vanilla extract, homemade orange extract, homemade mint extract or homemade lavender extract.

Homemade Cinnamon Extract

Cinnamon extract is totally delicious! It’s perfect for using in cookies, muffins, breads, drinks and other yummy treats.

Homemade cinnamon extract also couldn’t be simpler to make. It’s made by soaking cinnamon sticks in a high proof alcohol to extract the flavor and fragrance of the cinnamon. No artificial colors, flavors or added chemicals. It’s 100% pure and flavorful.

Once your cinnamon extract is done, you can use it in all of your tasty recipes. And don’t be intimidated if you’ve never tried cinnamon extract before. This recipe is super simple to make and it tastes divine. You won’t be disappointed!

Why You’ll Love Homemade Cinnamon Extract

I think you’re really going to love making your own cinnamon extract! Here are just some of the things that make this homemade extract so great:

• Easy to make – You can craft a batch of homemade cinnamon extract with almost no prep time and only 2 ingredients.
• Cost effective – This extract can be make at a fraction of the cost of store-bought cinnamon extract. Keep reading below to see my cost comparison for homemade vs. store-bought cinnamon extract.
• Customizable – You can control the strength of your cinnamon extract by adding more or less cinnamon sticks to your extraction.
• Variable – Try combining your cinnamon extract with other complimentary extracts for unique flavor combinations. You can even add extra ingredients like vanilla beans to your extraction for a custom flavor profile.
• Contains to extra additives – No surprises, you control the ingredients and know exactly what you’re getting.
• Great for gifting – Homemade cinnamon extract makes a perfect holiday gift. Don’t forget to take advantage of the free printable labels I’ve included below!
• Tastes amazing – Store-bought extracts just can’t compare to homemade.

What You’ll Need to Make Cinnamon Extract

Ingredients

Making homemade cinnamon extract is very simple. For the recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• Cinnamon sticks – Look for high quality cinnamon sticks and be sure to use organic cinnamon sticks when you’re making extract. You don’t want to be extracting preservatives, pesticides or herbicides. I like the brand Frontier Co-op. These cinnamon sticks from Amazon are organic and would be a good choice.
• High proof alcohol – I like to use Smirnoff 80 proof vodka for all my extracts. Other good choices include brandy, rum or bourbon.

Equipment

You’ll also need the following equipment:

• Clean glass jars with lids – I like to use mason jars for the extraction process.
• Parchment paper – to prevent possible corrosion from the alcohol touching the metal lid.
• A label with your extraction name, start and end date.
• Smaller bottles – optional, for storing your finished extract.
• A funnel – optional, but makes transferring your finished extract to smaller bottles much easier.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Gather your cinnamon sticks, clean glass jar and lid, parchment paper and a label.
2. To your clean jar, add your cinnamon sticks. I recommend filling the jar as full as possible for maximum flavor. You can break the sticks if you need to make them shorter to fit your jar.
3. Pour in your vodka or your alcohol of choice. Use enough liquid to completely cover the cinnamon sticks. Leave a bit of head space at the top of the jar.
4. Place a piece of parchment paper between the jar and lid to prevent possible corrosion from the alcohol touching the metal lid.
5. Seal the jar closed.
6. Label the jar with the product name, start and end date.
7. Place the jar of extract in a cool, dark place and allow it to extract for 6-8 weeks for the strongest cinnamon flavor.
8. Every few days, give your extract jar a shake to help aid the extraction process.
9. When the extraction time is up, check your extract. If you feel like it needs to be stronger, simply give it a little more time until you feel that it has reached the appropriate strength.

Storing Your Cinnamon Extract

Too much light exposure can lead to a loss of extract flavor and potency. Because of this, it’s best to store your homemade cinnamon extract in a dark bottle away from direct sunlight. If your extract is stored in a cool dark place away from direct sun light, it should last for several years.

If I have a lot of homemade cinnamon extract on hand, I like to keep it in these 16 oz amber glass bottles. I also like to use these smaller 2 oz amber glass bottles for extract. And these cute 1 oz amber glass bottles are the are the perfect size for gifts.

Free Printable Labels

A bottle of your homemade cinnamon extract would make a perfect Christmas gift! I have adorable printable label designs that you can download for free and size to fit whatever label and bottle you are using.

How to Download the Free Cinnamon Extract Labels

Just fill out the form below, and you will get instant access to my subscriber library where I have all my free printables and downloads.

*Already a subscriber? No need to fill out this form again. The link and passcode are included in my weekly emails.

Printing Your Label

You can print these labels at home on your own craft paper sticker labels (or any color of label). If you’re doing this, you’ll need blank labels like these Avery 2×2 craft paper sticker labels. You can also send these labels to a shop for printing, or have Avery print them for you.

I prefer to send them out to Avery to print, since it can be difficult to get the label lined up perfectly with my printer sometimes. This way I can also order exactly what I need instead of buying a big pack of labels.

If you’re going to Avery.com print the labels for you, you’ll set up a free account, then you can upload my label design. Once onto the Avery website, you can adjust the size of the design to fit whatever label you are using for your extract bottles. Super easy and super cute!

Click over to see my How to Print and Design with Avery Labels for more details.

Cinnamon Extract Variations

If you want to get creative, you can experiment with different cinnamon extract variations. You can make these variations one of two ways – either combine existing extracts to make a mixed flavor extract – think something like cinnamon and vanilla. Or, you can actually add other ingredients to your cinnamon sticks as they extract. Some examples might be orange peels or vanilla beans.

Ideas for Using Cinnamon Extract

Now that you know how to make cinnamon extract, it’s time to start using it! Of course, those cookies, muffins and sweet breads come to mind right away. I’ll be making some of those for sure!

I also have a few recipes of my own that would be fantastic with a bit of cinnamon extract! Try:

• Homemade Wassail | Pressure Cooker Recipe
• Peaches and Cream Steel Cut Oats with Cinnamon Maple Drizzle
• Mason Jar Steel Cut Oats
• The Most Flavorful Wassail Recipe on the Web!
• Pressure Cooker Chocolate Vanilla Syrup

Just keep in mind that cinnamon extract is much stronger than powdered cinnamon, so you’ll only need about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon to get the same affect as 1-2 tablespoons of powdered cinnamon.

Cinnamon Extract Substitutes

Cinnamon extract is also a really great addition for syrups and drinks. Because cinnamon extract incorporates so well and doesn’t leave any gritty texture, it’s perfect for adding to teas, coffees, hot chocolate or syrups.

You can definitely use cinnamon extract as a substitute for powdered cinnamon in many cases. Just be sure to scale back the amount of extract from what you would normally use of cinnamon powder. Otherwise, you might be overwhelmed with too much flavor!

Alcohol Free Cinnamon Extract

In case you are wondering, yes, it is possible to make an alcohol-free cinnamon extract. If the case of an alcohol-free extract, you’ll use food grade glycerin as the extracting agent.

All of the measurements and instructions stay the same as the alcohol version. The extraction time will be about the same as well when using glycerin. Expect your alcohol free cinnamon extract to take 6-8 weeks to fully extract. Check it occasionally until you are happy with the finished product.

Your glycerin-based cinnamon extract should have a shelf life of about 1 year.

The Health Benefits of Cinnamon

We’ve been talking a lot about cinnamon extract and how delicious it can be. I think it’s also worth mentioning that cinnamon doesn’t just taste good, it can also be really good for you!

Some of cinnamon’s potential health benefits are:

• Blood Sugar Regulation: Cinnamon may be helpful in controlling blood sugar levels and aiding people with diabetes in keeping steady blood glucose.
• Anti-Inflammatory: Cinnamon may help reduce inflammation in the body.
• Antioxidant Properties: The high amount of antioxidants in cinnamon can help protect the body from cellular damage.
• Blood Pressure Control: Some research suggests that cinnamon may help lower and control blood pressure.
• Heart Health: Cinnamon may benefit the heart by lowering triglycerides and total cholesterol levels.
• Antimicrobial: There are antimicrobial properties in cinnamon that may help fight bacteria and viruses.
• Possible Cancer Prevention Aid: Some studies suggest that compounds in cinnamon may have benefits in fighting tumors and helping prevent cancer.

Please keep in mind that I am not a trained medical professional and these claims have not been evaluated by the FDA. Please consult with your doctor about an supplements, herbal remedies or medications you may be interested in taking.

Using Cinnamon Extract as a Tincture

As you can see, cinnamon is good for more than just flavoring food. In fact, many people believe in the beneficial effects of cinnamon enough to take cinnamon supplements.

If you are interested in using cinnamon for it’s medicinal purposes, you can take this extract as a tincture. Tinctures are essentially liquid health supplements.

To take cinnamon extract as a tincture, place a few drops under the tongue. Be careful not to go overboard with too much cinnamon, as this could cause liver toxicity from the high level of coumarin found in some cinnamon.

I recommend that you consult with you doctor about what a good dose of cinnamon extract/tincture would be for you.

Cost Analysis – Is it Worth it?

After all that, I’m sure some of you are wondering – is it worth it to make your own cinnamon extract? How does the cost compare to the store-bought version? Let’s take a look! Keep in mind, prices may vary depending on what you can find and fluctuations on the market.

• 8 oz of Vodka: $5.oo
• Cinnamon Sticks: $4.13

Total cost of pure homemade cinnamon extract: $9.13 per 8 oz.

Cost of store-bought cinnamon extract: $10.00 for 2 oz of Watkins Pure Cinnamon Extract.

That equals $40.00 for 8 oz of store-bought extract compared to $9.13 for 8 oz of homemade cinnamon extract!

These numbers blew me away! That’s a huge price difference! Clearly, pure homemade cinnamon extract is a much better deal than store-bought extract!

FAQ’s

Try These Other Extract and Herbs Recipes

Homemade extracts are one of my favorite things to make. They are so easy and taste so great! I hope you’ll give this pure homemade cinnamon extract a try. If you want to try making some extracts or similar recipes, then check out one of these to get started:

• How to Make Lavender Extract and Tinctures
• How to Make Mint Extract + Free Printable Labels
• How to Make the Best Homemade Vanilla Extract + Free Labels
• Pressure Cooker Pure Vanilla Extract
• Pressure Cooker Infused Honey
• Make Your Own Chive Blossom Vinegar
• Home to Make Orange Extract + Free Labels
• How to Make Almond Extract + Free Labels
• How to Make Lemon Extract + Free Labels