The 1 Ingredient I Add to My Coffee to Make It Better

I’ve never really liked the taste of coffee. I usually try to offset its bitterness with a little half and half, and sometimes a sugar cube or spoonful of simple syrup.

But recently, I went on a press trip with health and wellness editors and learned a genius trick for making coffee taste better (without any milk or sugar!).

Lisa Hayim, a registered dietitian and founder of The Well Necessities in New York City

It started the first morning of the trip when our host brewed a pot of coffee before breakfast.

Now, there’s nothing like the scent of fresh coffee…but this time something was different. The whole kitchen smelled like baked goods with nary a pastry in sight. And that first cup? Heavenly. We all asked for the secret, and our host said she picked up the trick from a Maine bed and breakfast years ago and has been using it ever since. Before brewing, she simply sprinkles a few shakes of ground cinnamon on the coffee grounds. I couldn’t believe it! Just a little bit of the spice made the coffee taste richer, less bitter, and made my usual cream and sugar addition completely unnecessary.

Besides improved taste, there’s also a health benefit from the spice, too. “Cinnamon has been shown, in some studies, to lower insulin resistance, meaning that the spike in blood sugar after eating carbohydrate-containing foods was lower with the consumption of cinnamon,” says Lisa Hayim, a registered dietitian. “While this is important for diabetics to note, it may also be important for those trying to cut back on sugar,” she adds. According to Hayim, cinnamon is also a source of manganese, calcium, iron, and vitamin K.

Studies also show that cinnamon can help with cognitive function, making it a perfect way to start a busy morning.

So, the next time you brew a pot of coffee, be sure to add a few dashes of cinnamon to your coffee grounds for the best results!