• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Tastylicious
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Subscribe
  • Recipes
  • Health
  • Cooking
  • Reviews
  • Food
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Subscribe
  • Recipes
  • Health
  • Cooking
  • Reviews
  • Food
×

Home » Guides

Does Cinnamon Expire?

sidebar photo circleWritten by Romana Levko · Updated on September 16, 2022

We’ve all been there. You’ve got a great recipe for cinnamon rolls, and all the ingredients are ready, except you can’t remember how old your bottle of cinnamon is. Does cinnamon expire? Is there anything wrong with using cinnamon past the best-by date?

cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon in bowl

Cinnamon loses its flavor over time. Generally, cinnamon lasts for 6 to 12 months. However, cinnamon past its best-by date can still add a dash of flavor to your recipe. But like all spices, cinnamon can go bad when stored too long or when it's stored improperly. So before using it for seasoning your food, it is crucial to know the signs it has gone bad.

Learn more about cinnamon’s shelf life and storage here to get the most out of its flavor.

Table of Contents
  • How Long Does Cinnamon Keep?
  • How to Store Cinnamon
  • How to Tell if Your Cinnamon has Gone Bad
  • Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does Cinnamon Keep?

Spilled Cinnamon Powder From Bottle

The first place to look if you are trying to decide if your cinnamon is good is the best-by date. That can give you a point of reference to tell you how old your spice is. If it’s past the date printed on the bottle, chances are it has lost some of its potency.

If it’s older than the best-by date, give it a taste. It will probably still be a good addition to your food if it still has a strong, spicy flavor. You can expect to still get some flavor out of it up to a year past its best-by date.

What About Cinnamon Sticks?

The same rules apply to cinnamon sticks, except they tend to keep better. Since they need to be ground before unlocking their flavor, they can be kept longer and still taste fresh. If you want to maximize storage time, always go with whole spices.

Cinnamon sticks last between 2 to 3 years in the right conditions.

How to Store Cinnamon

Sugar2

Cinnamon should be stored in the same way as other ground spices. Keep it in a cool, dark place, out of reach from direct sunlight or heat sources like your stove. Most pantries or spice racks are the perfect options.

If your bottle still has its factory sealing on, leave it until you’re ready to use your cinnamon. That will help maximize the lifespan of the spice.

How to Tell if Your Cinnamon has Gone Bad

While cinnamon can be kept indefinitely in the right conditions, there are some circumstances where it will go bad.

As with other spices, moisture is the enemy of cinnamon. It will cause it to cake and clump in the short term, and in the long term, it will cause mold to form. So if you spot any moisture in your cinnamon, throw it out just to be safe.

One safe way to tell if your cinnamon is fresh is to smell it. Look for a sweet and spicy aroma without any sour notes. If it doesn’t smell like anything at all, it has probably lost most of its flavor.

Cinnamon Sticks In Wooden Bowl

Frequently Asked Questions

Can expired cinnamon get you sick?

There’s always a chance of any moldy food making you sick. However, cinnamon is generally safer than other foods. That’s because there isn’t much food in it to propagate mold and because we generally don’t eat much cinnamon when we use it.

Can I freeze or refrigerate cinnamon to make it last longer?

While it might be tempting to try and freeze cinnamon to make it last longer, this can do more harm than good. Freezing or refrigeration can introduce moisture to the spice, making it go bad quicker. To maximize your spice’s shelf life, keep it at room temperature.

Related posts:

  1. 14 Chinese Five Spice Substitutes For Seasoning
  2. Does Cinnamon Break a Fast? Everything Explained
  3. Does Cinnamon Cause Heartburn?
  4. Top 8 Mace Spice Substitutes For Cooking and Baking
  5. Does Eating Medjool Dates Have Health Benefits? 18 Studies Reviewed
  6. HelloFresh Spice Blends

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

sidebar photo circle

My name is Romana, and I'm a happy wife, stay-at-home mom, self-taught cook, writer, photographer, meal prep master, keto enthusiast, and the creator of all these delicious recipes. I'll guide you through the basics of living the low-carb, high-fat life with EASY, healthy, and flavorful recipes.

More about us →

More Posts

  • 14 Chinese Five Spice Substitutes For Seasoning14 Chinese Five Spice Substitutes For Seasoning
  • Does Cinnamon Break a Fast? Everything ExplainedDoes Cinnamon Break a Fast? Everything Explained
  • Does Cinnamon Cause Heartburn?Does Cinnamon Cause Heartburn?
  • Top 8 Mace Spice Substitutes For Cooking and BakingTop 8 Mace Spice Substitutes For Cooking and Baking

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023