The short answer: cinnamon sugar is 4 parts white sugar to 1 part ground cinnamon by volume. That is 50 g (¼ cup) of sugar and 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon. Stir it with a fork until it is one even colour, then keep it in a closed jar. For more cinnamon, go to 3 to 1.
Cinnamon sugar is the brown-speckled mix that goes on buttered toast, warm doughnuts and snickerdoodles. It takes two ingredients and two minutes. The ratio is the whole recipe, and the trick is getting it to stick. Below: the ratio in grams and spoons, how to make it cling, eight ways to use it, and how to keep a jar ready.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Time | 2 minutes |
| Ratio | 4 parts sugar to 1 part ground cinnamon, by volume |
| Small batch | 50 g (¼ cup) sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon |
| Keeps | Months, in a closed jar in a dry cupboard |
Ingredients
- 50 g (¼ cup) white granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- Optional: a small pinch of fine salt
Granulated sugar is the classic. Its crystals stay crisp on toast and give doughnuts a crunchy coat. Caster sugar is finer and dissolves faster, which suits porridge and coffee foam.
How to make cinnamon sugar
- Measure. Put the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Stir. Mix with a fork for 30 seconds. Break up any small lumps of cinnamon against the side of the bowl.
- Check. Look at it. It should be one even light brown, with no darker streaks.
- Taste. Dip a finger in. Add a little more cinnamon for a spicier mix, or more sugar for a sweeter one.
- Jar. Spoon it into a clean, dry jar or a shaker with large holes.
The ratio, scaled
| Batch | Sugar | Ground cinnamon |
|---|---|---|
| Toast for two | 2 tbsp | 1½ tsp |
| Small jar | 50 g (¼ cup) | 1 tbsp |
| Doughnuts or churros | 100 g (½ cup) | 2 tbsp |
| Big shaker | 200 g (1 cup) | 4 tbsp (¼ cup) |
The ratio is by volume, spoon for spoon. Cinnamon is much lighter than sugar, so do not switch to equal weights. 4 to 1 tastes sweet with warm spice. 3 to 1 tastes clearly of cinnamon. 2 to 1 is for people who eat cinnamon from the jar.
How to make cinnamon sugar stick
Cinnamon sugar needs something wet or fatty to hold on to. On dry toast it bounces off and ends up on the plate. Three ways that work:
- Butter, then sugar: butter the toast while it is hot, all the way to the edges, then sprinkle at once.
- Warm and fresh: toss doughnuts and churros while they are still warm, within a minute or two of cooking.
- Brush first: for biscuits, pastry or roasted nuts, brush with melted butter or a little beaten egg white, then roll in the sugar.
8 ways to use cinnamon sugar
- Cinnamon toast: butter hot toast, cover it with cinnamon sugar, then put it under the grill for 1 to 2 minutes until it bubbles.
- Snickerdoodles: roll the balls of dough in it before baking for the crackled top.
- Doughnuts and churros: toss them in a bowl of it while warm.
- French toast: sprinkle it on straight out of the pan.
- Apple crumble and pie: scatter it over the top before baking for a crisp crust.
- Porridge and yoghurt: a teaspoon on top, with sliced banana or apple.
- Popcorn: toss hot popcorn with melted butter, then with cinnamon sugar.
- Coffee: dust it over the foam of a latte or cappuccino.
For coffee, a syrup mixes in better than a sugar. Our cinnamon syrup dissolves even in iced coffee. For a spread, try cinnamon butter.
Variations
- Vanilla cinnamon sugar: make it with vanilla sugar instead of plain sugar.
- Brown sugar cinnamon: use light brown sugar for a toffee taste. It is moist, so it clumps. Use it the same day.
- Spiced sugar: add ¼ teaspoon each of ground ginger and nutmeg to the small batch.
- Orange cinnamon sugar: rub the zest of half an orange into the sugar just before you use it. Zest is wet, so make only what you need.
Cassia or Ceylon cinnamon?
Most ground cinnamon in supermarkets is cassia. It is bold, spicy and a little bitter, and it is the taste most people know from cinnamon rolls. Ceylon cinnamon is milder and sweeter, with a light citrus note. With Ceylon, use the 3 to 1 ratio, or the cinnamon gets lost in the sugar.
Common mistakes
- Not mixing enough: streaks of pure cinnamon taste dusty and bitter. Stir until it is one colour.
- Sprinkling on dry food: it will not stick. Butter it or brush it first.
- A small-holed shaker: sugar crystals jam the holes. Use a shaker with large holes, or a spoon.
- Old cinnamon: a tin from years ago smells of dust. Rub a pinch between your fingers first.
How to store cinnamon sugar
Keep it in a clean, tightly closed jar in a cool, dry cupboard, away from the stove and the kettle. Plain cinnamon sugar is dry, so it does not spoil. The cinnamon slowly loses its scent. Rub a pinch between your fingers before you use it. If it smells faint, mix a fresh batch. Lumps mean moisture got in. Break them up with a fork and close the lid tighter.
Questions
What is the ratio for cinnamon sugar?
The classic cinnamon sugar ratio is 4 parts sugar to 1 part ground cinnamon by volume, for example 50 g (¼ cup) of sugar to 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Use 3 to 1 for a stronger cinnamon taste.
How do you get cinnamon sugar to stick to toast?
Butter the toast while it is hot, right to the edges, and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on straight away. The melted butter holds it in place.
Can I use brown sugar for cinnamon sugar?
Yes. Light brown sugar gives a toffee taste. It is moist and clumps in the jar, so mix only what you need that day.
How long does cinnamon sugar last?
Kept dry in a closed jar, it does not spoil. The cinnamon loses scent over the months. When a pinch smells faint, make a fresh batch.
