The most common alcohol-free cinnamon extract uses food-grade vegetable glycerin as the solvent. Glycerin produces a slightly sweet, syrupy extract that works well in baking, beverages, and homemade remedies. The process is simple, requires only two or three ingredients, and takes one to two weeks of passive infusion time.
There’s one important trade-off to know upfront: cinnamaldehyde, the compound responsible for cinnamon’s signature flavor and aroma, dissolves easily in ethanol but is actually insoluble in glycerin. That means a glycerin-based extract will be milder than its alcohol-based counterpart. You’ll need to use more of it in recipes, and the flavor profile will lean sweeter and less sharp. For many home cooks, especially those avoiding alcohol for religious, health, or dietary reasons, this is a perfectly acceptable result.
What You Need
The ingredient list is short:
- Cinnamon sticks or coarsely ground cinnamon. Sticks are easier to strain. You’ll need about 5 to 6 sticks (roughly 1 ounce) per cup of liquid. If using ground cinnamon, start with 2 to 3 tablespoons.
- Food-grade vegetable glycerin. Look for a label that says USP or FCC grade, which confirms it meets pharmaceutical and food-safety standards. A 99.7% pure, USP/FCC vegetable glycerin is the standard you want. This is widely available online and in health food stores.
- Distilled water. A small amount of water helps thin the glycerin slightly and improves extraction.
- A clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Mason jars work perfectly.
The standard ratio is three parts vegetable glycerin to one part distilled water. So for a small batch, you’d combine 3/4 cup glycerin with 1/4 cup water.
Step-by-Step Glycerin Method
Break your cinnamon sticks into smaller pieces to expose more surface area. If you’re using whole sticks, snap them in half or crush them lightly with the back of a knife. Place the cinnamon in your glass jar.
Mix the glycerin and water together, then pour the mixture over the cinnamon until the pieces are fully submerged. You want at least half an inch of liquid above the cinnamon. Seal the jar tightly.
Store the jar in a cool, dark place like a pantry or cupboard. Shake it gently once a day to redistribute the cinnamon and help the extraction along. Let it infuse for one to two weeks. Two weeks will give you a stronger result, which matters more with glycerin since it’s a weaker solvent than alcohol. Some people extend this to four weeks for maximum potency.
After the infusion period, strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer into a clean bottle. Squeeze the cheesecloth to get every drop. If you used ground cinnamon, you may need to strain twice or use a coffee filter to remove fine particles. The finished extract should be a warm amber color with a noticeable cinnamon scent.
Using Glycerin Extract in Recipes
Because glycerin doesn’t dissolve cinnamon’s flavor compounds as aggressively as alcohol does, you’ll generally need to use about 1.5 to 2 times as much glycerin extract as you would an alcohol-based version. If a recipe calls for one teaspoon of cinnamon extract, start with 1.5 teaspoons of your glycerin extract and adjust to taste.
Glycerin itself has a mildly sweet flavor, so keep that in mind when adding it to recipes where sweetness matters. In baking, this is rarely noticeable. In drinks or savory dishes, you may want to reduce other sweeteners slightly. The extract works well stirred into coffee, oatmeal, smoothies, and homemade chai. It’s also a popular base for herbal supplements and tinctures in households that avoid alcohol.
Other Alcohol-Free Options
Glycerin is the most popular substitute, but it’s not the only one. A simple hot water infusion works for short-term use: simmer cinnamon sticks in water on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, strain, and refrigerate. This produces a cinnamon “tea” concentrate that’s useful in cooking but lacks the shelf stability of glycerin. Use it within a week or two.
Oil infusion is another route. Warming cinnamon sticks in a neutral carrier oil (like fractionated coconut oil or sweet almond oil) over very low heat for a few hours creates a cinnamon-infused oil. This is better suited for topical uses, salad dressings, or drizzling than for baking, since oil doesn’t mix into batters the same way a water-soluble extract does.
Apple cider vinegar can also serve as an extraction medium. The acetic acid in vinegar is a better solvent than glycerin for some compounds, and the process is identical: submerge cinnamon in vinegar, seal, shake daily, and strain after two weeks. The downside is obvious: your extract will taste like vinegar, which limits its applications.
Storage and Shelf Life
Vegetable glycerin is both chemically and microbiologically stable, with a shelf life of about 24 months when stored below 100°F in a sealed container. Your finished cinnamon glycerite should last 12 to 14 months stored in a tightly sealed glass bottle in a cool, dark spot. Glycerin is hygroscopic, meaning it pulls moisture from the air, so always close the container promptly after use.
Label your bottle with the date you strained it. If the extract develops an off smell, cloudiness, or any signs of mold, discard it. Using distilled water (rather than tap) and sterilized jars reduces the risk of microbial contamination.
Choosing the Right Cinnamon
This is worth a moment of your attention, especially if you plan to use your extract regularly or in larger amounts. Most cinnamon sold in grocery stores is cassia cinnamon, which contains significant levels of coumarin, a naturally occurring compound that can stress the liver in high doses. Cassia cinnamon contains up to 1% coumarin. A study analyzing 60 ground cinnamon samples from retail markets found mean coumarin levels ranging from 2,650 to 7,017 milligrams per kilogram, and every single sample tested positive.
Ceylon cinnamon (sometimes labeled “true cinnamon”) contains only trace amounts of coumarin, roughly 0.004%, and often tests below detectable limits. European food safety guidelines recommend a daily coumarin limit of 0.1 mg per kilogram of body weight. For a 150-pound adult, that’s about 7 mg per day. If you’re making an extract you’ll use daily in coffee or supplements, Ceylon cinnamon is the safer choice. For occasional baking with cassia, the coumarin exposure is unlikely to be a concern.
Ceylon cinnamon sticks are thinner, more brittle, and lighter in color than cassia. They’re pricier but widely available from spice retailers online. The flavor is more delicate and complex, with less of the sharp, spicy bite that cassia delivers.