I’ve never really liked the taste of coffee. I usually try to offset its bitterness with a little Half and Half or coffee creamer, 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!).

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 she said she picked up the trick from a  bed and breakfast years ago and has been using it ever since. Before brewing, she simply sprinkles a few shakes of 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/sugar addition completely unnecessary.

Besides improved taste, there’s a health benefit from the spice,  “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,”.

“While this is important for diabetics to note, it may be important for those trying to cut back on sugar”. Cinnamon is a source of manganese, calcium, iron, and vitamin K.

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

I always used to put a little cinnamon in my coffee and sort of forgot about it with Keurig and Nespresso.  Think I will put a little by the coffee makers, so I don’t forget.  Give it a try!