The Nutritionist-Approved Hack That Made My Coffee Taste So Much 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!).

It started the first morning of the trip when our host, Margaret Jackson, senior manager of branding and activation at CerconeBrownCompany PR agency, 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 Jackson for her secret and she 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 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 also a health benefit from the spice, too says Lisa Hayim, a registered dietitian and founder of The Well Necessities in New York City. “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,” she says. “While this is important for diabetics to note, it may also be important for those trying to cut back on sugar,” she says. 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.