If your New Year’s resolutions included cutting down on sweets and/or dairy, you may be forcing yourself to have your daily coffee without the softening, masking flavours of milk, sugar or syrups. Or maybe you’ve just decided it’s time to toughen up and start taking it black, because you’re an adult, dang it! Whatever your reasons, you might have seen recommendations that you add cinnamon to your coffee to give it a sweeter flavour without added sugar.

“Cinnamon can make coffee taste naturally sweeter and a bit more complex, with a warm, cosy spice kick,” confirms Alex Wang, head barista for specialty coffee roasters St. Ali. “If you’re trying to cut back on sugar or get used to drinking black coffee, it’s a great way to add flavour without feeling like you’re missing out. It also makes the coffee feel a little more special and approachable.”

But there is a right way and a wrong way to introduce cinnamon’s cosy flavour profile to your delicious morning brown. As anyone who lived through the horror that was the Cinnamon Challenge knows, ground cinnamon is hydrophobic, meaning it actually repels moisture, and a big mouthful of what is literally powdered tree bark does not make for a tasty treat. (We will not be addressing irresponsible TikToks suggesting you add a full teaspoon of it for “weight loss”. Shudder.)

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To give a black or milk coffee a mild cinnamon flavour without the mess, Wang suggests simply stirring it with a cinnamon stick – you can leave it in the cup as you drink, which also looks cute – or breaking some of the bark up and mixing with your ground beans to infuse with cold brew. If you’re still doing dairy or alternative milks, or even experimenting with cold foam or cream, he says mixing a little cinnamon in before adding to coffee can help with more even distribution.

It’s common around the world to add other spices to coffee, like cardamom, which Wang says “adds a floral, slightly citrusy touch, pairing well with light and medium roasts”. Ginger is “zesty and spicy, great for cold brews or spiced lattes”; nutmeg is “nutty and warm, ideal for dark roasts”. If you’re feeling daring, try black pepper with a strong coffee – or native Tasmanian pepperberry, a favourite of Wang’s, which adds “a unique earthy spiciness”.

But while variety may be the spice of life, don’t feel pressured to have your coffee any way other than just how you like it. “Adding spices or sweeteners can be a fun way to experiment with coffee, but personal preferences should always come first,” Wang says. “If you already love your coffee a certain way, there’s no need to change.”

Related recipe: Benjamina Ebuehi’s walnut cardamom coffee cake

How can you develop a taste for black coffee without milk or sugar?

If you want to join the “just black, thanks” coffee club, St. Ali Head Barista Alex Wang offers these tips:

• Start with high-quality beans: Specialty coffee with complex flavour profiles makes black coffee more enjoyable.
• Experiment with brewing methods: French press, pour-over, or Aeropress can highlight different characteristics of the beans.
• Adjust grind and water ratio: Proper extraction results in naturally sweeter, more balanced coffee.
• Reduce milk and sugar gradually: Let your palate adjust over time.
• Pair with complementary foods: Enjoy coffee alongside fruits, nuts, or dark chocolate to enhance its natural flavours.

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