Herbs & Spices
Ground Cinnamon Conversion
Ground Cinnamon weighs 125g per US cup.
Conventionally measured by the teaspoon — a cup of ground cinnamon is not a realistic recipe quantity.
| Amount | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 125.0 g | 4.41 oz |
| 1/2 cup | 62.5 g | 2.20 oz |
| 1/4 cup | 31.3 g | 1.10 oz |
| 1 tbsp | 7.8 g | 0.28 oz |
| 1 tsp | 2.6 g | 0.09 oz |
| 100 g | 100.0 g | 3.53 oz |
Need a different amount? Use the full Ingredient Converter tool.
125 grams is the theoretical weight of a full cup of ground cinnamon, but no baking recipe on earth calls for that — cinnamon does its work by the teaspoon, and a cup of it stirred into anything would blow past pleasantly spiced into simply inedible.
Most cinnamon sold in US grocery stores is cassia cinnamon, not the milder, more delicate "true" Ceylon cinnamon prized in parts of Europe and Latin America — cassia has a stronger, spicier flavor and a noticeably higher coumarin content (a naturally occurring compound with some health considerations at high intake), a genuine botanical and compositional difference between what many people think of as one single spice.
Ground cinnamon loses potency gradually over time even when properly sealed, since its flavor comes from volatile aromatic oils that slowly dissipate — a spice that's been sitting in the cabinet for a couple of years isn't unsafe, but it will taste noticeably milder and flatter than a fresher jar, worth knowing before assuming a recipe under-delivers on cinnamon flavor due to a measuring error rather than an old spice.
Ground cinnamon's cup weight (100g) is, as with most ground spices, mostly a scaling reference rather than a realistic quantity — worth noting separately is that most cinnamon sold in US supermarkets is cassia cinnamon, which has a sharper, more intense flavor than true Ceylon cinnamon, a real botanical distinction that affects how much a recipe should call for depending on which type is on hand.
Ceylon cinnamon, sometimes called "true cinnamon," is softer and more delicately flavored than cassia, and a recipe calling for one rather than the other by name is signaling a real, intentional flavor choice rather than a purely interchangeable ingredient.
How long does it last?
Storage & shelf life →
Frequently asked questions
Is all ground cinnamon the same?
No — most cinnamon sold in the US is cassia cinnamon, which has a stronger, spicier flavor and higher coumarin content than true Ceylon cinnamon, a milder variety more common in parts of Europe and Latin America; the two are genuinely different, not just differently labeled.
Does ground cinnamon go bad?
Kept dry, it isn't a safety risk even years later, but flavor is a different story — its aromatic oils dissipate gradually, so a jar that's sat around for a couple of years is still fine to eat, just noticeably flatter and milder than a fresh one.
Why is cinnamon almost never actually measured by the cup in real recipes?
It's an intensely flavored spice even in small amounts, so recipes conventionally call for it by the teaspoon; a full cup would overwhelm virtually any dish, which is why this site's cup conversion is a mathematical figure rather than a realistic recipe quantity.
Can I substitute Ceylon cinnamon for cassia cinnamon 1:1?
Volume-wise yes, but expect a milder, more delicate result, since Ceylon cinnamon's flavor is noticeably softer than cassia's stronger, spicier profile — a recipe developed around cassia may taste under-spiced if Ceylon is swapped in without adjustment.
How can I tell if my ground cinnamon has lost its potency?
Rub a small pinch between your fingers and smell it — fresh, potent cinnamon has a strong, warm aroma, while a jar that's lost potency will smell noticeably faint or muted even though it still looks and feels the same as a fresh jar.