Ceylon vs. Cassia Cinnamon: What's the Difference? | Grown Goodies

October 4, 2026

Most cinnamon sold in the US isn't "true" cinnamon. It's cassia, a close cousin from a different tree. The two look similar in a jar, but they differ in where they grow, how they taste, and how much coumarin they contain.

Here's what sets them apart, how to tell which one you have, and why we bake only with Ceylon.

Two different trees

Ceylon and cassia both come from the inner bark of evergreen trees in the cinnamon family, but they are different species.

Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is often called "true cinnamon." It grows mainly in Sri Lanka, which was once called Ceylon. Harvesters peel the thin inner bark by hand and roll many delicate layers together.
Cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia and related species) grows mainly in China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It's harvested as a single thick layer of bark. It's faster and cheaper to produce, which is why it fills most grocery store shelves.

Side by side: Ceylon vs. cassia

Here's how the two compare. At home, whole sticks are the easiest to tell apart; with ground cinnamon, check the label.

	Ceylon	Cassia
Also called	"True" cinnamon	Chinese, Saigon (Vietnamese), or Korintje (Indonesian) cinnamon
Botanical name	Cinnamomum verum (also C. zeylanicum)	Cinnamomum cassia (also C. aromaticum) and related species
Where it grows	Mainly Sri Lanka, plus southern India	Southeast Asia, mainly China, Vietnam, and Indonesia
How it's harvested	Thin inner bark peeled by hand, many layers rolled together	One thick layer of bark
Sticks	Many thin, papery layers rolled like a cigar	One thick, hard curl of bark, hollow in the middle
Texture	Crumbles easily in your fingers	Hard enough to need a grinder
Color	Light tan	Darker reddish-brown
Flavor	Light, sweet, floral, and citrusy	Bold, spicy, and a little sharp
Coumarin	Trace amounts	About 100 times more than Ceylon
Price	Higher	Lower
Label wording	"Ceylon," "true cinnamon," or Cinnamomum verum	Often just "cinnamon," or "Saigon" or "Korintje"
Where you'll find it	Specialty spice shops and products that name it	Most US grocery spices, cereals, and baked goods

If a label just says "cinnamon," it's almost always cassia.

How they taste

Cassia is bold, spicy, and a little sharp. It's the flavor most Americans picture as "cinnamon," like red-hot candies or a cinnamon roll.

Ceylon is lighter and sweeter, with floral and citrusy notes. It doesn't shout over other ingredients, so it pairs beautifully with delicate flavors like coconut and vanilla. People who try it side by side often describe cassia as loud and Ceylon as layered.

Coumarin: the difference that matters most

Cassia contains about 100 times more coumarin than Ceylon, according to Austria's food safety agency, AGES. Coumarin is a natural compound that gives cassia some of its sweet, warm aroma.

Why it's watched: Food safety agencies note that large amounts of coumarin, eaten over a long time, can affect the liver in sensitive people.
The guideline: Europe's food safety authority (EFSA) and Germany's risk assessment institute set a tolerable daily intake of 0.1 mg of coumarin per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight. For a 132-pound adult, that's about 6 mg of coumarin a day. In kitchen terms, that's roughly 1 teaspoon of regular (cassia) cinnamon, or about 12 teaspoons of Ceylon.
What testing found: In AGES lab tests, cassia samples contained 1,880 to 3,260 mg of coumarin per kilogram. The highest Ceylon sample contained 185 mg per kilogram.
Who it matters for: AGES says normal amounts of cinnamon in food are no cause for concern. The difference matters most for people who eat a lot of cinnamon every day, and for kids. AGES recommends Ceylon when you plan to use larger amounts.

So think again before adding that big scoop of cinnamon to your morning coffee, and check the label first!

If cinnamon is part of your daily routine, in oatmeal, coffee, smoothies, or granola, choosing Ceylon is an easy way to keep coumarin low.

What research says about cinnamon's health benefits

Cinnamon, including Ceylon, shows promise in lab, animal, and some small human studies, but the evidence in people is still mixed.

Cinnamon in general

A 2024 review in Archives of Medical Sciences: Atherosclerotic Diseases (Mohammadabadi and Jain) summarized research on cinnamon and heart health:

Natural plant compounds: Cinnamon bark contains polyphenols such as cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and catechins, which show antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in lab studies.
Blood pressure: In one trial of 59 people with type 2 diabetes, 1,200 mg of cinnamon a day for 12 weeks lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 3.4 mm Hg. Another placebo-controlled trial found no effect on blood pressure.
Cholesterol and blood sugar: Several trials, mostly in people with type 2 diabetes taking 1 to 3 grams a day, saw improvements in cholesterol, triglycerides, or fasting blood sugar. Others saw no benefit, including an 11-year study that found cinnamon didn't affect blood lipids or heart disease.
The authors' conclusion: The heart benefits look promising, but more clinical studies are needed to prove them.

Most of these studies used supplement-sized amounts, about half a teaspoon to over a teaspoon a day, often as capsules or extracts.

Ceylon specifically

Lab and animal studies: A 2013 systematic review of 70 studies on Ceylon cinnamon (Ranasinghe et al., BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine) found evidence of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activity, along with lower blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. The studies reported minimal toxic or adverse effects.
Research in people: Those same authors note that human data are sparse, and clinical trials in people are needed to confirm these effects.
The NIH view: The NIH's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says research doesn't clearly support using cinnamon for any health condition. One reason is that many studies don't say which type of cinnamon they tested. Early research suggests a nasal spray with Ceylon extract might ease hay fever symptoms, but stronger evidence is needed.
Safety: NCCIH says cinnamon is likely safe in the amounts commonly used in food. Large amounts of Ceylon during pregnancy are considered unsafe, and anyone taking medication should talk with a health care provider before using cinnamon supplements.

The bottom line: Ceylon is a smart pick for flavor and for keeping coumarin low. The cinnamon in a bowl of granola is a seasoning amount, not a supplement dose, and cinnamon isn't a treatment for any health condition. However, the choices we make add up, so that is why we choose Ceylon Cinnamon, and of course, the delicate layered flavor helps!

Why Ceylon costs more

Ceylon takes more skilled hand labor and grows in a much smaller region. Workers peel the paper-thin inner bark by hand and roll the layers into quills, a craft passed down for generations in Sri Lanka. Cassia's single thick bark is quicker to harvest in larger volumes, which keeps it cheap.

That's why most packaged foods, cereals, and baked goods use cassia, and why it's worth checking the label when cinnamon matters to you.

Why we use Ceylon in our granola

We bake every batch of All Day Granola with organic Ceylon cinnamon, even though it costs more. We're label readers too, and we wanted the cinnamon in a snack people might eat every day to be the low-coumarin kind.

It also simply tastes better with our other ingredients. Ceylon's lighter, sweeter flavor lets the big coconut flakes, maple, and vanilla come through instead of drowning them out. You'll find it in our Cinnamon Coconut granola, where it's the star.

Quick FAQ

Is the cinnamon in my spice rack Ceylon or cassia? If the label just says "cinnamon," it's almost certainly cassia. Ceylon is usually labeled "Ceylon" or "true cinnamon."

Is cassia cinnamon bad for you? Food safety agencies say normal amounts in food are fine. The coumarin difference matters most for people who eat a lot of cinnamon every day. We use a lot of cinnamon in our house, so it matters for our lifestyle to choose the option that is less deliterious.

Can I swap Ceylon for cassia in recipes? Yes. However- Ceylon is milder, so you may want to use a little more for the same cinnamon punch. This can add up in cost, so just keep it in mind!

Is "Saigon cinnamon" Ceylon? No. Saigon (Vietnamese) cinnamon is a type of cassia, and it's one of the strongest-flavored varieties.