An alternative to preflavored coffee, spices like cinnamon and chicory root can infuse a distinctive taste and appealing aroma to your cup while providing a bonus health benefit, notes Jackie Newgent, RDN, a plant-forward chef, culinary nutrition expert, and 2025 Forbes Health advisory board member.
“You can add ground spices to your coffee before or after brewing,” says Newgent. When adding spices afterward, let your freshly brewed coffee steep for five minutes to allow the spice flavors to become well-infused. Alternatively, you might find it works best to whisk spices into milk or plant-based milk before adding them to brewed coffee.
Cinnamon, considered a “sweet spice,” is a great substitute for sugar, as it will sweeten up your drink without the added calories. “Along with its potential cardiometabolic and weight management benefits, a cool tidbit about cinnamon is that preliminary research suggests that bioactive compounds in cinnamon may have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, though more research is needed to confirm these benefits,” she adds. Studies have also shown that cinnamon can significantly improve learning and memory. Chicory root, a staple of New Orleans–style coffee, is available in ground form similar to coffee, so you can brew them together. Newgent says this is a great option for those who aren’t crazy about coffee’s natural bitterness, “and if you use enough of it, your usual cup of caffeinated coffee will have less caffeine since it’ll have less total coffee in that cup,” she says. “Plus, chicory root has digestion-promoting, prebiotic properties thanks in part to its inulin content.”
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