These homemade cinnamon baking chips rival store-bought cinnamon chips any day. Unlike their competitors, they're made with real cinnamon, and just a few other simple ingredients that might already be in your pantry. They add incredible cinnamon flavor to muffin, scones, cookies, and so many other recipes!
If you've ever tried sourcing cinnamon chips for a baking recipe, you may have noticed that they're a little bit hard to find - especially in stores. And when shipping a bag of cinnamon chips costs more than the bag itself, it's hard to justify an online purchase. Then there's the real shocker: some cinnamon chips (I'm looking at you, Hershey's) aren't even made with cinnamon!
The solution? Make your own cinnamon baking chips! You'll only need 4 ingredients, about 15 minutes of active free time, a bowl, a spoon, and an oven. You can use these in all of your favorite recipes - like these incredible cinnamon chip muffins - and they actually taste like cinnamon!
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Ingredients in cinnamon chips
While store-bought cinnamon chips tend to use heavily-processed and/or artificial ingredients, these homemade cinnamon morsels are made with just a handful of basic ingredients you've likely baked with before:
- Granulated sugar
- Cinnamon - You'll need a full 3 tablespoons, so I recommend buying this in bulk to keep costs down. I like to stock up on ground saigon cinnamon at Costco.
- Honey - You can also use any other sticky, viscous sweetener. Light corn syrup makes a good vegan option.
- Coconut oil - It should be just slightly softened, not melted. The coconut flavor doesn't come through, but if you're worried about that, I'd suggest using refined coconut oil. You can also sub vegetable shortening (but NOT vegetable oil).
With such a simple ingredient list, these homemade cinnamon baking chips are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. You can easily make them organic as well!
How to make cinnamon baking chips
Assuming you already have all of the ingredients on hand, making cinnamon chips is seriously easier than running to the store to buy them!
Step one - Oven and pan prep: Preheat your oven to 200ºF and line a standard baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the paper lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
Step two - Combine all ingredients: In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, honey, and 1 ½ tablespoons of coconut oil until everything is fully combined. The mixture should be slightly damp and clumpy.
Depending on how cold your coconut oil is, you may need to use your hands to work all of the ingredients together. You can add the remaining ½ tablespoon of coconut oil as needed if it seems overly dry.
Step three - Transfer to baking sheet: Spread the mixture out on the prepared baking sheet and flatten it into a rectangle about ¼" thick. I like to do this with a flat spatula, but you can also just use your hands. Tip: to prevent sticking, place another sheet of parchment on top of the mixture first!
Step four - Bake and cool: Bake the cinnamon mixture in your preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until it appears to have melted into a single slab. It will still be fairly soft! Let it cool completely before slicing.
Step five - Slice: Use a sharp knife or pizza wheel to cut the slab into individual cinnamon chips. It's easiest to cut vertical strips first (I make mine about ¼" wide) and then cut horizontal strips in the opposite direction, as if you were cutting along a grid. Feel free to cut thinner strips if you want mini cinnamon chips!
Step six - Coat with cinnamon sugar: You can (optionally) toss the chips in cinnamon sugar at this point, which is what I did here! If you find that your cinnamon chips seem a little sticky, this extra step will help combat that. You can aim for a cinnamon-sugar ratio of 1:3, although I typically just eyeball it.
Storage and shelf life
Store your homemade cinnamon baking chips in an airtight container or zip-top bag. Keep them in a relatively cool, dry spot, such as a pantry. They should keep well in this environment for at least a few months.
Recipes for cinnamon chips
Although these may not look like the cinnamon chips you can buy in stores, they're a perfect substitute in most any recipe! Try adding these cinnamon bits to:
- Buttery cinnamon chip muffins
- A batch of Panera-inspired cinnamon chip scones
- These crunchy cinnamon chip biscotti!
I'll bet they'd also be an incredible swap for the chocolate chips in my favorite oatmeal cookies!
Have you made this recipe?
If so, I'd love to hear your feedback; you can leave a rating and review in the comments section below!
Help spread the word by sharing this post on your favorite social media channel! If you happen to snap a photo of something you've baked, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me (@brighteyedbaker) so I can give you a shoutout!
Recipe Card
Cinnamon Baking Chips
Cinnamon baking chips can be hard to find in stores, but they're easy to make at home! This DIY version is made with real cinnamon and just a few other simple ingredients you likely already have on hand. Use these homemade morsels to add incredible bits of cinnamon flavor to all of your favorite baked good recipes!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: about 1 ½ cups 1x
- Category: candy
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 ⅝ ounces (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 ½-2 tablespoons coconut oil (softened, not melted)
- cinnamon sugar, for coating (optional)
Instructions
- Oven and pan prep: Preheat oven to 200º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray paper lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine ingredients: In a medium-size bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, honey, and 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil until totally combined into a slightly damp, clumpy mixture. You may need to use your hands to work everything together. Add the remaining ½ tablespoons oil as needed if the mixture feels too dry to come together.
- Transfer to baking sheet: Spread the mixture out on the prepared baking sheet, flattening into a rectangle about ¼" thick. You can do this with your hands or a flat spatula; use another sheet of parchment paper as a barrier to prevent sticking.
- Bake and cool: Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until the mixture has melted into a single slab. It will still be relatively soft. Let cool completely.
- Slice: Use a knife or pizza wheel to slice the cooled slab into small square chips, about ¼" wide.
- Coat with cinnamon sugar: Optionally, toss chips in cinnamon sugar before storing.
Notes
Ingredient substitutions:
- For vegan cinnamon chips, use light corn syrup or another sticky, viscous sweetener in place of the honey.
- Coconut oil can be substituted with vegetable shortening. I would recommend increasing the shortening to 2 tablespoons.
Storage and shelf life:
- Store cinnamon chips in an airtight container or zip-top bag in a pantry, or another cool, dry place. They should keep well for at least a few months.
Recipe adapted from: Mind Over Batter
Vicky
Can you use butter in place of shortening?
alexandra
I've heard many people say coconut oil works well, so that leads me to believe butter would be okay too.
Debbie
I'm in England and can't get corn syrup here. I'm also allergic to honey. I can get agave but it's pricey. Any other suggestions?
alexandra
Do you have golden syrup or any other kind of liquid sweetener like that?
Regan
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It was easy and turned out great. I spent weeks looking for cinnamon chips in stores with no luck and the cinnamon chips for sale online were so expensive. I'm so glad I found your recipe. This was a wonderful solution!
alexandra
I'm so glad you liked them!
Chrissy
These turned out great! I mixed them by hand, just put on gloves and it came out perfect ♡
Donna
I have a Snickerdoodle recipe that calls for Cinnamon Chips. I plan on making this recipe, using honey and either butter or coconut oil as substitutes. Now, can I then use this recipe as a replacement for the packaged ones in this cookie recipe?
Thank you for posting this recipe.
alexandra
I've used the chips in these scones and they turned out really well, so I would say yes. You might get slightly different results using the substitutes, but many people have said honey and coconut work well, so I think you'll be fine.
B
Hi :
i made these the other day , and am not sure if i did it right. i followed the directions , except for the shortening .. i didn't have it , so i substituted veg. oil.
they came out "sticky" .. soft , not crunchy , and wanted to stick to each other. i ended up freezing them , as i was to use them in a cinnamon loaf bread. the freezing helped , but were still sticky , and i ended up in a ball in my bread maker. i stopped the cycle , and spread them apart as best i could.
should they be sticky , or like a choc chip ?
Thanks !
alexandra
The vegetable oil is most likely the cause of your problem; it won't play the same role as shortening since it has different characteristics. If you don't want to use vegetable oil, you could try coconut oil. I've had a number of readers tell me it works well here. Hope that helps! :)
Yvette
I love these! They are much better than the store bought cinnamon chips. They are really great in cinnamon bread. Thanks for sharing!
alexandra
Yay - so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Michael Nichols
Thank you so much. A cinnamon bread recipe I wanted to try called for Cinnamon Chips. Never heard of such a thing...and then I found your recipe for home-made. The bread was INCREDIBLE....and such an extra benefit..my kitchen smelled so good for the next day....again..thank you ...
alexandra
That's so good to hear! Sounds like an incredible bread!
Avery
I just wanted to say thank you so much for this cinnamon chip recipe. Recently I lost the ability to consume chocolate due to various health problems but the transition has been really hard as I LOVE chocolate. However, these cinnamon chips are seriously so delicious I never thought I'd say this...but I don't really miss chocolate anymore! I used honey and coconut oil instead of vegetable shortening and corn syrup as suggested in the comments. All my friends think the chips are amazing which is a huge plus. My enthusiasm for baking has been reignited and I'm excited for the HUGE potential these chips hold. Keep up the great work!
alexandra
Love hearing that! I'll definitely keep in mind to use honey and coconut oil next time myself - sounds like the way to go.
Sandy
I always used them in oatmeal raisin cookies. Will this mixture after baked in oven crumble so I can still use in cookies.
alexandra
Hi Sandy! You cut the cinnamon chips up after you make them so you can use them in a recipe just like normal cinnamon chips. Is that what you're asking? :)
Franzis
A BIG thank you from germany!!!!
Here is no Way to get them . so i'm really really glad i found your reciepe!!!!
Lovely greets from Germany
Franzis
alexandra
So happy the recipe helped you out! :)
Vic
I'd never heard of cinnamon chips before I saw one of your recipes calling for them, yum! I don't have vegetable shortening or coconut oil.....do you think butter or olive oil would work? Another idea for a substitute? Thanks so much!!
alexandra
I definitely wouldn't suggest olive oil. Butter might work, but I haven't tried it myself so I can't say for sure. Let me know if you give it a go!
Laura M
these came out perfect! thanks!
alexandra
Awesome! So glad to hear it. :)
Hilde
Thank you SO MUCH for posting this! I have tried to copy those cinnamon chips, too. I was sure there had to be a way, but my experiment failed. I have not tried yours yet, but I am very excited to. Sounds like many have and have had success, so I am happy about that. I just now thought maybe somewhere online there is a way to make those bits, but all I've found are cinnamon chips and that just doesn't seem like the right way to go about this. Then I found your recipe and I am so anxious to give it a go. Thank you so much for sharing!
alexandra
Let me know how it works out for you! I'm glad it was what you were looking for. :)
kim thornton
I'm allergic to corn, so I'm wondering what I could substitute for the corn syrup. Do you think honey would work?
alexandra
Hi Kim! So sorry I didn't get back to you earlier. I've heard from another reader who used honey, so that might work although I haven't tried it. Agave would be another thought as well since it's more taste-neutral.