Salt Is The Missing Ingredient You Need In Your Cinnamon Sugar

Of the many spices we often turn to in flavoring our favorite confections and baked goods, cinnamon is one of the most common and probably holds a prime spot in your spice cabinet. Not only does cinnamon make EHL Insights' list of top spices everyone should have readily available in their kitchen pantries, but Acril Tea also notes cinnamon as one of the best-selling spices in America, next to ginger and peppercorns. While Britannica traces the use of cinnamon back to ancient Egypt, in the 21st century, cinnamon has quickly become a common spice of choice in the modern American kitchen. But how did this richly complex, warming spice become synonymous with sugar?

According to Spiceography, cinnamon sugar didn't begin appearing in European cookbooks until the 1800s. But in her recipe for cinnamon toast, Ali Slagle describes how bread sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar can be traced back to 15th-century Europe as a cheaper, more convenient alternative to proper French toast (per The New York Times Cooking). Regardless of when this popular combination originated, it seems to be a fan favorite among foodies far and wide. 

Before you make another batch of cinnamon spice berry popcorn, having a solid cinnamon sugar recipe tucked in your back pocket is essential for all of your confection-related needs. And surprisingly, salt may be the ingredient you never knew you needed to add to your favorite spiced sweetener.

Before making another loaf of your famous cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread, you need to know the right ratio for a solid cinnamon sugar blend. The amount of cinnamon you use in a homemade mix tends to reflect how pronounced you wish that cinnamon flavor to be. Simply Scratch's standard cinnamon sugar recipe calls for one-half cup of sugar and two tablespoons of cinnamon. While you can achieve a more mellow flavor by adding just two teaspoons of cinnamon, Epicurious adds an unlikely ingredient to the evenly proportioned mix: a dash of salt to enunciate the overall flavor of the sugary spice blend.

Surprisingly, there may be some science to back up this claim. According to Science, our mouths have certain receptors that can distinguish sweetness. However, there may be one receptor that can only detect the subtleties of sweet flavors when paired with a counter-balancing ingredient, such as salt. This can cause our mouths' taste receptors to distinguish that sweetness more notably. 

Beyond salt, if you're feeling extra daring and want to take your freshly made cinnamon sugar to the next level, Unpeeled recommends adding citrus zest or cardamon to the mixture. Now that you know the secret way to bring out the sweetness in your homemade cinnamon sugar, what are the best ways to use this warm and sweet concoction?

Before diving head first into the best recipes to utilize your freshly made cinnamon sugar mix, you may want to first review the type of cinnamon you're using in your homemade blend. King Arthur Baking Company describes the four main types of cinnamon available as well as their associated uses. While Cassia, Saigon, Ceylon, and Korintje have subtle differences, Epicurious recommends Korintje for homemade cinnamon sugar mixes because of its pronounced flavor and smooth undertones.

Whichever type of cinnamon you decide to use, there are ample recipes benefiting from a sprinkling or two of homemade cinnamon sugar. Apart from adding some atop your next cinnamon apple sheet cake, there are more common foods that go hand in hand with cinnamon sugar. McCormick recommends adding cinnamon sugar to your favorite hot cereal, cookie recipe, or fresh fruit salad. Better yet, MasterClass suggests adding cinnamon sugar to raw bacon before cooking in your skillet or oven. 

But if you want to stick to the basics and have a soft spot for traditional recipes, MyRecipes says there's nothing quite like a piece of buttered white bread dressed in cinnamon sugar and slightly toasted in a 350-degree oven. Just don't forget the salt.