'Your mother sounds insufferable': Mom sneaks cinnamon in apple crumble 18-year-old is baking despite their known hatred of it

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Sep 17, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

Everyone is allowed to have their own food preferences. Maybe you have a particular vegetable you stay away from because you hate the texture. Maybe you take your coffee a very specific way and won't drink it if your specifications aren't met. Maybe there's a spice you completely avoid because it ruins your enjoyment of any dish. We're all allowed to have different tastes, even when it doesn't have to do with food allergies or dietary restrictions. Just as we're allowed to be different people, we're allowed to eat differently. 

Sure, it's one thing if you're at someone's house and their grandmother lovingly prepared you a meal, and it happens to have cilantro in it, and you have the cilantro soap gene. It might behoove you to swallow your pride, discreetly pick it off, and eat it anyway. It's not like it's hurting you. But it's a totally different thing if it's something you're making yourself. If you're the chef, you have a say over what goes in it, especially if you're the one eating it too. But one mother didn't quite respect those boundaries.

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  • A mother supervises her teenage daughter baking.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • When her kid baked a crumble for themselves, she saw it as an opportunity to help her kid “grow up.” But what she saw as a favor, her child saw as a huge breach of food safety. Read on to see what happened and how commenters responded. 

  • Am I in the wrong for yelling at my mom after she purposely put cinnamon in my food?

    So for a bit of context I was making an apple crumble, well was trying to before I saw that in the time I went to the toilet my mom had added quite a lot of cinnamon to the food, I absolutely hate the combination of cinnamon and apple. I come back out and see the
    via u/No_Savings2854
  • apple was absolutely coated in a disgusting amount of cinnamon. I turn to my mom as she was the only other person in the kitchen and ask her "who put the cinnamon in here?". She told me she did and that it was time to get over my dislike for it because I am an adult and can't afford to act like
    via u/No_Savings2854
  • a child. I start yelling at here that it's not her place to do that and how I haven't have a proper apple crumble since year 4 (grade 3, also since year 4 because the catering company at my primary school changed). She just told me to get over myself because I look stupid. My mom then told my dad what happened when he got home, he said he was neutral, but it was very clear he was with my mom on this.
    via u/No_Savings2854
  • Also if you're wondering why I don't like cinnamon, it's because it dries out my mouth for hours even with the smallest bit. This can also be in any type of food. So AITA? Also just to be clear, she knows I hate cinnamon. And she doesn't even like apple pie/crumble, so I don't even understand why she added it in there
    via u/No_Savings2854
  • Update: This happened whole thing went down last night. I thought I would give an update on the situation and answer a few questions! So first of all I am 18, 19 in early next year. I don't have a job yet but I do help at my grandparents house and get a bit of money from helping them (this involves. cooking, cleaning, etc). Secondly I did do some sort of revenge.
    via u/No_Savings2854
  • Sometimes, maybe 1-2 a fortnight I cook a meal for my house (it's usually the same old chilli or every now and then I make this really nice pork and honey dish) and well tonight I was cooking again. It was the same old chilli so eh, but I decided to add a little bit more chilli than I usually do. Normally I add a tea spoon but I added 1.5
    via u/No_Savings2854
  • teaspoons and trust me it makes a difference, me, my dad and sister were all fine because we go in trips. to our nearest city quite frequently and buy really spicy food when we are there. But my mom, she doesn't go with us and stays at home so her spice tolerance is lower than the 3 of us. She had to drink a glass of milk the whole time while my dad and sister just said
    via u/No_Savings2854
  • "oh it's a little more spicy than last time! I actually really like it!". So yeah, this was also a last minute decision. I uploaded this post just after I started cooking the chilli and saw a few comments saying "do something back" so I did, just something more than what she usually likes!
    via u/No_Savings2854
  • I also did eat the crumble because I'm not that ride. It was almost as bad as I expected. And I did get a dry mouth, so it wasn't worth it at all.
    via u/No_Savings2854
  • A teenager washes dishes while her mother watches.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Commenters agreed this was a huge mistake.

    MediocreAspects 23h ago • NTA but you might want to check for an allergy with that kind of reaction to cinnamon. Avocado is in the same family. The corners of my mouth used to burn and have tiny blisters before I was told I was allergic.
    via u/MediocreAspects
  • Advanced_Paper5966 · 1d ago I'd have thrown that straight in the trash. It would be different if she were making her own, but this was yours and she can add cinnamon later if she really wants it. NTA
    via u/Advanced_Paper5966
  • Swi... • .• 1d ago Edited 23h ago NTA. My brother(45) also hates cinnamon. But he doesn't have that physical reaction to it and so if he cant taste it, he doesnt mind it being in food, just not alot. (We actually just had this conversation 2 days ago).
    via u/Swiss_Miss_77
  • YOUR reaction sounds like an allergic reaction. Please go see an allergist because allergies can get worse with time! Edit: Also, for the record, I personally LOVE cinnamon and spices. And even I think it is absolutely possible to over cinnamon dishes. If all you taste is cinnamon and not
    via u/Swiss_Miss_77
  • APPLES, its too much. Cinnamon is NOT a requirement. There are other spices. And the fact is that many fruit desserts in their original, historical forms would never have had spices because spices were not available to regular people, they were too rare and expensive!
    via u/Swiss_Miss_77
  • Maybe next time add some ground nutmeg and a little ginger, but leave the cinnamon out on the counter. She will think you added cinnamon even though you didn't. Maybe then you can get your proper un-cinned crumble!
    via u/Swiss_Miss_77
  • Trishshirt5678 • 23h ago Yes, you're an adult. This means (amongst about a billion other things) that when you're cooking, you're in charge of what is in your pan. Your mother sounds insufferable.
    via u/Trishshirt5678
  • Remarkable_Table... • 23h ago How old are you? Your mom dislikes you. Throw out the food and never make anything in that house. And if you're underage prepare your exit plan. It's not about the cinnamon. It's about your mom purposefully ruining something you made. NTA
    via u/Remarkable_Table_279
  • grayblue_grrl • 23h ago You aren't making apply crumble anymore. I'd have left it all on the counter to do something else. Walk away. Her - Aren't you going to finish? You leaving this here?
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  • You "I thought you were - making it now. You took over and made something else I wasn't." If she says she isn't. Throw it out. When people make food, you let them make what they want.
    via u/grayblue_grrl
  • And don't make anything in that house again. Your mom is hateful. NTA
    via u/grayblue_grrl
  • New-Tailor3476 · 1d ago You're definitely NTA. It's your food and your preferences, especially with a legit physical reaction. Your mom had no right to just override that and then dismiss you. Boundaries matter, even in the kitchen.
    via u/New-Tailor3476
  • Dranask 23h ago NTA There must be something your entitled controlling mother doesn't like added to her food. Hint hint.
    via u/Dranask
  • Daisytru 23h ago • NTA. I would have thrown the ruined crumble in the garbage and left the room without a word. What your Mom did, knowing how you feel about cinnamon is ridiculous, overbearing behavior. It's not "childish" to dislike a flavor!
    via u/Daisytru
  • Forsaken_Pick3201 23h ago • NTA - mom was. My suggestion, do not cook apple crumble when she is home. Do not cook at all when mom is home. Simple. If you are an adult (which you say). I would have either dumped it or just left the mess and walked away. I highly suggest that you go to the doctor and be tested for a cinnamon allergy.
    via u/Forsaken_Pick3201
  • If you find out you are allergic, shove it in mom's face when dad is there. So mom, should I just s k it up now! I have told you how I felt, but you tried to poison me!
    via u/Forsaken_Pick3201

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teens aita kids teenagers baking moms cinnamon parenting dad food reddit thread parent Reddit raising kids Parenting Fail parents children Parenting FAILS
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