Have you ever been in the middle of making a homemade pumpkin pie or healthy pumpkin muffins and looked in the cabinet to find…
You were out of pumpkin pie spice?!
Or maybe you went to the grocery store the day before Thanksgiving only to find…
All of the pumpkin spice jars were gone?!
Or maybe you’re just THAT into cooking and want to know how to give your recipes the MOST flavor!!
Whatever the reasoning, you can easily make this Fall blend at home – it’s such a great substitute for the store bought kind!
Only five spices go into it and they can all easily be found at your local grocery store.
What is Pumpkin Pie Spice?
Pumpkin pie spice, or sometimes simply called pumpkin spice, is a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice.
This mix can either be purchased at the grocery store or made at home.
It is most commonly used in homemade pumpkin pie recipes as well as pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cookie recipes.
Ingredients
Typically you will find 4-5 different spices in store bought and homemade pumpkin spice blends:
- Ground Cinnamon. A warm and woody, sweet and slightly spicy flavor. It makes up a large majority of the blend. Do not substitute this for any of the other spices.
- Ground Nutmeg. Sweet and nutty in flavor, this also contributes a lot to the flavor profile.
- Ground Ginger. The same amount of this zesty spice goes into the blend as nutmeg.
- Ground Cloves. When pumpkin pies or recipes are a bit on the pungent side, you can thank cloves for that. A little goes a long way, so please adjust based on your preferences.
- Ground Allspice. This spice is optional and is not found in all pumpkin pie spice recipes. It also has a peppery bite, so feel free to leave it out if you want to tone down your mix.
Expert Tip: You can substitute the ground cloves for allspice, or vice versa.
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice
Below you’ll learn how to make homemade pumpkin pie spice at home with these simple steps:
Combine Ingredients
Add all of the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl in order to be able to mix it up well.
Or, save on dishes and use the container you plan on storing it in.
Stir the ingredients together until well-combined. A whisk does best for distributing everything evenly.
Store
Keep this blend until you’re ready to use.
Include this spice mix in your favorite recipes or even sprinkle on buttered toast.
It is best to keep homemade seasoning mixes in an airtight container. These 4-ounce mason jars or these glass spice jars are both good options for storing DIY seasoning mixes.
Keep the glass container in a cool, dry space. A spice cabinet (NOT over the stove!) or a dry pantry will work great.
You do not want too much open space in the container. It is best to choose one that just barely fits all of the seasoning mix.
FAQs
Homemade seasoning mixes will take years to go bad, but they will lose their potency over time. Make sure you store them in an airtight container for the best results.
Apple Pie Spice can be a substitute, but it has cardamom in it and no cloves so the taste will be a little different. Avoid using just allspice, which is not a good substitute for pumpkin spice.
No, allspice is a specific spice made from a plant called Pimenta dioica. However, allspice is a common ingredient found in pumpkin spice.
Contrary to popular belief, pumpkin spice does not actually contain any pumpkin! This blend got its name because it is made up of the spices commonly used to season pumpkin pie.
This spice blend is so versatile! Try it in oatmeal, pumpkin spiced lattes, hot chocolate, pancakes and waffles, or even sprinkle it on sweet potatoes.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Swap them out. Substitute the ground cloves and allspice for one another.
- Disperse evenly. Use a whisk or fork to mix the spices.
- Less dishes. Combine the spices in the container you are storing the blend in.
- Stay cool. Keep in a dark, dry place away from any heat.
- Don’t leave room. Air will cause the flavor to deteriorate faster so use the smallest container possible.
Recipes that use Pumpkin Spice
Want to start putting that homemade pumpkin spice mix to good use? Here are a few of my all-time favorite healthy pumpkin recipes and desserts that use this pie spice:
- Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Overnight Oats
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
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Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. ground cloves
- 1 tsp. allspice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine.
- Store pumpkin pie spice in an air-tight container for up to 1-2 years.
- Use it in your favorite pumpkin pie recipe, pumpkin muffins, or pumpkin cookies!
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Notes
- This recipe yields ~6 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice.
- Ground cloves and allspice can be substituted for each other.
- Keep in an airtight glass container in a cool, dry space away from heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
