Make your own pumpkin pie spice in 5 minutes with this easy recipe! This blend of warming spices is a must-have for fall baking. It's delicious in pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie without evaporated milk, pumpkin pancakes, and more!
This DIY mix has the perfect blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice, and tastes even better than the store-bought version!
It goes well with both sweet and savory dishes, and can keep it in your spice cabinet for up to 1 year!
Use this homemade spice blend in any of your favorite recipes to add a flavorful kick and make it taste like fall.
For more fall staples, check out my recipe for homemade pumpkin puree.
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Why Make Your Own
- Cost-effective. Making your own spice blends is so much cheaper than store-bought, especially if you get your spices in bulk. You're also reducing waste as some of them are sold in plastic containers.
- Customizable. You get to add more of the spices that you like and less of the spices that you don't like.
- Quick and easy to make. It takes 2 minutes to mix all the spices together and you get to use it for months afterwards.
- Fresher than store-bought spice mixes. Some store-bought spices have been sitting on the shelf for months before you buy them. By making your own, you'll have a freshly made blend right in your pantry.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Ground cinnamon: This is probably my favorite spice of all time and it's the predominant one here. When you go to the grocery store, look for Ceylon cinnamon to ensure flavor and quality.
- Ground ginger: This fiery spice adds some heat to the mix without making it too spicy. It's earthy and very pleasant when it's mixed with other spices like cinnamon.
- Ground allspice: This is a strong spice, that's why you'll need a very small amount. It's important to note that this is not a blend, but a spice of its own. Allspice is actually considered a berry.
- Ground glove: Clove is warming and slightly sweet, and unlike some recipes online that omit it, I always like to add a little bit for its unique fall flavor.
- Ground nutmeg: A strong aromatic spice that you need a tiny amount of, but makes a difference nonetheless.
- Black pepper: Even though you can't taste it, a pinch of black pepper gives a lovely kick to the mix.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
To a small bowl, add all of your ground spices.
Using a whisk or a spoon, mix until everything is well blended and there are no lumps.
Either use it in a recipe right away or store it in an airtight container for later use.
Expert Tips
- Make sure your spices are freshly ground. This is essential when it comes to getting the most out of your pumpkin pie spice. Almost all spices have a shelf life of about 3 years, BUT their flavor starts to lose potency after about 10-12 months. It's even better if you're able to ground your own spices and use the blend in a few week's time.
- Don't use a mix of other spices for the blend. You need plain ground spices without other stuff mixed into them to get the right flavor.
- Customize it to your taste. Don't like nutmeg? Leave it out. Don't have cloves on hand? No problem. This pumpkin pie spice mix can be made in SO many different ways. Feel free to reduce the amount of any spice that you don't like the taste of.
- Store in small jars with labels. This recipe makes a total of 5 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, which fits perfectly into a small glass jar.
FAQ
Some people tend to think that allspice is a blend of multiple spices.
But allspice is not a blend of other spices, it's a spice of its own. Actually, it's a berry that gets dried and either sold whole or grounded.
No, pumpkin spice is a mix of different spices and doesn't actually have pumpkin in it. It's usually used to flavor pumpkin recipes, hence the name "pumpkin pie spice" - a spice used for pumpkin pie.
However, it can be used for many different things like curries, soups, and oatmeal, and it's even good added to coffee.
Check the expiration dates on each spice package to determine roughly how long your blend will last.
In general, this pumpkin pie spice recipe will last for 1-2 years. The spices start to lose potency after 12 months, so it's best to use them in the first few months after mixing.
You can do that either in an electric grinder like a coffee or spice grinder or using a small food processor. You can also manually grind them in a heavy morter, but that is more time-consuming and requires more effort.
First, you'll need to toast them in a dry pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until they're fragrant and you can smell them. Make sure to stir often to prevent burning.
Then, let them cool completely on a plate.
Grind them using your preferred method and store them in a sealed container for a few months. (If you're using a morter, fill it only ⅓ of the way).
For maximum freshness, grind a small amount just before using it in a recipe.
This homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe is the perfect substitute for store-bought pumpkin pie spice. It has all the flavors you love and is perfect for any pumpkin dessert or savory dish.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Uses
This blend can go on almost anything that you'd usually put cinnamon in. From coffee to cookies, to oatmeal, the options are endless!
Here are some of my favorite ways to use pumpkin pie spice:
- In pumpkin pie without canned milk, sweet potato pie, or pumpkin cake
- Added to the batter for pumpkin pancakes or banana oatmeal pancakes
- In baked oatmeal without eggs, stovetop pumpkin oatmeal, or these overnight oats (without yogurt)
- In pumpkin bread, vegan banana bread, or carrot cake cupcakes
- A dash in this carrot cake frosting (without cream cheese) for some ✨cozy vibes✨
- In sweet potato soup or this eggplant curry to add warmth and flavor
- In homemade granola to take it to the next level
- In smoothies, like in my carrot cake smoothie
- Sprinkle in over hot chocolate without milk or chocolate bubble tea
- and MORE!
How Much To Use In A Recipe?
If a recipe calls for pumpkin pie spice, use this blend with a 1:1 substitution ratio.
If you want to use pumpkin pie spice in a recipe that calls for individual spices, sum up the amount of the spices and replace the total number with pumpkin spice.
For other recipes, the amount you need will depend on each individual recipe. You can start with ½ tsp, and work your way up until you find the right balance. Add less for a milder flavor, and more for a stronger flavor.
In general, most pumpkin pie recipes will call for 1 ½ - 2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, whereas for a homemade pumpkin spice latte, you may need as little as ¼ tsp.
Storage
Store pumpkin pie spice in an airtight container or a small glass jar at room temperature. Keep it in a dark and dry place away from sunlight and heat. Label the container with the date so you keep track of its freshness.
To preserve the aroma, don't store it near other spices with strong odors like cumin.
For maximum freshness, make small batches to ensure that they'll be used in time.
Delicious Pumpkin Recipes To Try
📖 Recipe
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
Equipment
- Small glass jar for storing
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons (21g) ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons (5g) ground ginger
- 1 ¼ teaspooons (3g) ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon (2g) ground allspice
- Small pinch ground black pepper less than ⅛ tsp
Instructions
- To a small bowl, add all of your ground spices.3 Tablespoons (21g) ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons (5g) ground ginger, 1 ¼ teaspooons (3g) ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cloves, 1 teaspoon (2g) ground allspice, Small pinch ground black pepper
- Using a whisk or a spoon, mix until everything is well blended and there are no lumps.
- Either use it in a recipe that calls for pumpkin pie spice, or store it in an airtight container for later use.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
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