Five minutes, six spices, and a blend that actually tastes like fall.
Last Thanksgiving I was in charge of the pumpkin pie. My brother was in charge of the pumpkin cake. We are both warm-spice people, or so I thought. I added more cloves than the recipe called for, which is what I always do, because I want to actually taste the spice. My brother, it turned out, went lighter. Conservative, you might say. Restrained, he would say.
His cake was lovely. My pie was, by family consensus, a lot. Together we decided that had we met in the middle, we would have had the perfect pumpkin spice blend. We have been talking about collaborating on a recipe ever since. But the conversation stuck with me.
That is the thing about pumpkin pie spice. Most store-bought versions taste like a polite suggestion of fall. A hint. An essence. If that is what you love, that is completely fine. But I want the warm, layered flavor. The cinnamon, the ginger, the cloves, the nutmeg, the allspice, the whole melange of warm spices that makes the kitchen smell like pumpkin season actually arrived. I want a little warmth and a little heat and the kind of depth that makes people ask what is in this.
Making your own homemade pumpkin pie spice blend takes about five minutes and six ingredients from your spice cabinet. You control the ratios. You can meet in the middle, like my brother and I should have done, or you can go exactly where your tastebuds lead. Both are correct.
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Why Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
The jar at the grocery store has been sitting under fluorescent lights since last fall season. Ground spices lose their essential oils over time, which means they lose their flavor. A jar of pumpkin pie spice with an expiration date two years out is not the same as one you mixed yourself from fresh spices last week. The difference is noticeable, especially in something like a classic pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread where the spice blend is carrying most of the flavor.
Making your own spice blends also means you can adjust the ratios to suit your own taste. The individual spices in any homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe are common spices you almost certainly already have: ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground allspice, and ground mace. If those six are in your spice cabinet, you are five minutes away from a homemade pumpkin pie spice blend that is fresher and more flavorful than any store-bought version. And if your old spice jar has been in the cabinet since last year, this is a good excuse to replace those individual spices with fresh ones before fall baking begins.
What Each Spice Does
Ground cinnamon is the backbone of this blend of spices. It provides the dominant warmth and sweetness that people associate with fall baking. Most of the cinnamon at the grocery store is cassia cinnamon, which has a bold, spicy-sweet flavor. Ceylon cinnamon is softer and more nuanced if you can find it, though cassia is what most people expect when they think pumpkin spice recipes.
Ground ginger adds brightness and a gentle heat that keeps the blend from tasting flat or one-dimensional. It cuts through the heavier, sweeter notes and gives the blend of cinnamon and warm spices some lift. If your ground ginger smells like nothing when you open the jar, replace it before you mix your own blend. Old ginger is the fastest way to a bland result.
Ground nutmeg brings a creamy, slightly sweet undertone that rounds out the sharper spices. A little goes a long way. Freshly grated nutmeg from whole nutmeg is extraordinary here if you have a microplane, but ground nutmeg works well as long as it is relatively fresh.
Ground mace is the lacy red outer layer of the nutmeg seed, which is exactly as beautiful as it sounds. It tastes like a more delicate, slightly floral version of nutmeg, and it is the ingredient that makes people lean in and say they cannot quite identify what they are tasting. Mace and nutmeg come from the same plant and are natural partners in this blend. If you cannot find ground mace at your grocery store, a spice shop will have it, and it is worth seeking out. It adds a dimension to this homemade pumpkin pie spice mixture that nothing else quite replicates.
Ground cloves are the most assertive spice in this blend. They give it that signature warmth and depth, the particular spice that signals fall. They can overwhelm the other flavors if you use too much, which is why the standard ratio keeps them conservative. That said, I always add a little more to my own pumpkin pie spice. I know it is not to everyone’s liking. The recipe below is a balanced starting point. You will know your preference.
Ground allspice is the quiet supporting player that adds complexity without calling attention to itself. It tastes like a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves all in one, which is why it works so well in a pumpkin spice mix. If you do not have it, the blend still works, but it loses a little of its depth and dimension. I like allspice very much and I do not skip it.
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
Measure your individual spices into a small bowl. Whisk them together with a small whisk or a fork until fully combined with no streaks of one spice dominating. Transfer the finished homemade pumpkin pie spice blend to a small mason jar or any small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Label it with the date so you know when you made it. That is the whole recipe.
Store the jar in a cool, dry place away from the stove. Heat degrades ground spices faster than anything else, which is why the spice cabinet above the range is the worst possible location, convenient as it is. A dark place in a lower cabinet, away from any heat source, is ideal. At room temperature in a dry place, your homemade pumpkin pie spice mixture will stay potent for about three months. After that it does not go bad, it just fades. If you open the jar and the aroma does not hit you immediately, make a fresh batch.
How to Use Pumpkin Pie Spice
The most obvious use is pumpkin desserts: classic pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bars, and pumpkin roll. Any recipe that calls for a jar of pumpkin pie spice from the grocery store can use this blend in an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice. Use it the same way you would use the store-bought version, just expect more flavor.
Beyond the obvious pumpkin spice recipes, this blend is good in morning oatmeal and overnight oats, stirred in with a little brown sugar and butter. It is good in hot drinks: a half teaspoon stirred into your coffee or whisked into warm milk. It is wonderful on sweet potatoes, roasted with butter and a little maple syrup. And it makes quick breads of all kinds, from pumpkin to apple to squash, smell like the best possible version of fall baking.
This blend also works well anywhere apple pie spice is called for. The two blends overlap significantly, and your own homemade pumpkin pie spice blend is a perfectly good substitute in apple recipes during the holiday season.
A Note on Ratios
The recipe below reflects balanced ratios for a homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe: heavy on cinnamon, moderate on ginger and nutmeg, light on cloves and allspice. This is the middle-of-the-road version. The one my brother and I should have made together.
If you want your own blend to lean warmer and spicier, increase the cloves by a quarter teaspoon at a time and taste as you go. If you want something sweeter and more cinnamon-forward, add an extra half teaspoon of ground cinnamon. If you want a chai-inspired twist, add a quarter teaspoon of ground cardamom. The beauty of making your own spice blends is that you are never locked into someone else’s idea of what fall should taste like. This recipe is a great way to start. Where you take it from there is yours entirely.
If you make this spice blend, I would love to know what you use it in first and whether you went conservative or went the way I always go, which is a little more clove than anyone asked for. Leave a comment below or find me on Instagram and Pinterest, where I am posting pumpkin recipes all through fall season and into the holiday season.
And if Thanksgiving comes and you are in charge of the pie, taste the filling before it goes in the shell. That is my only advice. Trust your instincts and meet no one in the middle unless you have to.
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Print
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
A warm, layered blend of six spices that puts every store-bought jar to shame. Make it once and you will never go back.
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 5 Tablespoons 1x
Ingredients
Instructions
Measure all spices into a small bowl.
Whisk together with a small whisk or fork until fully combined and no streaks of individual spices remain.
Transfer to a small mason jar or airtight container. Label with the date.
Store in a cool, dry, dark place away from the stove for up to 3 months.
Notes
What is mace? Mace is the lacy red outer layer of the nutmeg seed. It tastes like a more delicate, floral version of nutmeg and adds dimension to this blend that is hard to replicate with anything else. Find it at a spice shop if your grocery store does not carry it.
Ratios: This is a balanced, middle-of-the-road blend. For a warmer, more intensely spiced version, increase cloves by 1/4 teaspoon at a time. For a sweeter, more cinnamon-forward blend, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Freshness matters: If any of your individual spices smell faint or flat when you open the jar, replace them before mixing. Old spices are the main reason homemade blends disappoint.
Substitution: Use this blend anywhere a recipe calls for store-bought pumpkin pie spice in an equal amount. It also works well in place of apple pie spice.
No mace? Substitute an additional 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. The blend will still be very good.
Storage: Keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months. If the aroma fades, make a fresh batch.
YIELD: 5 Tablespoons. Serving size: 1 teaspoon. Recipe makes approximately 15 teaspoons.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Spice Blend
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
