If you’re like most people, you probably use pumpkin pie spice to flavor all kinds of food, from your morning coffee, to any number of fall desserts. But what happens when you run out of the pre-made blend and there’s no time to buy more? That’s when it’s time to learn how to make pumpkin pie spice right at home instead.
We’re here to show you just how easy it is to make your own homemade spice blend, how to adjust it up or down based on what you need, and how to keep it fresh so you can use it all season long.
Why You Should Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
While this recipe is great in a pinch, there are a few reasons you might want to make your own pumpkin pie spice from now on instead of buying it at the store:
- You can save money by buying spices in bulk and blending them yourself.
- Once you know how to scale the recipe, you can make the quantity you need, so you don’t have to worry about storing extra spice if you’re tight on space.
- You can customize the flavor to your liking by adding more or less of certain spices.
- If you have any allergies, you can make sure your pumpkin pie spice is allergen-free.
What You’ll Need:
Ingredients:
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Ginger
- Ground Nutmeg
- Ground Teaspoons Allspice
Supplies:
- Small to medium mixing bowl (at least 2 cups in size)
- Whisk or spoon
- Sealed storage container (we like these canning jars)
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice:
It’s super simple! Just place all the ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix well to combine.
And, you’re done!
Essential Tips:
Don’t skip these tips – read them before mixing to avoid any potential mistakes.
- Make sure you use a bowl large enough to mix everything together, as the spices can spill or make a mess if the bowl is too small.
- I recommend you use a whisk to blend everything together evenly, but you can also use a spoon or fork.
- Better quality spices will result in a more flavorful spice mixture. Old or cheap spices are often bland, and using them can result in a lackluster or flavorless blend.
Adapting the Spice Blend
If you were to look at different brands of pumpkin pie spice, you would see that there are a variety of blends out there. So go ahead and tweak this base recipe to suit your preferences. For example:
- If you love the warm flavor of cloves in your fall dishes (as I do) you can add up to 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves to the blend. Just don’t go overboard, because some people can’t stand it.
- Up for an adventurous blend? Try adding a touch of ground cardamom to the mixture.
- If the strong proportion of cinnamon isn’t to your liking, reduce the quantity until you find a ratio that you prefer.
FAQs:
How do I scale the recipe up or down?
This recipe makes about 6 Tablespoons (17 teaspoons) of pumpkin pie spice. To scale the recipe up or down, you can use these basic proportions:
- 7 parts cinnamon
- 1 2/3 parts Ginger
- 1 2/3 parts Nutmeg
- 1 parts Allspice
Simply keep your parts equal when measuring to maintain consistent flavor. For example, 1 part can equal 1 teaspoon for smaller quantity blends, or 1 part can equal 1 tablespoon for large quantities of pumpkin pie spice.
(If you really want to get into using your middle school math skills, you can use smaller parts, such as 1/4 teaspoon, but it does get a little hairy when you try to measure out things like 2/3 of 1/4 of a teaspoon.)
What is the difference between pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice?
While pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice share some common ingredients, they have different proportions of those ingredients, resulting in very different flavor profiles.
Pumpkin pie spice is usually a bolder blend, including ginger, and sometimes cloves, which pairs well with the more robust flavor of pumpkin.
Apple pie spice is generally sweeter and milder, without ginger or cloves, which adds flavor to apple based dishes without overpowering the mild flavor of apples.
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Isn’t Allspice a blend of the other spices you list in the recipe?
In some parts of the world, the term “allspice” often refers to a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. However, in this case allspice refers to a specific type of dried berry that is harvested from trees in Jamaica.
If you can’t find ground allspice at your local grocer, you can try using one of these substitutes for a similar flavor. However, the flavor will be slightly different than intended.
Storage Tips
Store your pumpkin pie spice in sealed container, in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months.
We like to use glass mason jars, but as long as the container is airtight it should be fine.
Where to Use Pumpkin Pie Spice
This spice blend is actually a really versatile spice that can be used in all sorts of sweet and savory dishes. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Pumpkin pie, of course
- No bake pumpkin cheesecake
- Sprinkle some on your morning oatmeal
- Add it to coffee grounds for a hint of flavor
- Add it to pancakes or waffle batter for a delicious fall twist.
If you liked my homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe, you’re going to love my easy recipe for crock pot apple butter. Or you can check out the best list of pumpkin recipes right here.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe
Learn how to make pumpkin pie spice with just a few ingredients you already have in your pantry. It's the perfect spice blend for all your favorite pumpkin recipes this fall.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
- 2 ½ Teaspoons Ground Ginger
- 2 ½ Teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Ground Allspice
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix well to combine.
Notes
Remember, the FAQ in the recipe post are there to help you if you feel stuck at any point.
- Make sure you use a bowl large enough to mix everything together, as the spices can spill or make a mess if the bowl is too small.
- I recommend you use a whisk to blend everything together evenly, but you can also use a spoon or fork.
- Better quality spices will result in a more flavorful spice mixture. Old or cheap spices are often bland, and using them can result in a lackluster or flavorless blend.
Kenie says
Great article! Thanks for sharing 🙂