Pumpkin Pie Spice
Get ready for fall baking season by making your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. It takes just minutes to make with common pantry spices, so you can always keep a batch on hand for any time the pumpkin craving strikes. This DIY spice mixture brings the best flavor to your pies, muffins, lattes, and more.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: No-cook
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
Just in time for pumpkin baking season, I’ve got the essential ingredient you need in your pantry! Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of warm spices that is a fall baking staple. Most famously, it’s the spicy, rich, autumn flavors you taste in pumpkin pie! The base of the seasoning blend includes cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. It’s used in more than just pie, too.
And before you run to the store for a fresh bottle, I hope you’ll give this homemade pumpkin pie spice a try! This pumpkin spice mix is a simple blend of cozy pantry spices that’s super versatile. You can use the pumpkin spice mix in pancakes, muffins, smoothies, a classic Pumpkin Roll, and even as a seasoning for savory dishes, like melting sweet potatoes.
Why Make Your Own Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
When I make it myself, I can be sure that my blend uses the freshest spices for the best flavor. But there are so many more benefits to making DIY pumpkin pie spice at home. Let’s discuss.
- Simple and quick. You need only 5 ingredients for this DIY spice blend. The ground spices in this mix are readily found at grocery stores. Dump the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together, and it’s ready in seconds!
- Easily doubled. This homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe makes nearly ½ cup, enough for several pies, loaves, or batches of muffins. It’s budget-friendly, simple to scale, and convenient to have blended and ready in the cupboard so you don’t have to measure out individual spices every time you bake.
- Customizable. While cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger really are essential, if you are out of allspice or cloves, no problem. Want to kick up the heat with extra ginger? Go for it. Or even add more depth with other spices like cardamom or black pepper.
- Can be sure it’s gluten free. While individual spices are nearly always gluten free, sometimes gluten-containing fillers can sneak into blends, especially generic or bargain brands. Mixing them up yourself is the safest option.
- It lasts forever. Well, what feels like forever. Properly stored, your pumpkin pie spice lasts in the pantry for 6 months or longer. Use it throughout pumpkin season and beyond!
Ingredients You’ll Need
You can make classic pumpkin pie spice with 5 common ground spices. For the best flavor in your spice blend, use fresh jars of spices. Scroll to the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Cinnamon. This makes up the bulk of the spice blend, so try to use a good quality one like Ceylon cinnamon
- Nutmeg. This is one spice where I usually keep whole ones on hand versus already ground. Whole nutmeg lasts much longer than already ground, and it’s easy to find and grate yourself.
- Ginger.Our spicy “heat” component.
- Allspice and Cloves. These ingredients can be omitted if you don’t have any on hand or are looking to be a little more budget-friendly.
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice
To make this easy DIY pumpkin pie spice at home, simply combine all of the spices in a bowl or jar and mix. That’s it! Your pumpkin pie spice mixture is ready to use immediately, or you can store it airtight to keep in the pantry for up to 1 year. Scroll for detailed storage tips and ways to use this spice blend in recipes.
Tips & Variations
- Sniff your spices. You can also check the dates, but you’ll want to be sure each of the individual spices is still retaining its aroma, so that you know you are maximizing the flavor in your pumpkin treats.
- Make a double or triple batch. You can divide or multiply these quantities to make as much or as little as you would like to have on hand.
- Skip the allspice and cloves. If you don’t have them or don’t want them, it’s fine to make this pumpkin pie spice recipe without cloves or allspice. What I DON’T recommend is substituting these ingredients instead (i.e., adding more cinnamon). To create the familiar pumpkin pie spice that works so well in so many dishes, don’t deviate from the recipe too much.
- Add extra flavors. That being said, you can make small adjustments. You can increase the ginger just a bit if you like a spicier kick. Or try adding a pinch of cardamom or black pepper for an interesting depth of flavor. Start with just a quarter teaspoon or so, and adjust from there.
- Package for gifting. Small 4 oz. jelly jars filled with homemade pumpkin pie spice make great gifts to package along with other spice blends, homemade vanilla, or even some cans of pumpkin puree and evaporated milk, and maybe even a crust mix, for a little pumpkin pie kit!
People Also Ask
My homemade blend uses five basic pantry spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Cinnamon is the star, with the other flavors providing depth to the warm flavor. There’s no pumpkin in pumpkin spice.
This spice mix is an exact substitute for the kind you buy pre-mixed in a jar at the grocery store. Stir it all together and it’s ready in about five minutes. If you are missing any of the spices, it’s usually fine to leave out one, as long as you’ve got the cinnamon.
For 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, use about 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus a pinch each of ginger, nutmeg, and allspice and a tiny pinch of cloves. However, I recommend making alarger batch so you always have it ready. In a pinch, a full teaspoon of cinnamon on its own will still taste like fall.
Storage Tips
- Pantry storage. Store your pumpkin pie spice mix in an airtight container or a jar with a tight-fitting lid. I like to use a small jelly jar. To maintain freshness, keep it somewhere cool, dry, and away from direct sunlight, like the pantry. Properly stored, this spice blend will stay fresh for 12 months or longer.
- Freeze. Yes, you can freeze homemade pumpkin pie spice. Store it in a freezer bag and squeeze as much air out as possible. Pumpkin pie spice lasts in the freezer for months, even years!
How to Use Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
The beauty of this pumpkin pie spice mixture is that it can be used in sweet or savory dishes, from pumpkin desserts to Melting Sweet Potatoes. Pumpkin pie spice even makes a good substitute for cinnamon in just about any recipe! These are just a few ways to use it:
- Muffins and breads. Use this pumpkin spice for baking breakfast recipes like Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins, or a love loaf of Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread.
- Cakes and cupcakes. Cream cheese frosting-topped Gluten Free Pumpkin Cupcakes are always a favorite, or try a rich and decadent Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Cake.
- Stir it into drinks. Add pumpkin pie spice to your morning coffee or swap the spice mix in this Mexican Hot Chocolate to give it a fall twist. Or, use it to make your own pumpkin spice latte mix! I even add it to my morning smoothie.
- Cookies. Add pumpkin spice to Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies or any of your favorite cookie recipes for a hint of warm spice.
- Pies and cheesecakes. Of course, you can use this in classic or Crustless Pumpkin Pie, but it’s also perfect for Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars.
- Breakfast favorites. I love adding this cozy spice to fall breakfasts, like Pumpkin Pancakes or this Chocolate Pumpkin Oatmeal. It’s a key flavor in my Pumpkin Overnight Oats!
You Might Also Like
- Pumpkin Custards that are basically like individual crustless pumpkin pies.
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Snack Cake is a wonderful way to welcome the kids home from school.
- Pumpkin Hummus puts a sweet twist on a classic dip that’s great for apples and graham crackers.
- Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting gives any baked good some fall flair.
More Homemade Spice Blends
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon ground dry ginger
- 1 Tablespoon ground nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Combine 4 Tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 Tablespoon ground dry ginger, 1 Tablespoon ground nutmeg, 1 Tablespoon allspice, and 1 teaspoon ground cloves in a bowl and mix together evenly. Use immediately or transfer to a bottle or jar for storage.
Notes
- You can divide or multiply these quantities to make as much or as little as you would like to have on hand.
- Storage:
- Pantry storage. Store your pumpkin pie spice mix in an airtight container or a jar with a tight-fitting lid. I like to use a small jelly jar. To maintain freshness, keep it somewhere cool, dry, and away from direct sunlight, like the pantry. Properly stored, this spice blend will stay fresh for 12 months or longer.
- Freeze. Yes, you can freeze homemade pumpkin pie spice. Store it in a freezer bag and squeeze as much air out as possible. Pumpkin pie spice lasts in the freezer for months, even years!
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