This Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice mix is quick to make, fills the kitchen with a warm, cozy aroma, and will save time during fall baking. Instead of measuring individual spices every time, use this blend to boost your desserts, breakfasts, and beverages. Homemade pumpkin spice is economical compared with many store brands, and it makes a thoughtful gift. It’s versatile beyond pumpkin pie — try it in cookies, breads, muffins, and coffee recipes.
What is Pumpkin Pie Spice?
Pumpkin pie spice contains no pumpkin. It’s a blend of warm, fragrant spices commonly used in pumpkin pie and many other autumn recipes. With cinnamon as the dominant note, it complements cakes, cookies, muffins, oatmeal, and a variety of sweet and savory dishes.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Cinnamon – use ground cinnamon or grind cinnamon sticks.
- Ginger – choose a high-quality ground ginger for the best flavor.
- Nutmeg – use pre-ground nutmeg or freshly grate whole nutmeg on a microplane.
- Clove – use ground clove or grind whole cloves for fresher flavor.
- Allspice – use ground allspice or grind allspice berries.
How is Pumpkin Pie Spice Different Than Chai Spice?
Both blends emphasize warm spices and often highlight cinnamon, but chai spice typically includes cardamom and sometimes black pepper, while pumpkin pie spice uses allspice and usually has a higher proportion of nutmeg and cloves. Chai also tends to feature a stronger ginger presence in many blends.
How to Store Pumpkin Pie Spice
Store the blend in a glass jar with a tight rubber seal to preserve freshness. Keep jars in a cool, dry, dark place away from heat sources like the stove. Properly stored, the mix will remain flavorful for up to one to two years.
How to Use Pumpkin Spice
Because cinnamon is the leading flavor, use the blend wherever you’d normally use cinnamon: stirred into oatmeal, sprinkled over whipped cream, added to coffee, or dusted on toast. Mix into softened butter for a spread, or incorporate into custard for French toast to give classic breakfasts an autumnal lift.
This homemade spice works as a 1:1 replacement for store-bought pumpkin pie spice in any recipe. Some recipes call for both cinnamon plus additional pumpkin pie spice to create a more nuanced spice profile; if you prefer a bolder pumpkin-spice forward taste, you can substitute the total spice amount with this blend.
Ideas for using homemade pumpkin pie spice:
- Chewy pumpkin cookies
- Caramel chai pumpkin coffee cake
- Pumpkin cream cheese muffins
- Mini caramel pumpkin cheesecakes
- Cinnamon swirl pumpkin scones
- Pumpkin S’mores bars
- Cinnamon swirl pumpkin bread
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
Christina Marsigliese
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground clove
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
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Combine all spices in a small bowl. Whisk thoroughly to blend evenly, breaking up any clumps—ground ginger can be prone to lumping.
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Transfer the mixture to a well-sealing jar, such as a mason jar, and close the lid tightly.
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Store the jar in a cool, dark, dry place. The blend will keep its best flavor for one to two years.