Learn how to make pumpkin pie spice to use in everything from pumpkin pie recipes to pumpkin spice lattes, your favorite fall baking, and more. All you need is a few spices and 5 minutes!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This pumpkin spice recipe is everything we love about fall. Add this homemade spice blend to beverages, desserts, baked goods, snacks and more.
How long it takes: 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: measuring spoon, small jar
Servings: makes about 1/4 cup
Cozy Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
Rows of gleaming orange pumpkins, crisp autumn afternoons, brilliantly colorful leaves, and an azure blue sky. Don’t you just love this season?
And of course, there’s the food: mulled cider, cinnamon sugar-dusted apple cider doughnuts, and pumpkin everything. That’s where this homemade pumpkin pie spice blend enters the picture. With warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and more, you’ll find yourself adding this spice blend to beverages, baked goods, breakfast foods, and more. It just tastes like fall!
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Spice Recipe
- Better quality spice. Making your own seasoning mixes is budget-friendly and tastes way better than store-bought. This homemade pumpkin pie spice is easy to customize to your tastes, and it’s free of any additives or preservatives.
- Easy ingredients. Will you need to buy a bunch of spices to make your own pumpkin spice? Nope! Chances are, you already have what you need in your pantry. 5 simple spices and 5 minutes is all it takes.
- Perfect for fall. When the days turn cool and crisp, use pumpkin pie spice in all your favorite fall recipes. This homemade spice features in everything from my healthy pumpkin bread to pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, homemade pumpkin pie, and more. Keep reading for easy ways to use pumpkin spice!
What Is Pumpkin Pie Spice Made Of?
I’ve included some quick notes on the short list of spices you’ll need to make your own pumpkin spice. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below the post with the full ingredient amounts and recipe details.
- Cinnamon: Sweet and warm, ground cinnamon is the foundation of the blend.
- Nutmeg: Store-bought ground nutmeg works fine. But, I promise, once you try freshly grated nutmeg, you’ll never go back! The flavor of pre-ground just can’t compare. Buy whole nutmegs (they look like a hard, round nut in the dry goods section) and use a fine zester or grater to scrape off the amount you need.
- Ginger: Another warming spice, ground ginger packs a zesty punch reminiscent of gingersnaps.
- Allspice: Despite the name, allspice is just one spice. It’s a dried berry, also called Jamaica pepper, found with the other spices in the spice aisle.
- Cloves: You may be more used to whole cloves, but you’ll need ground cloves for this pumpkin spice blend. This dark brown spice has a powerful flavor, so use it sparingly. Take a sniff and if you’re not sure about it, start with a half teaspoon and add more to taste.
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice
Making pumpkin pie spice is almost embarrassingly easy. Use a measuring spoon to measure out each ground spice into a jar or container, put the lid on, and shake it. You can also stir the spices together in a bowl before transferring the mixed spice to a storage container.
Tips and Variation Ideas
This simple pumpkin spice recipe is so straightforward, it’s destined to become a pantry staple. Here are some final tips for making your own spice blend:
- Use fresh spices. There’s no need to buy a bunch of brand-new spices for this recipe, just as long as yours haven’t been sitting in the cupboard for 10 years. If they have, my advice to you is to start fresh. You won’t be sorry!
- Store your pumpkin spice airtight. I like to recycle old spice jars to put my homemade spices in. I write up a quick label, draw a pumpkin on it because I’m a dork (and a terrible artist), and date it before stashing it in the pantry. See below for detailed storage instructions.
- Double or triple the recipe to make more pumpkin pie spice mix. Just keep the ratio the same.
- If you’re not fond of a particular ingredient, simply omit it. You can also substitute extra cinnamon, or another warm sweet spice, such as cardamom.
No. Allspice is its own spice, and not a combination of “all spices” (not to be confused with mixed spice, see below). Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of spices that sometimes includes allspice.
Yes, because they’re the same thing! Mixed spice is another name for pumpkin pie spice and they’re interchangeable in recipes.
In a pinch, cinnamon is a good substitute for pumpkin pie spice. Another option is apple pie spice, which contains similar spices. Compare the ingredients in the recipe to what you have on hand.
Ways To Use Pumpkin Pie Spice
I’m sure you’ll find loads of ways to use pumpkin pie spice in all your favorite recipes! Here are a few of my own ideas to get you started. Pumpkin spice adds the perfect taste of fall to anything you make.
- Pumpkin Pie. Of course! Your homemade pumpkin pies just got a whole lot more homemade, right down to the pumpkin spice throughout.
- Fall baking. There are so many fall desserts and baked goods that call for pumpkin spice! Try pumpkin poke cake or these healthy pumpkin bran muffins.
- Snacking. Pumpkin spice candied walnuts are the perfect cozy snack with your pumpkin spice latte! Or, make this easy pumpkin dip.
- Breakfast. Add a dash of this spice blend to your bowl of oatmeal. A teaspoon or so mixed in with your pancake or waffle mix will taste like fall.
- Hot drinks. Skip the lineup at the local coffee house and make your own homemade pumpkin spice lattes, hot apple cider, and more.
- Ice cream. Mix pumpkin pie spice into vanilla ice cream or use it to flavor homemade whipped cream.
- Savory. Add a sprinkle of warm spice to roasted sweet potatoes and other winter vegetables, like butternut squash.
It’s important to store spices and dried herbs airtight in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight, like inside a pantry or cupboard. Also, make sure to keep spices away from heat, like the stove.
This pumpkin pie spice will keep fresh for two to three years, if stored properly.
More Seasoning Mixes
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (see note)
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Mix together all ingredients in a small jar or airtight container. Makes a little less than a quarter cup.
Notes
- A note about nutmeg: use store-bought ground nutmeg if you need to but I promise once you try freshly grated, you’re never going back!
- Store at room temperature in pantry or cupboard. Keeps for two to three years if stored properly.
- Can be used for pumpkin pie, of course, but check out the post above for lots more ideas and recipes.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love making my own spice mixtures as well! However, I’ve never made pumpkin spice. This sounds like a keeper! Beautiful pics!
Thanks MJ!
Well this is definitely a handy recipe to keep on hand. Thanks for sharing it and saving all of us a few bucks at the grocery store.
Absolutely! You could also scale back the recipe if you don’t want quite as much.
This is wonderful. I haven’t been able to find pumpkin pie mix in Australia so this will be great. Now to make my own pumpkin puree…
I could be wrong, but if you can find pumpkins, I think you can probably just peel, seed, boil/steam and puree?
Of course I saw this recipe AFTER buying an albeit small jar of pumpkin pie spice! I’ll use it up & keep your recipe on my file cuz I’m all about saving money. Also I can’t believe ppl asked to see your trash can!
Hehe, it was a joke. No one really wanted to see my trash can :)
Can I just say I randomly found your blog and I loove that you made your own pumpkin pie spice? And you made the spices look like little pieces of art. Fantastic! I’m definitely a follower ;)
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Glad to be following you as well on Twitter :)
Ooooh love this idea of making your own pumpkin pie spice! I found you over at Taste and Tell!
Thank you! It is so tasty.
Love the picture of the spices!
And saw you on Deborah’s site today :)
Thanks Averie! I still can’t believe she wanted to feature me! So fun!
Being that I practically DRINK pumpkin pie spice ,I love this recipe!! I find myself using it in almost every single recipe I have!
It is good stuff, isn’t it? Now that I have this homemade mix, I want to use it even more often.
What a great idea!! And I love your cute little label!!!
Oh boy. I’m such a bad “artist.” Thanks though!
This is so much better than the store-bought version, particularly with that freshly ground nutmeg. You’re so right about never going back to the pre-ground version once you’ve ground your own nutmeg.
Yup, there is no comparison. Fresh ground is SO much better.