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Indulge in the essence of fall baking with this easy Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of flavors, where cinnamon’s warmth, nutmeg’s depth, cloves’ intrigue, and a touch of ginger’s earthiness dance in harmony.
What is pumpkin pie spice made of?
Pumpkin pie spice is typically a blend of warm and aromatic spices that are commonly used in pumpkin-based desserts and baked goods such as Pumpkin Bread. While the exact ratios may vary, a typical pumpkin pie spice blend usually consists of a combination of the following spices:
- Cinnamon: Provides warmth and sweetness.
- Nutmeg: Adds a deep, slightly nutty flavor. If you find you’re out you can also use a Nutmeg Substitute.
- Ginger: Offers a hint of spiciness and earthiness.
- Cloves: Imparts a rich, aromatic, and slightly pungent taste. Out of cloves? You can use a Substitute for Cloves.
- Allspice: Adds a warm and complex flavor. If you don’t have any allspice or can’t find it you can use an Allspice Substitute.
- Secret Ingredient: Black Pepper enhances the overall warmth and depth of flavor by providing a subtle, contrasting spiciness.
These spices work together to create the quintessential fall flavor profile that is associated with pumpkin pies and other seasonal treats. While adding the secret ingredient, black pepper, may sound strange it’s a key one. I learned this tip from Sally’s Baking Recipes and I think it’s brilliant!
Pumpkin Pie Spice Ingredients
If you find you’re missing any of the spices above then you can use this guide to find a Pumpkin Pie Spice Substitute.
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice
While the option to purchase pre-made blends exists in grocery stores, crafting your own batch of pumpkin pie spice at home proves not only remarkably simple but also more economical. It also makes a great gift!
Having some on hand also makes preparing treats like Pumpkin Pie Dump Cake even easier.
Mix the spices together. There’s nothing complicated about this recipe. Just measure out and whisk together the assorted spices, then store the blend in an airtight container.
Storage Information
This homemade pumpkin pie spice mixture will stay at its best when stored in an airtight container until the expiration dates of the individual spices, typically ranging from 1 to 2 years. I like to purchase all my spices at once before making this spice blend to ensure their freshness.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Check your spices. It’s essential to verify the freshness of your ground spices by inspecting their expiration dates and taking a moment to assess their aroma; since spices diminish in potency as time passes, if they no longer contribute to the flavor profile of your dishes, they’re not worth incorporating.
- Substitute pumpkin pie spice. Many pumpkin recipes will use the spices that are in pumpkin spice spice. You can easily swap those spices for your own homemade pumpkin pie spice by totaling the amount needed and using that amount of your spice blend. For example, my Maple Pumpkin Pie uses 1 1/2 teaspoons of spices and you could substitute this pumpkin spice blend instead.
- 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. To make only 1 tablespoon you will need 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves, and allspice.
- 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. If you only need 1 teaspoon of the spice blend you can use 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger, a pinch of cloves, and allspice.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe
Equipment
- Whisk
- Small Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
- 1½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Ground Allspice
- pinch Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Mix the spices together. There's nothing complicated about this recipe. Just measure out and whisk together the assorted spices, then store the blend in an airtight container.
Notes
- Check your spices. It’s essential to verify the freshness of your ground spices by inspecting their expiration dates and taking a moment to assess their aroma; since spices diminish in potency as time passes, if they no longer contribute to the flavor profile of your dishes, they’re not worth incorporating.
- Substitute pumpkin pie spice. Many pumpkin recipes will use the spices that are in pumpkin spice spice. You can easily swap those spices for your own homemade pumpkin pie spice by totaling the amount needed and using that amount of your spice blend. For example, my Maple Pumpkin Pie uses 1 1/2 teaspoons of spices and you could substitute this pumpkin spice blend instead.
- 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. To make only 1 tablespoon you will need 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves, and allspice.
- 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. If you only need 1 teaspoon of the spice blend you can use 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger, a pinch of cloves, and allspice.
