Pumpkin spice and everything nice. That saying is meaningful to those of us who actually like pumpkin spice. Even if you don’t, you can create a pumpkin spice version using ingredients that you like. You only need cinnamon, assuming you like cinnamon, and at least one of the other ingredients in the recipe. This post shares my preferred version, but I provide suggestions for variations based on what you want to eat.
Pumpkin? Hmm… where’s the Pumpkin?
Unlike the name suggests, there is no pumpkin in pumpkin (pie) spice. It’s called pumpkin (pie) spice because it contains typical spices used in making pumpkin pie. The most basic pumpkin pie spice is just cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Many pumpkin spice recipes include cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice or cloves. While allspice and cloves are not uncommon, fewer recipes include black pepper and even cardamom. Recipes vary in ratios; however, cinnamon is the star of the show and outshines any of the other ingredients.
Pumpkin (Pie) Spice, Gingerbread Spice, and Apple (Pie) Spice… What’s the Difference?
The difference between Pumpkin Pie Spice, Gingerbread Spice, and Apple Pie Spice lies in the concentrated secondary ingredient. All these spices use cinnamon as their primary ingredient; however, the secondary ingredients are different. Pumpkin pie spice has a concentrated secondary ingredient combination of ginger and nutmeg. Gingerbread spice highlights ginger (as the title suggests) as the combined primary or secondary ingredient. While apple pie spice favors nutmeg as its secondary ingredient. That said, they are all interchangeable and can be used in the same amounts of the total spices (or cinnamon) in most any recipe.
Which Spice Should I Use and When?
Obviously, you can select the one for the traditional dish of the spice’s namesake. Meaning, use pumpkin pie spice for pumpkin pies, apple pie spice for apple pies, and gingerbread spice for gingerbread or gingerbread cookies. However, depending on the spice you want for your dish, you might choose the spice that has the preferred secondary flavor. If you’re not a fan of pumpkin pie spice, you might like gingerbread or apple pie spice instead, unless cinnamon is your nemesis, then none of them will work. 😊 You can use any of them in place of cinnamon called for in any dish, particularly cinnamon rolls or cinnamon raisin oatmeal cookies. If that’s the case, then the dishes would be called spiced cinnamon rolls and spiced cinnamon raisin cookies, right😉?
Pumpkin Spice Blend Ingredients
While 2-3 ingredients are all that’s needed for a simple pumpkin spice blend, you can add a variety of other spices to enhance and deepen the flavor. I prefer a variety of spices, but on occasion, I modify the recipe depending on what I have in my pantry. For this recipe, the ingredients include all ground spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and black pepper. Sometimes I add cardamom if I have it. 😉
Why Add Black Pepper to a Sweet Spice Mix?
Black pepper is actually a fruit. The little peppercorns are green berries from a woody vine that originated in India. Once dried, these little green berries become the black peppercorns we have been using to spice our food for over 4,000 years. The other color peppercorns like green and red are the same fruit berries just picked at different stages of ripeness. When added to sweet spices like cinnamon, black pepper’s woody, piney, sharp, fruity, and pungent taste adds depth and balances out the sweetness. It’s not uncommon to see black pepper as an ingredient in fall and winter sweet treats and baked goods containing sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice like in my French Pain d’Épices holiday spice bread.
What About Cardamom?
Cardamom is a Common Addition to Pumpkin Spice
If you have and like cardamom you can also add .5 gram (¼ teaspoon) of ground cardamom to this recipe. Some commercial brands of pumpkin spice contain cardamom, so it’s totally appropriate. I like cardamom in mine, but I left it out of this recipe, because it’s not as common to find cardamom in United States’ pantries as the other spices. However, if you have it and like it, why not add it?
Why Add Cardamom?
Cardamom is often used in Middle Eastern and Arabic cuisine along with Scandinavian baking. It’s part of the ginger family and comes from seeds in pods that are either eaten whole or the seeds are ground into a powder. You often see cardamom listed as an ingredient in Indian recipes like biryanis, masalas, and curries, among many others. In fact, many Indian dishes use some of those pumpkin spices together to create amazing savory meals. Cardamom has earthy, floral, sweet, and spicy notes thus complimenting other sweet (or savory) spices. There are some deeply flavored savory soups, particularly those containing fall squash, rice, and beans, that include a little cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger as the main spice base. I often add these along with cilantro and ground coriander to my fall soups for that warm flavor and full-on-hug feeling 🤗.
3 Types of Cardamom & When They are Used
- Green Cardamom: the green pod cardamom is the most versatile of cardamoms. It is the cardamom used in most store-bought ground cardamom packages or spice containers. It’s milder in flavor than black cardamom since it is picked before fully ripening. It consists of floral, citrus-y, somewhat sweet flavors (reminiscent of ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove combined) great for both savory and sweet dishes. Green cardamom does not come from the same plant as black cardamom. They are related, but they are not the same.
- Black Cardamon: the black pod cardamom is stronger in flavor as it is picked when fully ripened and is significantly larger in size than green cardamom. It does not come from the same plant as green cardamom. It consists of smokey, quite aromatic flavors that are more appropriate for savory dishes like stews and curries.
- White Cardamom: the white pod cardamom is called white because it is bleached from the green pods. It is thus even milder than green cardamom and is best used in baked sweet dishes where you might desire a visually light-in-color dish.
Ceylon Cinnamon Versus Cassia Cinnamon…
Cinnamon is cinnamon, right? There is a difference between ceylon and cassia cinnamon. Both ceylon and cassia cinnamon come from the inner tree bark of the cinnamomum tree. That inner bark is dried until it rolls up into curls. Yes! That’s what you see in a cinnamon stick… dried bark.
Ceylon Cinnamon
Ceylon comes from the cinnamomum verum tree found in the country of Sri Lanka. The name ceylon derived from Sri Lanka’s former name “Ceylon”. Ceylon is known as “true cinnamon” and is the best quality and most expensive of the two types. It has a milder flavor due to it having a lower level of the cinnamaldehyde essential oil (between 50 and 63% of the total oil in cinnamon). It is thought to be a little healthier as it contains almost a negligible amount of coumarin than cassia cinnamon.
Cassia Cinnamon
Cassia is usually what is sold in most grocery stores. If the ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick package, or jar do not specify, the cinnamon is likely cassia cinnamon. Cassia originated in southern China and is grown in southeast Asia. It comes from the cinnamomum cassia tree. Cassia is much cheaper than ceylon and of lower quality. It contains a much larger amount of the essential oil cinnamldehyde (95%) which gives cassia a stronger cinnamon flavor. Coumarin is found in large quantities in cassia cinnamon compared to ceylon cinnamon and can be harmful if consumed in large quantities (1-2 teaspoons of cassia cinnamon). Large amounts of coumarin have been shown to cause organ damage and cancer in animal studies.
Which Cinnamon Should I Use?
Ceylon cinnamon is the preferred cinnamon. However, it is more expensive and difficult to find. As long as you’re not consuming a lot of cinnamon on a daily basis, the cheaper, lower quality cassia is just fine. If you can afford and find ceylon cinnamon, by all means, buy that one.
Make the Pumpkin Spice Blend
Now that we’ve covered specifics of pumpkin spice ingredients, let’s get to the recipe!
“Mise en Place”
It’s best to have a “mis en place”, which is French, meaning to have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go. It makes it easier to keep track of them by not accidentally repeating a spice while mixing.
Add All Ingredients
To a small bowl, measure out and add 24 grams (3 tablespoons) of ground cinnamon, 4 grams (2 teaspoons) of ground ginger, 4 grams (2 teaspoons) of ground nutmeg which is 1 whole nutmeg (grated), 2 grams (1 teaspoon) of ground allspice, 2 grams (1 teaspoon) of ground cloves, and .5 gram (¼ teaspoon) of ground black pepper.
Stir or Whisk to Combine All Ingredients
Use a spoon or small whisk to stir and break up any spices that may be in small masses like ginger. Stir well until combined. This recipe makes a little more than a ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons.
Transfer Pumpkin Spice to Sealed Container
Transfer the spices to a spice jar or container that has a tight-fitting lid. You can use a spoon or small funnel to transfer the spice blend. Your spice blend is ready to be used in whatever capacity you see fit.
Suggestion for Storing Pumpkin (Pie) Spice
You can store pumpkin pie spice blend in a sealed container for up to a year or based on the shortest expiration date of the oldest individual spice. The blended spice mix stays fresh as as long as their individual spices.
Suggested Uses for Pumpkin Pie Spice
Add this pumpkin spice as you would a commercial version in a 1:1 ratio in your favorite recipes that call for pumpkin (pie) spice. Sprinkle it over your breakfast oatmeal, toast, eggnog, coffee, apple cider, mulled wine, or hot chocolate. Add it to spiced nuts or pumpkin seeds. Why not add it to squash soups or roasted fall squash like acorn, butternut, delicata, or pumpkin for example? Add it to your favorite cinnamon oatmeal raisin cookies in place of cinnamon or mix a couple of teaspoons in with your cinnamon for homemade cinnamon rolls. Add a little pumpkin spice to pancakes, waffles, or muffins. Mmm… good 😋!
Simplified Pumpkin Spice Version for Sensitive Palates…
If you have kids (or big kids 😉) with sensitive taste buds, you may only want to include cinnamon, ginger, and/or nutmeg. Really you only need 2-3 ingredients to have a pumpkin pie spice. As long as you have cinnamon, you can add or subtract any of the other spices. You can easily adjust each spice by increasing or decreasing ¼ to ½ teaspoon until you reach your desired flavor. Enjoy playing around to find the exact recipe that fits your needs.
Pumpkin Spice Final Thoughts
Ok, you figured me out. I am a pumpkin spice fan. I add pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, gingerbread spice, or cinnamon to my fall and winter breakfast oatmeal and hot chocolate. For me, I just love the stuff! Truthfully, once you have a pretty good understanding of what pumpkin spice consists of, you can absolutely make a version that you really like. There is not one recipe that works. In fact, you can totally just sprinkle on some cinnamon with a smaller amount of any of the other spices in the recipe and BOOM! without hardly any work, you end up with some kind of pumpkin spice mix. That’s what’s great about making your own spice blend. Give it a try and enjoy the flavors of fall (and winter) all season(s) long 😊!
Check out my YouTube video on making this Pumpkin Spice blend. “Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend: Make Your Own & Adjust to Your Tastes”
Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
Ingredients
- 24 g (3 tbsp) ground cinnamon
- 4 g (2 tsp) ground ginger
- 4 g (2 tsp) ground nutmeg or 1 whole nutmeg, grated
- 2 g (1 tsp) ground allspice
- 2 g (1 tsp) ground cloves
- .5 g (¼ tsp) ground black pepper
- .5 g (¼ tsp) ground cardamom (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir until combined using a small whisk or the back of a spoon to break up any small masses of spices.
- Scoop or use a small funnel to transfer the spices from the small bowl to a spice jar or container that has a tight lid. This recipe makes a little over a ¼ cup (4+ tbsp).
Video
Notes
Store spices in a sealed container for up to a year or based on the shortest expiration date of the oldest individual spice. Consider shaking or stirring the spice prior to using as some contents may settle. Usage Suggestion: Add this pumpkin spice as you would a commercial version in a 1:1 ratio in your favorite recipes that call for pumpkin spice. Sprinkle it over your breakfast oatmeal, toast, eggnog, coffee, apple cider, mulled wine, or hot chocolate. Add it to your favorite oatmeal raisin cookies in place of cinnamon. Add it to spiced nuts or spiced pumpkin seeds. Why not add it to squash soups or roasted fall squash like acorn, butternut, pumpkin, or delicata? Add a little pumpkin spice to pancakes, waffles, muffins, or cinnamon rolls by mixing a couple of teaspoons in with your cinnamon. Try it on ice cream or in cake frostings. Substitutions & Variations: This recipe is based on my preferred spice flavors; however, you can adjust or leave out any spices that you don’t like. In fact, you can add or subtract ¼ to ½ tsp of any one spice to test a variation you may prefer. If you have kids with sensitive taste buds, you may only want to include cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Really you only need 2-3 of the above ingredients to have a pumpkin spice. As long as you have cinnamon, you can add or subtract any of the other spices.
You might be interested in some of these other recipes for homemade spice blends and mixes.
French Herbes de Provence Blend
Ranch Dressing & Seasoning Mix
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.