Gingerbread, gingerbread people, or simply gingerbread cookies are all treats made with warm spices mixed with butter, sugar, and flour. I can smell the holidays just thinking about them. Pumpkin pie spice gets all the glory in the United States during the holiday months while apple pie spice follows a long distant second, but what about gingerbread spice? This blog post is giving some love to the lesser known gingerbread spice blend.
A Little About Gingerbread Spice
Germany loves gingerbread spice. In fact, it’s called Lebkuchengewürz in German. However, it’s not as common in the United States. Gingerbread spice is quite different from those other well-known ones. The main ingredients in gingerbread spice are cinnamon and ginger; however, there is so much more spicy depth with the addition of other spices. In this post, I’m sharing a variation of the traditional German version. It is ginger focused with highlights of coriander and cardamom.
Differences Between Gingerbread Spice, Pumpkin Pie Spice, and Apple Pie Spice
The primary difference between Gingerbread Spice, Pumpkin Pie Spice, and Apple Pie Spice lies in the concentrated second 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. Apple pie spice favors nutmeg as its secondary ingredient. While gingerbread spice highlights ginger (as the title suggests) as the combined primary or secondary ingredient. That said, they are all interchangeable and can be used in the same amounts of the total spices (or cinnamon) in most recipes.
Which Spice Should You Use and When?
Obviously, you can select the one for the traditional dish of the spice’s namesake. Meaning, use gingerbread spice for gingerbread or gingerbread cookies, pumpkin pie spice for pumpkin pies, and apple pie spice for apple pies. 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 wouldn’t these sweet treats be called spice cinnamon rolls and spiced cinnamon raisin oatmeal cookies? 😉
Most Basic Gingerbread Spice
The most basic or main spices in gingerbread or gingerbread cookies are cinnamon and ginger. A gingerbread spice might include others like cloves, allspice, anise, coriander, cardamon, or even black pepper.
Gingerbread Spice Blend Ingredients
The ingredients for making this gingerbread spice blend are very simple and are found in most pantries. In a traditional German version, there are additional spices, but some are difficult to find in American pantries. You can adjust the spices to fit what you already have or prefer to eat. For the ingredients in this gingerbread spice blend, you’ll need all ground spices to include cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, coriander, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. If you like to toast and grind your own spices, then go for it.
Make the Spice Blend
Now that we’ve covered some specifics about gingerbread spice, 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.
Add All Ingredients
To a small bowl, measure out and add 16 grams (2 tablespoons) of ground cinnamon, 11 grams (2 tablespoons) of ground ginger, 2 grams (1 teaspoon) of ground cardamom, 2 grams (1 teaspoon) of ground coriander, 2 grams (1 teaspoon) of ground cloves, 2 grams (1 teaspoon) of ground allspice, and 1 gram (½ teaspoon) of ground nutmeg.
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 the ginger. A small sifter or mesh sieve works really well, too. Stir the mixture until combined. This recipe makes a little more than a ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons.
Transfer Mixed Spices 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.
Suggestion for Storing Gingerbread Spice Blend
You can store gingerbread 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 long as their individual spices.
Suggested Uses for Gingerbread Spice
Add this gingerbread spice as you would a commercial version in a 1:1 ratio in your favorite recipes that call for gingerbread spice, pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice. Of course, you can use it in gingerbread and gingerbread cookies. Sprinkle it over your breakfast oatmeal, toast, eggnog, coffee, apple cider, mulled wine, or hot chocolate. Why not make some gingerbread hot cocoa? Add it to your favorite oatmeal raisin cookies in place of cinnamon. Don’t forget about spiced nuts or seeds. Why not add it to squash soups or roasted fall squash like acorn, pumpkin, or delicata? Add a little gingerbread 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.
Simplified Gingerbread Spice Blend Version for Sensitive Palates…
If you have kids (or big kids 😉) with sensitive taste buds, you may only want to include cinnamon and ginger in equal portions. Really you only need 2-3 ingredients to have a gingerbread spice blend. 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 ½ teaspoon until you reach your desired flavor. Enjoy playing around to find the exact recipe that fits your needs.
Gingerbread Spice Blend Final Thoughts
I have been “eating” this gingerbread spice since mid-October. I add it to my morning oats with a little salt, banana, a few blueberries, and homemade almond milk. It’s a simple breakfast, but the spice makes it so much tastier! This gingerbread spice is definitely cinnamon and ginger focused. The secondary spices add depth giving the mix a spicy boost to whatever it touches. Check out my post and recipe of my favorite hot chocolate mix, Gingerbread Hot Cocoa. It uses this gingerbread spice blend as its primary spice. Oh, my!! It’s so good! I get requests for this hot cocoa mix. In fact, I drink this stuff almost every day; it’s my fall and winter go-to favorite afternoon chocolate treat on a cold day. 😉 So, gingerbread spice? Oh, yes, most definitely!
Check out my YouTube video on making this gingerbread spice blend. “Gingerbread Spice Blend: Holiday Warm Spices For Your Favorite Foods and Beverages”
Gingerbread Spice Blend: Warm Spices for Your Favorite Holiday Dishes
Ingredients
- 16 g (2 tbsp) ground cinnamon
- 11 g (2 tbsp) ground ginger
- 2 g (1 tsp) ground cardamom
- 2 g (1 tsp) ground coriander
- 2 g (1 tsp) ground cloves
- 2 g (1 tsp) ground allspice
- 1 g (½ tsp) ground nutmeg
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. You can also use a small sifter or mesh sieve.
- 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
You might be interested in some of these other holiday recipes.
Cinnamon Rolls & Yeast Rolls: One Recipe & One Prep
Chinese Almond Ginger Sugar Cookies
Cinnamon Buttery Apple Biscuits
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