Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice is easy and inexpensive to make. This recipe is the perfect blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice for all your pumpkin desserts!
What is pumpkin pie seasoning made of?
Sometimes I wonder why I have spent so much money buying the tiny little containers of pre-made pumpkin pie spice when I usually have all the ingredients on hand to make my own.
If you’ve got a drawer or cupboard full of spices like I do, chances are you have everything you need to make your own pumpkin pie spice mix at home.
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Pumpkin Pie Spice is a combination of warm spices, namely cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.
The best part about skipping the store-bought jar is that the amounts can be tweaked to the combination of your choice.
Save yourselves some money, and possibly even a trip to the store if you have everything at home, and make your own DIY pumpkin pie spice.
McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice
The small McCormick jar from the store has about 3 Tablespoons in it. I almost always use 2 Tablespoons in my favorite pumpkin recipes. So I am spending like $4-$6(+) or so each time I use that spice, when it’s mostly just cinnamon, which is pretty cheap.
Well, not anymore! I am so glad I am over that stupidity and on to making my own blend.
The only difference between McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice and mine, is that I add cloves. If you don’t like cloves, then leave it out, but it really adds a pop of flavor. It’s a part of the spices that you love and expect from fall and holiday baking, but I understand that everyone has different tastes.
Generally, you can increase the cloves and ginger for a sharper, more robust flavor, or go light on those spices and increase the cinnamon, for a softer hint of spice.
What can be used instead of pumpkin pie spice?
If you’ve found yourself in the middle of fall baking and you’ve run out of pumpkin pie spice, substitute it with this homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe:
- 3 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
How to make Pumpkin Pie Spice
Making pumpkin pie spice is as easy as stirring, shaking, or blending the spices together. You can either:
- Measure cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice into a bowl and stir it all together with a whisk.
- Throw all the ingredients in a jar and give it a good shake.
- Pulse all the spices together in the food processor to freshen them up. (This is great trick if your spices have been sitting in the cupboard for a while. It helps wake them up a bit. )
Store homemade pumpkin pie spice in a small jar or airtight container.
How long will pumpkin pie spice last?
Most spices last 2-3 years if stored in a cool, dark cupboard, away from direct heat or sunlight. Keep spices tightly closed when not in use.
Depending on how old your spices are when you make this pumpkin pie spice will determine how long it will last.
How do you know if spices are still good? Generally spices don’t “go bad” if stored properly, but they do lose their scent and flavor over time. Crush or rub a small amount in the palm of your hand. If the scent of your spices are weak and the flavor is lackluster, it’s probably a good time to replace them.
Pumpkin Spice Desserts
Now that you know how to make your own spice mix, it’s time to make all the pumpkin desserts. Here are some of our favorites:
- Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling
- Pumpkin Spice Crinkle Cookies
- Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread
- Pumpkin Roll no towel
- Dairy Free Pumpkin Mousse
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground allspice
Equipment
Instructions
Use ONE of these three methods to make pumpkin pie spice:
- Measure cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice into a bowl and stir it all together with a whisk.
- Throw all the ingredients in a jar and give it a good shake.
- Pulse all the spices together in the food processor to freshen them up.
- Store homemade pumpkin pie spice in a small jar or airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Notes
- Using a food processor is great trick if your spices have been sitting in the cupboard for a while. It helps wake them up a bit.
Nutrition
Did you make this?
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*Originally published 10/4/12. Photos updated October 2021.
The pumpkin spice yields 5 servings does that mean it is one tablespoon per pie mix?
I typically usually use 1 Tablespoon (or 3 teaspoons) of pumpkin pie spice for any pumpkin recipe that I’m making. But you can adjust the amount you use to your personal tastes. I would start with 2 teaspoons and go from there.
Oh my! I am in heaven with this! Thank you. I was paying the price for the little dinky containers and saying the same as you.
You’ll have to tell me what you think of my mix 🙂
giggle, I had to improvise when I was making grain free pumpkin pancakes a few weeks back … would have SWORN I had a small container … now that I see yours, I need to go look again (and the allspice, now I need to see if I have THAT as I just skipped over then and again when I made chili with chocolate the other night!) G
I so need to do this, thanks!