A pumpkin pie spice mix is a fall baking blend of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. To make it at home stir together 4 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, ½ teaspoon of allspice and ½ teaspoon of cloves. That gives you about 7 teaspoons. It takes two minutes and uses spices you most likely already have in your kitchen.
I promise once you see just how easy it is to make your own mix at home you won’t buy the ready made ones again. This guide is part of our pumpkin season article series. See our Ultimate Fall Pumpkin Recipe Guide and it will get you baking again in minutes. We’ve included all the ratios and easy swaps below for you too.
What Is This Famous Fall Spice Mix?
Here is a fun twist. The blend has no squash in it at all. It’s a mix of warm baking spices that happen to go very well with the orange stuff in your pie.
The brand most American shoppers know is McCormick. The company says its version has been around since 1934. The label lists cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Many home bakers add cloves too. So there is no single “official” recipe. That’s good news because you get to tweak yours.
Pumpkin pie spice mix also had a big moment in coffee. Starbucks tested its fall latte in 100 stores in Vancouver and Washington D.C. back in 2003. Here is the funny part. The first version of that drink had no real squash in it until 2015. The spices did all the work for 12 years.
The Classic Ratio
This is our base recipe. It makes about 2⅓ tablespoons. That’s enough for 4 to 7 pies.
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Add everything to a small bowl and stir well. Pour it into a clean jar with a tight lid. That’s it.
The easy way to remember it is 8-2-2-1-1. Cinnamon is the star so it gets the biggest share. Ginger and nutmeg are the supporting cast. Allspice and cloves are the loud ones so they only get a pinch.
Need a Smaller Batch?
Baking just one pie? Make a quarter batch.
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
Make it your own. Once you try the classic pumpkin pie spice mix you can bend it to fit your family.
Want more kick? Add a little more ginger.
Want it sweet and cozy? Use a touch more cinnamon and less cloves.
Want a grown up twist? Add a tiny pinch of black pepper. It sounds odd but it adds a gentle bite.
Want a stronger nutmeg smell? Grate a whole nutmeg with a small grater. McCormick also suggests whole nutmeg over ground because whole spices keep their flavour longer.
A quick word about cloves. They are bold. Use too much and your dessert tastes bitter and a bit like medicine. When in doubt go light.
A Quick Note on Cinnamon Types
Not all cinnamon is the same. We learnt this when we travelled deeper into Asia during for vacation and visited some farms where they grew various foods. Most jars in US and UK stores hold what’s called cassia cinnamon. It has more of a natural compound called coumarin than Ceylon cinnamon (often called “true cinnamon”).
Is that a problem for your pie? Almost never. Germany’s food safety agency (the BfR) sets a safe daily limit of 0.1 mg of coumarin per kilogram of body weight. The agency says a 60 kg adult reaches that limit with about 2 grams of cassia a day. It also says going slightly over for a week or two isn’t seen as a health risk.
Here is our math. A pie made with 1½ teaspoons of this blend holds roughly 2 grams of cinnamon. Cut it into 8 slices and each slice has about a quarter of a gram. So a slice of pie is fine. If you stir the blend into your coffee every single day you might want to pick Ceylon cinnamon instead. Even if it costs me a little more to buy, I personally feel it’s worth the extra money for my long term health.
No Spices on Hand? Try These Swaps
Running to the shop in the rain is nobody’s idea of fun. Try one of these first. From our own experience these are the easiest substitutes that we found worked well. Each swap replaces 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie blend.
If you have cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves: Mix ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg and ⅛ teaspoon cloves.
If you have cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice: Mix ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon allspice.
If you have apple pie spice: Use 1 teaspoon. It’s a straight swap.
If you have mixed spice (UK): Use 1 teaspoon. This is also a straight swap.
If you only have cinnamon: Use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. The taste will be simpler but still cozy.
If you live in the UK you may know mixed spice from hot cross buns and Christmas puddings. It’s a close cousin of the American fall blend. It tastes a little different but it works well in a pinch. In the United States apple pie spice is the easiest stand in because it uses a very similar set of spices.
A Kitchen Nightmare That Happened To Us
In our home kitchen we’ve had last minute hiccups more than once lol. It was the night before a family dinner. The filling was ready too. Then we spotted the empty jar, ouch! Now we always keep a small tub of the homemade pumpkin pie spice mix in the cupboard so it never happens again. Just saves you having to run out to the store last minute especially if you have a busy night.
When we first built this recipe we mixed 3 small test batches and baked them side by side. We weighed each spoonful to keep things fair. The version that was lighter on cloves won every time. That’s why the classic ratio above keeps cloves at the low end.
How to Store Your Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix
Ground spices fade slowly. The safe part is that stale mixes won’t make you sick it’s just that they taste flat.
According to McCormick’s own guide ground spices last about 2 to 4 years while blends last about 1 to 2 years. A homemade mixture sits in the blend group so we plan on the shorter side.
1) Keep it in a glass jar with a tight lid.
2) Store it in a cool and dark cupboard. Skip the shelf above the stove. McCormick says heat, moisture and sunlight are the main enemies of flavour.
3) Write the date on the lid.
4) Aim to use it within 6 months for the best taste. That’s our own rule of thumb and not a lab number.
Here is a simple test that we’ve used in our experience that works. Rub a pinch between your fingers and take a sniff. Strong and sweet means you’re good. Faint and dull means it’s time to mix a new batch.
How Much Should You Use?
A good rule is 1 to 2 teaspoons for a standard 9 inch pie. For muffins or a loaf cake start with 1 teaspoon. For lattes and hot chocolate we’ve found in our home tests a small pinch goes a long way. Taste first and then add more if you want.
Don’t stop at dessert though. This warm spice mix is also lovely on roasted carrots and sweet potatoes. It works well in oatmeal and pancake batter too for warming up those winter morning breakfasts.
Why Everyone Is Obsessed With This Flavour
You’re not imagining the hype. Data from Nielsen shows that American shoppers spent about $511.5 million on fall flavoured grocery items in the year ending August 2019. That’s up 4.7% from the year before.
Starbucks says it’s sold more than 500 million of its fall lattes in the seasons since 2003. Food scientist Kantha Shelke told Fortune that the appeal is simple. The flavour triggers nostalgic feelings.
That makes sense to us. You take one whiff of cinnamon and nutmeg and you feel back in Grandma’s kitchen.
Put Your Fresh Blend to Work
Your jar is full. Now for the fun part. Here are 2 of our favourite ways to use it.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Drink: Skip the long coffee shop line. Stir a pinch of your homemade mix into steamed milk and coffee for a warm cup that tastes just like the real deal.
Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Buns: Soft and sticky buns packed with warm spice. Your kitchen will smell amazing.
Quick Recap
Use the 8-2-2-1-1 ratio of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.
Store the jar away from heat and light and use it within about six months.
Swap in apple pie spice or mixed spice if you run out.
Go easy on the cloves.
Pick Ceylon cinnamon if you use the mix every day.
Now grab a jar and start stirring. Once you’ve made your own pumpkin pie spice blend you may never buy the store version again. For more cozy ideas head back to our Ultimate Fall Pumpkin Season Guide.