Name: Homemade Pumpkin Spice
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 3
Ingredients: 2 tablespoon (24 g) ground cinnamon; 2 teaspoon (6 g) ground ginger; 2 teaspoon (6 g) ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon (3 g) ground allspice; 1 teaspoon (3 g) ground cloves

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Why limit pumpkin spice to only one season of the year? With this homemade spice recipe, you can enjoy spiced recipes all year round.

This spice mix is easier to make than you think. You just need five spices to bring together this delicious and fragrant mix.

Spoonful of pumpkin spice in front of pumpkin.

Ingredients in Pumpkin Spice

Ground cinnamon: ground cinnamon is the most important ingredient in this spice mix and gives you a wonderful earthy flavour that is reminiscent of the holiday season!
Ground ginger: ginger is a bitey, sharp addition to your spice mix. You'll be sure to smell the ginger wafting from the oven if you bake with your spice mix.
Ground nutmeg: for an essential warm and nutty flavour.
Ground allspice: with a similar flavour profile to cloves, allspice has a peppery and pungent taste.
Ground cloves: this strong and bitter aromatic spice adds spiciness and warmth to your spice mix.
- You can use any combination of allspice and cloves as long as it totals 2 teaspoons.

How to Use Pumpkin Spice

This spice mix is perfect to flavour your favourite fall recipes. Use this mix in:

Pumpkin pie
Pumpkin spiced lattes
Pumpkin spice cookies
Cakes and cupcakes
Starbucks pumpkin spice syrup

The options are endless!

What Does Pumpkin Spice Taste Like?

It has a warm, sweet, and aromatic flavour, with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

It is strongly tied with the flavours of Fall and Thanksgiving.

Spoons of mixed spices which make up pumpkin spice.

Top Tips & FAQs

Why is it called pumpkin spice?

This spice mix gained its name from being a combination of spices traditionally used in pumpkin desserts, particularly pumpkin pie and pumpkin cake.

Pumpkin spice (also called 'Pumpkin Pie Spice') is produced commercially to save consumers time and money in mixing up the spices themselves.

These days, the spice mix is used in a much wider variety of baking, snacks, and even drinks!

What is pumpkin spice in the UK and Australia?

You won't see pumpkin spice on the shelves in the UK or Australia (even in Autumn!). However, you will always be able to find its cousin 'Mixed Spice.'

Mixed spice has all of the same ingredients as pumpkin spice plus the addition of coriander and mace for a slightly more savoury flavour. In most recipes, mixed spice is a suitable substitute.

Pumpkin spice vs chai spice:

Chai spice shared many of the spices with pumpkin spice, such as allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. One distinct difference is the addition of cardamom in chai spice. This is what gives your chai coffees that distinct earthy, subtly sweet flavour.

The ratios of spices are also different, with chai spice containing a lot more ginger and clove. Unfortunately, you can't substitute chai spice for pumpkin spice or vice versa!

Storage

Store this spice mix in an air-tight jar or container for up to 6 months.

This mix won't go 'off' but it will lose its flavour over time.

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