Pumpkin Pie Spice + Easy Variations And Substitutes

Warm, cozy and just full of fall flavor, pumpkin pie spice also known as just pumpkin spice brings in the fall season and announces the time of year. Use these tips to add pumpkin spice like a pro to your favorite sweet pumpkin recipes.

 

Why We Love Pumpkin Pie Spice

Full of warm flavors in a blend of cinnamon and other spices, pumpkin pie spice carries most of the flavor of the sweet pumpkin spice baked good and recipes that many people adore. This spice blend tastes like pumpkin spice without even adding any pumpkin puree at all.

Pumpkin pie spice can be used for pumpkin pie, but can also be used to flavor baked goods, desserts and cozy warm drinks (like adding a little to your morning coffee) with delicious results.

This cozy, warm spice mix is also pretty flexible. With the exception of cinnamon (which is the main ingredient,) you can add or remove the ingredients a little with what you have in your pantry and still have a flavorful pumpkin pie spice flavor.

Pumpkin pie spice is also a pretty versatile spice blend, though I’ve not yet tried this in savory dishes only sweet.

Ingredients For A Batch Of Pumpkin Pie Spice

Here are the individual spices you will need from your spice cabinet for a full recipe to make your own pumpkin pie spice substitute. These common spices can all be found at the grocery store. You need ground spices such as ground cloves, ground ginger, ground nutmeg etc.

• cinnamon
• ginger
•  nutmeg
• cloves optional go really easy as it’s easy to have too much cloves
• allspice optional, or can swap with more cinnamon if preferred

How To Make A Pumpkin Pie Spice In A Batch

1. Measure and place all spices in a small bowl and mix together with a whisk or fork.

2. Add spice mix to a dry spice airtight jar for storage or an airtight container. Glass containers are the best way to keep out moisture. Use a funnel if needed, and make sure to keep the surrounding area dry so it doesn’t clump in the bottle.

What’s A Quick Substitute For One Teaspoon Of Pumpkin Pie Spice?

For only one teaspoon of pumpkin spice, I use a combination of 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ginger. This will give you a similar flavor profile to a pumpkin spice blend and is the best substitute when you only need a little pumpkin spice mix.

What Can I Use Instead Of Pumpkin Pie Spice If I Don’t Like Pumpkin Spice?

• Cinnamon by itself is a great replacement for pumpkin pie spice if you don’t like the flavor of pumpkin pie spice.
• All Spice– Allspice is technically a dried berry that is then ground, but has a lot of dimension and warm earthiness to the flavor. Allspice can be substituted in recipes one of one for pumpkin pie spice, but can be a little stronger than pumpkin pie spice. I tend to use allspice if only a little pumpkin spice (less then a tablespoon) is needed in a recipe.

Can I Substitute Pumpkin Pie Spice For Apple Pie Spice?

Yes, this is totally a good substitute that you can swap teaspoon for teaspoon. Both of these spice blends have a warm flavor that work well with cinnamon sugar flavors.

Pumpkin pie spice does have a few spices in it that are different from apple pie spice so keep in mind the end result will taste slightly different, but it will still be delicious.

What If I Am Missing A Spice?

The only spice in a pumpkin pie spice mix that can’t be removed is cinnamon, as it is the main flavor of pumpkin pie spice.

Not everyone likes every flavor in pumpkin pie spice. If there is a particular spice you don’t like or don’t have, you can substitute extra cinnamon in its place and your recipe will still be delicious.