Homemade Pumpkin Spice Recipe
Pumpkin spice can go way beyond the latte and into transforming your sweet and savory baked goods into fall masterpieces. Discover the surprising history of this spice powder, and learn how to make your own homemade pumpkin spice blend.
The first known recipes for pumpkin spice-laced pie appear in an American cookbook from 1798. Now, this spice blend became popular as companies released a slew of pumpkin spice-flavored products. The spice blend has become the American flavor profile most oft-associated with autumn.
According to food Blogger Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, the secret to the perfect homemade pumpkin pie is getting the ratio between the four spices that make the traditional blend — cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger — just right. Some people even add allspice or pepper, but we found that it took away from the cozy feel of the blend.
Try our pumpkin spice blend in your favorite baked goods, but then play around with the quantities of each spice to find your favorite balance!
Gather the ingredients for Pumpkin Spice
You can make pumpkin spice the easy way, or the slightly harder way.
The easy way is purchasing all the spices already ground, and simply mixing them together. This works if you have a well-stocked spice cabinet that already has cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
But the slightly harder, and infinitely more rewarding way, is to purchase whole spices and grind them in a spice grinder or blender. We strongly recommend you go this route, as it will not only make your house smell amazing, but also result in a much more potent and flavorful pumpkin spice.
To make this blend, you will need cinnamon sticks, whole nutmeg, whole cloves and ginger root.
Toast the spices
Preheat a pan over medium heat. It's important to use a heavy-bottomed pan that can distribute heat evenly and prevent burning.
Once the pan is heated, add whole cinnamon sticks and whole cloves to the pan.
As the spices begin to heat up, you'll notice a beautiful aroma filling your kitchen. This is a sign that the spices are becoming fragrant and releasing their natural oils. To fully infuse your dish with these flavors, it's important to stir the spices occasionally, ensuring that they are evenly distributed and not sticking to the pan.
After about a minute of cooking, the spices should be fragrant and ready to be used in your dish.
Make the spice blend in a blender
If you have a spice grinder or a blender with a flat blade, even the "harder" route is only a matter of minutes.
Transfer the whole toasted cinnamon stick and cloves to a spice grinder or blender with a flat blade. Add ½-inch piece of ginger root, and grate in the nutmeg using a fine grater or microplane.
Working in batches and stopping occasionally to scrape the walls with a spatula, blend the spices in the blender until they are fully processed into a fine powder. This will take about 2 to 5 minutes.
Mix Ground Spices
If you do not want to grind spices, simply mix all the pre-ground spices in a jar. Shake well and you're done!
Taste the spice blend and make sure it's balanced to your liking. It should taste warm and comforting but also have a bit of spice and zing to it from the ginger and cloves. If your blend is a bit bitter, it probably has too much nutmeg — you can add more cinnamon to balance it out.
Homemade pumpkin spice will keep fresh for about 1 month if kept in a tightly sealed jar in a cool, dark place (don't keep your spices by the oven).
Use in your favorite recipes
We recommend using homemade pumpkin spice in fall-themed baking like classic pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice baked French toast, or even pumpkin spice ramen.
And of course, you can use it to top your homemade pumpkin spice latte.
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon or ½ cinnamon stick
- ¼ tsp ground cloves or 2 whole cloves
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg or ¼ whole nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger or ½-inch piece ginger root
- Preheat a pan to medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick and whole cloves to the pan. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the spices become fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Blender method: Transfer whole spices to a spice grinder or blender with a flat blade. Blend until fully processed into a fine powder, about 3 to 5 minutes, stopping a couple of times to stir the spices and scrape the walls with a spatula.
- In a small jar, combine all the ground spices and stir very well to mix. Use as needed in your favorite fall baking.
- Homemade pumpkin spice will stay fresh for about a month in an airtight jar or container in a dark, cool place.