How to Make Your Own Pumpkin Spice

RECIPE

Make your own pumpkin pie spice with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, mace and cloves. This fragrant homemade blend takes five minutes to make and works in everything from autumn baking to coffee and roasted squash.

 

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Update note: This recipe was originally published in September 2016 and was fully updated in September 2026 with refreshed guidance and original photography.

 

Photograph: Max Gagliano 

 

There is a point each year when the kitchen seems to change with the season. Pumpkins and squashes begin appearing in shops and vegetable boxes, baking becomes a little more generous with the cinnamon, and warming spices suddenly feel entirely appropriate again.

 

Pumpkin pie spice is one of the easiest ways to bring those flavours together. Despite the name, there is no pumpkin in the blend itself: it is simply a mixture of aromatic ground spices traditionally used to flavour pumpkin pie, as well as cakes, breads, drinks and other autumn recipes.

 

This homemade version combines cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, mace and cloves. It takes around five minutes to make and gives you a fragrant spice blend to keep on hand throughout autumn and winter.

 

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Quick answer: what is pumpkin pie spice?

Pumpkin pie spice is a warming blend of ground spices used especially in autumn baking. Cinnamon is usually the dominant flavour, supported by spices such as ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.

 

Photograph: Max Gagliano

 

This homemade version also includes cardamom and mace, giving the blend a slightly more aromatic, complex flavour. It takes just a few minutes to mix and can be used in pumpkin pie, cakes, muffins, drinks and savoury dishes such as roasted squash.

 

What is in pumpkin pie spice?

There is no single fixed recipe for pumpkin pie spice, but most blends are built around cinnamon, with other warming spices added for depth and balance.

 

Photograph: Max Gagliano

 

In this version, cinnamon provides the familiar sweet warmth, while ginger adds a little heat and freshness. Nutmeg and mace bring richer, slightly woody notes, cloves add intensity, and allspice rounds everything out with a flavour that hints at cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.

 

Cardamom is less common in very simple pumpkin pie spice blends, but I like what it brings here: a fragrant, lightly citrusy note that keeps the mixture from becoming too heavily cinnamon-led.

 

A brief history of pumpkin pie spice

The spices we now associate with pumpkin pie have been used in American pumpkin recipes for centuries. Amelia Simmons’s American Cookery, first published in 1796, included pumpkin pie recipes seasoned with combinations of mace, nutmeg, ginger and allspice.

 

Ready-mixed pumpkin pie spice came much later. McCormick introduced its commercial blend in 1934, offering home cooks a convenient alternative to measuring the individual spices themselves. Long before pumpkin spice became shorthand for the autumn coffee-shop season, these warming spices were already firmly established in pumpkin baking.

 

Pumpkin pie spice vs mixed spice

Pumpkin pie spice and British mixed spice are similar, but they are not quite the same. Both usually contain a combination of warming spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves, although the exact blend varies between brands and recipes.

 

Mixed spice may also include ingredients such as coriander seed, while pumpkin pie spice is usually more cinnamon-led and designed around the flavours associated with pumpkin pie and autumn baking.

 

Mixed spice can be used as a substitute in some cakes, muffins and other bakes, but the finished flavour will be slightly different.

 

How to make homemade pumpkin pie spice

Making pumpkin pie spice is simply a matter of measuring the individual spices and combining them thoroughly.

 

Add all of the ground spices to a small bowl and whisk until the mixture is evenly blended, paying particular attention to the smaller quantities of cloves and mace so they are distributed throughout.

 

Once mixed, transfer the spice blend to a clean, airtight jar or container ready to use as needed.

 

Photograph: Max Gagliano

 

What can I use instead of mace?

If you cannot find ground mace, replace it with an additional teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Nutmeg and mace come from different parts of the same fruit and have related flavours, although mace is slightly more delicate and aromatic.

 

The finished blend will taste a little different, but the substitution works well for baking, drinks and other everyday uses.

 

How to use pumpkin pie spice

Pumpkin pie is the obvious place to start, but this spice blend is useful well beyond pie filling. Stir it into pumpkin bread, muffins, cakes, cookies or pancake batter, or add a small amount to porridge and overnight oats.

 

It also works well in drinks. Add a pinch to coffee, hot chocolate or warm milk, or use it as part of a homemade pumpkin spice latte.

 

For savoury cooking, try a little with roasted pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potato or carrots. The blend is quite aromatic, so start with a small amount and add more to taste.

 

How much pumpkin pie spice should I use?

If a recipe calls for pumpkin pie spice, use the quantity specified. When adding it to recipes that do not already include the blend, start conservatively: around ¼ teaspoon is a good starting point for a single drink or bowl of porridge, while cakes, breads and larger batches can take more. Taste and adjust where possible, as cloves, ginger and cardamom can quickly become dominant.

 

How to store homemade pumpkin pie spice

Transfer the finished spice blend to a clean, airtight jar or container and keep it in a cool, dark cupboard away from direct sunlight, heat and moisture.

 

For the best flavour, use it within around six months. It will usually keep for longer, but ground spices gradually lose their aroma and intensity over time.

 

Making a smaller batch is often the best approach, especially if you only use pumpkin pie spice seasonally.

 

Photograph: Max Gagliano

 

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes

Yield: Approximately 6 tablespoons

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

4 teaspoons ground ginger

3 teaspoons ground cardamom

2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground mace

1 teaspoon ground cloves

 

Method

1. Measure all of the ground spices into a small bowl.

2. Whisk thoroughly until the spices are evenly combined.

3. Transfer the pumpkin pie spice to a clean, airtight jar or container and store in a cool, dark cupboard.

 

Photograph: Max Gagliano

 

Recipe notes and substitutions

Mace: If you cannot find ground mace, replace it with an additional teaspoon of ground nutmeg. The flavour will be slightly less delicate and aromatic, but the blend will still work well.

 

Adjusting the blend: You can alter the proportions to suit your taste. Add a little more cinnamon for a sweeter, softer blend, or increase the ginger or cloves if you prefer something more assertive.

 

Storage: Keep the finished spice blend in a clean, airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard. For the best flavour, use within around six months.

 

Photograph: Max Gagliano

 

Final thoughts 

A jar of homemade pumpkin pie spice is an easy way to keep the flavours of autumn close at hand. The combination of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, mace, allspice and cloves works well in baking, drinks and savoury dishes without being limited to pumpkin pie.

 

Keep a small batch in the cupboard through autumn and winter, and it is ready whenever a cake, roasted squash or morning coffee needs a little extra warmth.

 

 

Photography for this recipe was commissioned by Culinary Travels and shot by Max Gagliano. Culinary Travels holds full usage rights for website, social media and print use.

 

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