Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe - Live Well Bake Often (2024)

FAQs

How do you make pumpkin pie spice Martha Stewart? ›

What's In Pumpkin Spice? Pumpkin spice (a.k.a. pumpkin pie spice) is an aromatic blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Sometimes allspice is included. You can buy the spice blend at the store or use ingredients you already have on hand to make DIY pumpkin spice.

Pumpkin Spice vs Pumpkin Pie Spice

Pumpkin pie spice is the same as pumpkin spice, just under different labeling. These two are interchangeable and feature the same base ingredients. The ratio of the ingredients may vary slightly from brand to brand.

McCormick Culinary Pumpkin Pie Spice is a premium blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice delivering a warm brown-spice flavor. Delicious in pumpkin pie and so much more.

To get 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, use ¾ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ginger, allspice, cloves or nutmeg, whatever you have! If you have two of the above spices, use ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of whichever two spices you do have.

Smell and Association

Two Krieger School perception researchers say a key to understanding why people love pumpkin spice is the smell of it. Those notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger trigger deeply rooted cozy memories of autumn.

The major and common ingredient in pumpkin spice lattes include: cinnamic aldehydes for cinnamon, eugenol for clove or allspice, terpenes such as sabinene for nutmeg, and zingiberene for ginger. They may also contain vanillin and cyclotene for the burnt butter or maple notes to round off the flavor.

The spices in pumpkin spice have anti-inflammatory properties, which may help to reduce chronic inflammation. Boosts the immune system: Some of the spices in pumpkin spice, such as ginger and cloves, have immune-boosting properties. This means that they may help to protect your body from infection.

What Is Pumpkin Spice? Pumpkin spice, originally known as pumpkin pie spice, is typically made with a blend of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and occasionally allspice. It doesn't actually have any pumpkin flavor in it — however, it is used to flavor a pumpkin pie, which is likely how it got its name.

Typically, cinnamon makes up most of the spice ratio in pumpkin pie seasoning, making it a great substitute for plain cinnamon, especially if you're making sweets and baked goods. You can use pumpkin pie seasoning as a 1:1 replacement for cinnamon in recipes like cookies, cakes, and breads.

Is allspice close to pumpkin spice? ›

Allspice is a warm and cozy spice that tastes like a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, but pumpkin pie spice is a bit more robust and flavorful with all those spices plus ginger. Allspice alone, while delicious, won't give you that signature pumpkin spice flavor that you're looking for.

Chai. Before there was pumpkin spice, there was chai to keep you warm and cozy all autumn long. You might even recognize some of the flavors in chai as they are similar to pumpkin spice with clove, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Pumpkin Pie Spice is just a combination of those yummy “warm” spices that we all reach for in our fall and holiday baking. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger -that's it!

Scarcity, flavor, and nostalgia equal obsession.

People's obsession with pumpkin spice is an intriguing psychological occurrence. The taste of pumpkin spice may be desirable due to its scarcity, as it's only available during the fall. In addition to flavor and taste, pumpkin spice can also create nostalgia.

Some think it relates way back to our colony days where pumpkins were one of the only crops the settlers could sustain and so, subconsciously, pumpkin reminds us of our roots. Others believe that the seasonal appeal of the pumpkin-flavor is what creates the allure.

Since it contains nutmeg and other similar spices, you can easily replace nutmeg with pumpkin pie spice in equal quantities in most recipes. Pumpkin pie spice is a spice blend made with nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. It has a similar taste to that of nutmeg and can be swapped in at a 1:1 ratio.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: With its combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice, pumpkin pie spice can serve as a suitable substitute for garam masala in sweet dishes. Use pumpkin pie spice in desserts like pies, cakes, and cookies to add warmth and depth of flavor.

Substitutes for Ground Ginger

If you don't have fresh ginger or are making something sweet or a baked good, try replacing ground ginger measure for measure with allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice.