Friday, October 12, 2012

DIY Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice


Have you ever passed up a recipe that appealed to you simply because you didn't have the pre-made spice mix listed in the ingredients?  I can't begin to list the number of times I've looked past gorgeous photos of Pumpkin Breads, Pies, Granolas, etc, simply because my pantry did not stock the called for "Pumpkin Pie Spice".

With fall recipe season in full swing, any number of tempting options including pumpkin will call for this warming spice, and with just 5 ingredients that your pantry probably does stock, you can make your own in minutes.

An extensive internet search showed nearly every Pumpkin Pie Spice recipe featuring portions of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  Many also include a touch of clove, and a few add one of my favorite spices, allspice.

Once I had my list of ingredients, planning the proper proportions became the next task.  The cinnamon to ginger ratios ranged from 4:3 to 4:1.  Ground clove was often left out all together, and in other cases listed at 2 teaspoons to 4 Tbs of cinnamon.  Apparently, no hard and fast recipe exists for this autumn flavored spice mix, hence, personal preference plays a big part.

Cinnamon, listed as a main ingredient in 100% of recipes, became my starting point.  Knowing I would most likely need the spice mix for five or six recipes this season, I started at 3 Tbs.  With ginger being my next favorite ingredient in the mix, the ginger measurement became our second largest in the batch.  Nutmeg, always a popular flavor received slightly less than the ginger, and the clove and allspice brought up the rear.

Clove is a tough one for me as for many years I didn't like anything with a hint of clove.  I banned the spice from my pantry and simply forgot about it.  One Thanksgiving, however, my neighbor made a Pumpkin Pie that I will never forget.  The creamy pie had more flavor than any other pumpkin pie I had ever had, and brought along a brightness and depth which much to my horror, I discovered came from a decent amount of clove.  Perhaps my palate grew up, or maybe my mind simply opened, but whatever the reason, I've come to respect what even a small amount of ground clove can do for a recipe.

With so much personal preference out there, you may use our recipe as a guide for your tastes.  If ginger is not high on your list, decrease the amount.  Adore clove?  Add extra.  Don't care for all spice?  Delete it altogether.

Whatever recipe you come up with, mix up a batch or two for the season, and you may even want to mix up a few to use a hostess gifts during the holidays.  An old spice jar works beautifully with a little ribbon and homemade label.  Enjoy!



Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
With so much personal preference out there, use our recipe as a guide for your tastes and enjoy your own creation.

3 Tbs ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves (scant)
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix to combine.  Store in an old spice jar and keep in a cool, dark location such as a pantry.

14 comments:

  1. What a lovely, appropriate post for this season of the year. Even in northern CA we have 55 degree temps today. Cinnamon and a dab of maple syrup are my go-to adds to plain yogurt with apple, banana, or by itself. Think I'll make a big batch of this, try it for (oops, ON) breakfast as well as baked apples. It will make a lovely addition to the gift boxes to the DIL along with home-canned jams and pie fillings. Love your blog.

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  2. I was thinking about pumpkin pie spice this afternoon when I made my mini pumpkin cupcakes. I looked at the ingredients on the bottle and was like, "Hmm, I could just as well make my own!" Yours looks so pretty, Kim, and I'm so happy that you grate fresh nutmeg!!!!

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  3. So that's the math! I always just mixed equal amounts of each spice. Didn't even bother to play around :-) Now I'm going to make it following your recipe!

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  4. This will be a nice post for me to keep handy in case I ever run out of pumpkin pies spice in the middle of baking (it has happened before). Thank you for sharing!

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  5. Its good to see this site with help of Great Google.

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  6. I've been making my own pumpkin pie spice mix - always like seeing how everyone makes their own.

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  7. I was literally JUST thinking I needed to find a recipe for this. Thank you so much!

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  8. Thanks for doing all the calculations for us, Kim. I came across pumpkin pie spice in a recipe recently but I had to wing it--had the individual ingredients, thankfully! Glad you included the cloves--I happen to like them a lot. :)

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  9. What a great idea! This will make pumpkin recipes of all types so much easier to make.

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  10. I go through so much of this and it's crazy how expensive it is. I never thought of making my own!

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  11. Funny thing is I didn't even know there was something specifically called pumpkin pie spice until recently. I just did what you do combine those spices. Wish I had know this sooner, he he. I'm so ready for the fall flavors. Hope you had a great weekend.
    -Gina-

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  12. As I don't bake much I didn't want to spend close to $10 for the bottle of this spice at a supermarket a few weeks ago. I'm going to make a very small portion just enough for making something! Thanks for sharing your recipe for this spice!

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  13. Perfect timing! I am about to try cooking pumpkin for the first time in my life and would love to make a mini pie just to see how it tastes. Your recipe will sure help ;)

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  14. I literally JUST bought pumpkin pie spice at the store this evening. I honestly didn't know it existed before I found this recipe for candied sweet potatoes. I'm a southern girl who's moved to the north... a bad southern lady at that because I feel like I should've learned about this so long ago! Pumpkin pie spice sure is expensive but I'm happy to have pinned this on my pinterest for future baking! Thank you!

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