Homemade pumpkin pie spice mixture
Making your own pumpkin spice blend at home is surprisingly simple — and a lot more cost-effective — letting you skip the pricey pre-made packets and keep full control over freshness and flavour. Instead of paying extra for mixes that may expire before you have time to use it up, you can whip up a perfectly balanced blend using just four pantry staples: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
The process is simple, combine ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves in a small bowl or jar. A classic ratio is four parts cinnamon, two parts ginger, one part nutmeg, and one part cloves — but feel free to adjust it to match your taste. Prefer a bold cinnamon-forward blend or something with more spice from the ginger or cloves? Go for it.
From a budget standpoint, buying the individual spices is far more economical than repeatedly grabbing pre-packaged pumpkin spice, which can sometimes be hard to find during the fall. Those blends often charge a premium for convenience and branding, while a few basic spices can yield multiple batches with far less waste.
Once mixed, store your blend in an airtight container away from heat and light, and it will stay fresh for months. Make a batch at the start of the season and enjoy it all autumn and winter — in everything from lattes, cookies, pies, oatmeal, even roasted veggies! And if you love experimenting, try adding allspice or cardamom to create your own signature spin. ;)
Creating your own pumpkin spice mix is an easy, flexible, and budget-friendly way to bring seasonal flavour to your kitchen. A handful of simple spices becomes a fresh, customizable blend that elevates your recipes without elevating your grocery bill.
Ingredients
4 tablespoon Cinnamon, ground
2 tablespoons Ginger, ground
1 tablespoon Nutmeg, ground
1 tablespoon Cloves, ground
Optional: 1 tablespoon All Spice, ground
Optional: 1 tablespoon Cardamom, ground
instructions
Combine all listed spices in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Poor into a spice jar. Use it in all recipes calling for Pumpkin Pie Spice mixture.