DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice

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Holding a bowl of our Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice recipe

When fall rolls around and baking season is in full swing, we often find ourselves reaching for pumpkin pie spice.

While store-bought is convenient, it’s nice to make your own blend to save money, make it fresher, and customize the flavor by simply increasing your favorite spices and decreasing ones that aren’t preferred.

Let us show you how easy it is to make pumpkin pie spice at home!

Cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and other ingredients for making pumpkin pie spice

What’s in Pumpkin Pie Spice?

The most common spices in pumpkin pie spice are:

  • Ground cinnamon
  • Ginger
  • Clove
  • Nutmeg
  • Allspice

But we also throw in some optional black pepper and cardamom for even more flavor and a little bite / heat.

How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice?

Simply add all of your favorite seasonal spices (like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice) to a jar and shake to combine.

The ratio of spices is really what makes DIY blends unique. We like to go heavy on the cinnamon, medium on the ginger, light on the clove and allspice, and include some (optional) black pepper for heat, plus cardamom for a floral quality and depth of flavor.

The result is a custom, quick, DIY pumpkin pie spice perfect for all your fall and holiday baking that will stay fresh up to 6 months!

Spoon beside a bowl of spices for making Pumpkin Pie Spice

We hope you LOVE this blend! It’s:

  • Quick & easy
  • Customizable
  • Spicy
  • Perfect for fall baking

Ways to Use Pumpkin Pie Spice

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Scooping up homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice from a bowl

DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice

Easy, customizable pumpkin pie spice ready in 5 minutes! Spicy, warming, and perfect for fall baking and beyond!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Bowl of our Pumpkin Pie Spice recipe made with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and more
5 from 13 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 7 (~1 tsp servings)
Course Helpful How-to
Cuisine Baking, Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 6 months

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground clove
  • 1 pinch ground allspice
  • 1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper (optional)
  • 1/8 tsp ground cardamom (optional)

Instructions

  • To a small bowl, add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, allspice, black pepper (optional), and cardamom (optional) and stir to combine. 
  • Taste test and adjust according to personal preference, adding more cinnamon for sweetness, ginger for spiciness, nutmeg for nuttiness, black pepper for spice, or clove, allspice, or cardamom for pungency. 
  • Store in a sealed container up to 6 months or in the refrigerator for longer.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 7 servings)

Serving: 1 teaspoon Calories: 6 Carbohydrates: 1.8 g Protein: 0.1 g Fat: 0.1 g Saturated Fat: 0 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 0.43 mg Potassium: 14.6 mg Fiber: 1 g Sugar: 0.1 g Vitamin A: 5.32 IU Vitamin C: 0.08 mg Calcium: 17.82 mg Iron: 0.25 mg

Reader Interactions

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  1. Cristina M says

    This was the perfect mix of spices and it gives the breads and desserts a special touch.
    Definitely add that black pepper and cardamom, just superb!!

  2. Georgia says

    I’m confused as some recipes miss the all spice and a few have it. To get the perfect pumpkin pie flavour is it best to add it?

  3. Quana Alexander says

    This is an amazing pumpkin pie spice! I love it! I use it for my pumpkin cinnamon rolls and of course pumpkin pie. Thank you! I love the unique addition of black pepper and floral notes of the cardamom. It’s all perfectly balanced.

  4. Elen Freelander says

    Note for Dana at Minimalist Baker re. cardamom and black pepper for heat. First, I love the addition of these two! I want to share my own heat ingredient, a discovery born of my residing in central New Mexico, where red and green chile is not so much a seasoning as a staple. I have been making my bottle of cinnamon sugar (for cinnamon toast, etc.) with half cinnamon and half ground dried red chile powder for decades. They go so well together you can hardly tell that anything is different, just really good. I’ve also found that all of the sweet orange veggies – yams, butternut squash, pumpkin – love red chile in all its forms – dried ground, sauce or chopped roasted fresh. I know that everything in your spice blend would go well with the addition of red chile, with the possible exception to cardamom. I’d have to try that to be sure. Love from NM!

  5. Liz says

    I always have a container of this in the cupboard…this recipe has the right balance of spices…gives our homemade pumpkin spice granola the perfect spicy flavour. We use it year round!

  6. Virginia D says

    Alex Dec8 2020-
    Pimento is another name for all spice. It is a whole spice and when ground to a powder it’s allspice.
    I always grind my own spices when needed. Flavours of ground spices lose their intensity very quickly.

    • anon says

      I live in the UK, ground allspice exists in the spice aisles. Every big supermarket apart from Aldi or Lidl sell it :). I like schwartz as their quality is superior when compared to the supermarket brand (side by side comparison). You could also find allspice berries at Holland and Barett, and grind your own for ultimate fresh spices :)

  7. Torina says

    I usually buy Trader Joe’s spices but this year I couldn’t get my hands on a bottle of pumpkin pie spice. I’ll never buy it again. This is so easy and yummy! I made 14 servings which mostly fills my TJ’s bottle.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi, it sounds like you may have modified the number of servings, which does require more estimation. If you change it back to 7 servings, you will see more precise measurements. Hope that helps!

    • anon says

      I would round the numbers closest to 1/8tsp, 1/4tsp, 1/2tsp etc. and 3tsp = 1tbsp for a true estimate. So 1.29 tbsp would be 1 1/4tsp :)

      • Elen Freelander says

        My math has the answer more like 1 Tbsp plus a scant tsp. Because if I’m reading it right, 1.29 Tbsp is 1Tbsp plus .29 Tbsp, which is nearly one third of 1 Tbsp, or 1 tsp.

  8. Vesna says

    I love how balanced this blend is. I love cardamom, so I was stoked to see you’ve included that. I used this spice in a pumpkin banana bread recipe that called for pumpkin pie spice, and today I used it in a creamy cold pumpkin smoothie! Both the loaf and the smoothie turned out amazingly with such a balanced flavour profile. Thanks for this recipe. Your recipes are so reliable, consistently good, and foolproof!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Vesna! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes!

  9. Loula says

    Hi there! I plan to make this recipe soon but I wondered about the following: are you using fresh ginger or dried ginger powder? The first picture of the ingredients shows fresh ginger; In the picture of the ground ingredients it appears as if it is ground dried ginger. Which one is it? Thank you!

  10. Manuela says

    Making it for the second time today… I absolutely love it. Have been putting it in anything. Cookies, cakes, breads, energy balls, smoothies, lattes…. so easy and so good!! Thanks Dana for another great and easy recipe!!

  11. Fran says

    I love pumpkin spice anything especially this time of year. Do you think I could make a latte with this mix and how much would you use for example an 8 ounce cup of milk?

  12. Shelaki says

    Love this combo! Perfect in my dandelion-tea oat-milk latte. I don’t care who rolls their eyes over pumpkin spice – it’s the best!! (and yes, cardamom is definitely not optional. Also freshly ground nutmeg is a must for me)

  13. Noélia says

    Plan to use this recipe this week, but the ingredients are my favorites minus the pepper. From this recipe I now have a good idea on how much of each ingredient to start with. Very thankful to you for these details!
    Noélia

  14. Anneline says

    Oooh I looove pumpkin pie spice! I just put it all together and it smells amazing. I love using it instead of cinnamon in cinnamon rolls, and I was planning on making some tomorrow, your timing is perfect!
    Oh, and cardamom is definitely NOT optional! :)