Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Make a batch of Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice and use it muffins, pancakes, pies and even sprinkled on yogurt. Pour the rest into bottles and give them to family and friends as holiday gifts.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice mix takes just 5 minutes to make. Keep it on hand for holiday baking or elevate your favorite breakfast foods, such as pancakes and oatmeal.

Or make the spice mixture gift-worthy. Pour it into cute spice bottles, add a ribbon, label and recipe card. Give it to friends, family and neighbors, along with some flavored salts or homemade granola.

Use pumpkin pie spice in most recipes that call for ground cinnamon. Try it in almost any muffin recipe, Baked Pumpkin Pie Egg Rolls or Gingerbread Pumpkin Pancakes.

I like to keep a container of this pumpkin pie spice on hand for fall and winter baking. My husband likes to sprinkle it on his oatmeal. And it can be used in almost any baking recipe that calls for cinnamon. A great way to change up the flavor profile!

INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE:

• FOR ALL SPICES: Be sure to start with fresh spices. They should be vibrant in color and fragrant.
• CINNAMON: Use your favorite ground cinnamon.
• GROUND GINGER: Use ground ginger, the spice powder, NOT grated fresh ginger. It’s found in the spice section of any well-stocked grocery store.
• NUTMEG: Find ground nutmeg in the spice section. Alternatively, grate whole nutmeg on a zester for the freshest aroma and flavor.
• ALLSPICE: Purchase ground allspice or dried allspice berries. Both can be found in the spice section. Whole allspice berries need to be ground using a coffee/spice grinder or a mortar and pestle.
• CLOVES: Like allspice, cloves can be purchased ground or whole. Grind with a coffee/spice grinder or in a mortar and pestle.

See recipe card below for full ingredients list & recipe directions.

How to make Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice:

FRESH SPICES: This is important! For the most flavorful pumpkin spice mix, use fresh spices. If that bottle of cinnamon has been sitting in your pantry for a year, chances are it’s lost much of its flavorful. The spices should be vibrant in color and very fragrant. If purchasing spices from the grocery store, check the expiration dates on the bottles.

COMBINE THE SPICES: Scoop the ground spices - cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves – into a medium-sized bowl. Give the spices a good stir to combine completely. If there are any lumps, press with the back of a spoon to break them up.

TRANSFER TO CONTAINERS: If storing the entire mixture together, use a small glass airtight container like this one. If you’re using individual spices bottles, it’s easiest to use a small funnel to avoid spilling the spices.

What’s the best way to store pumpkin pie spice mix?

To ensure freshness, store your DIY pumpkin spice mix in an airtight container like this one. Or transfer the mixture to individual spices bottles. Choose bottles with a tight seal.

Store the spice mixture in a cool, dry place. Many spice drawers or cupboards are situated next to the stove, which is not ideal. The heat from the oven will cause the spices to spoil quickly. If possible move your spice rack to a cooler part of the kitchen or pantry.

How long does pumpkin pie spice last?

Recommendations for storing ground spices range from 3 months to 3 years. Far from helpful! The longevity of the spice mixture depends on a few things:

1. Freshness of the individual spices used.
2. The container used to store the pumpkin spice mix. It should be airtight.
3. The temperature and humidity of the air. Cool and dry is the goal!

Not sure if your spice mix is still fresh? The color should be vibrant. And the spices should be fragrant. Lack of fragrance equals lack of flavor.

If there is any sign of mold, throw it out. That means that moisture made its way into the spice mix and caused it to spoil.

Give it as a gift:

Homemade pumpkin pie spice is a wonderful gift around the holidays. I love to bottle up this spice mixture or flavored salts and use them as neighbor or host/hostess gifts. They can even be used as wedding or baby shower favors.

Use flip-lid jars like in the photo above. They have a good rubber seal around the rim. Or use silver lid jars like these ones. Attach a label and a colorful ribbon. If you want to go the extra mile, include a recipe card or a list of ways that the gift recipient can use the spice mix.

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