This Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice recipe is quick and easy to prepare, has an intoxicating warm cozy aroma, and will save you lots of time in the kitchen during Fall baking season. Instead of adding individually spices, you can use this pumpkin spice blend to elevate your desserts. Making your own pumpkin spice is also inexpensive as store brands are typically marked up. It is also great for gifting and can be used in so many ways - not just in pumpkin pie. If you're looking for recipes to get started, try my Chewy Pumpkin Cookies and this Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread.

homemade pumpkin pie spices on a black plate blending together with a spoon

WHAT IS PUMPKIN PIE SPICE?

Pumpkin pie spice doesn't actually contain any pumpkin. It is a blend of warm spices that are typically used as an ingredient in pumpkin pie recipes. It pairs well in so many pumpkin recipes and even other recipes such as cookies and cakes.

INGREDIENTS FOR PUMPKIN PIE SPICE

Cinnamon - you can use ground cinnamon or grind cinnamon sticks in a spice grinder.
Ginger - powdered ginger varies in quality and flavor intensity so choose one that is of high quality.
Nutmeg - you can use ground nutmeg or grate your own on a microplane.
Clove - you can use ground clove or grind whole cloves in a spice grinder.
Allspice - you can use ground allspice or grind allspice berries in a spice grinder.

HOW IS PUMPKIN PIE SPICE DIFFERENT THAN CHAI SPICE?

Pumpkin spice and chai spice are similar in some ways, however they do have different ingredients and proportions. They are both blends of warm fragrant spices that have cinnamon as the dominating ingredient. However, chai spice includes cardamom and sometimes black pepper instead of allspice with a higher proportion of ginger compared to pumpkin spice.

HOW TO STORE PUMPKIN PIE SPICE

I store spices in glass jars with a rubber seal to maintain freshness. Keep them in a cool dry and dark place, like in a drawer not too close to the stove or in the pantry. Here are the jars I use. They have a wide enough mouth to fit a teaspoon measure inside, but are still small enough that they are easy to store.

HOW TO USE PUMPKIN SPICE?

Since pumpkin spice has cinnamon as the predominant flavor, you can use it on anything you would typically top with cinnamon like stirred into oatmeal or sprinkled over whipped cream alongside a dessert like over this caramel pumpkin cake cheesecake, or over coffee. Blend it into butter and spread it on toast or use it in custard for French toast for an elevated Fall breakfast.

You can use this pumpkin pie spice recipe to replace cinnamon in the cinnamon sugar mixture for these chewy pumpkin cookies and it is also the shining flavor in these pecan pumpkin streusel muffins. You can use this homemade blend to replace store-bought pumpkin pie spice as a 1:1 substitution in any recipe. Some recipes call for cinnamon plus additional pumpkin pie spice, and that is because that recipe is designed to have the other warm spices as a subtle back note, however you can use all pumpkin pie spice to replace the total amount of spice if you like a more festive and autumnal-forward flavor.

Here are a few delicious recipes where you can use homemade pumpkin pie spice: