Pumpkin Spice Seasoning Blend

A warm, deeply spiced homemade pumpkin pie spice with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice, plus a little turmeric and black pepper for an extra layer of warmth and complexity.

Store-bought is fine. But this is better.

I know everyone says their homemade version is so much better than store-bought, and sometimes I’m like… is it though?

But pumpkin pie spice is one of the times I actually think it is.

Most pumpkin spice blends are some combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves—which is delicious and exactly what pumpkin spice is supposed to taste like. Mine has all of that too.

But then I add turmeric and a tiny bit of black pepper.

They’re not there to make your pumpkin bread taste like turmeric or your latte taste peppery. If you can specifically identify either one, we’ve probably gone too far. They sit way in the background.

The turmeric adds this earthy warmth underneath all of the sweeter spices, and the black pepper gives it the tiniest little bit of bite. It’s one of those things where you might not immediately know what is different, but the whole blend tastes a little deeper and more interesting.

And because apparently I can’t leave well enough alone, once I started making it this way I couldn’t go back.

Pumpkin Spice Seasoning Blend

A warm, deeply spiced homemade pumpkin pie spice with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice, plus a little turmeric and black pepper for an extra layer of warmth and complexity.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings: 10 Tablespoons

Ingredients
  

  • 6 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 4 tsp ground ginger
  • 3 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 tsp ground allspice
  • 2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • ¼ tsp finely ground black pepper

Method
 

Combine.
  1. Add all of the spices to a small bowl or jar and whisk or stir until thoroughly combined.
Optional—but this is what I do.
  1. For an extra-fine, really uniform blend, add everything to a clean coffee/spice grinder and pulse briefly until evenly blended.
Store.
  1. Transfer to an airtight spice jar and store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Give the jar a little shake before using.

Notes

Yes, there’s turmeric and black pepper in it. Trust me. Neither should jump out at you—the amounts are intentionally small. They’re there to round out the warmer spices and give the blend a little more depth. If you want a completely traditional pumpkin pie spice, you can leave them out.

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