A quintessential fall baking staple, this pumpkin pie spice recipe is completely customizable and a better option than store bought pumpkin spice mix for more than one reason! Today, I’m sharing with you why I like to make my pumpkin pie spice at home, how you can customize your pumpkin pie spice to pack a bit more punch, and sharing some of my favorite recipes using our homemade pumpkin pie spice.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe

Making your own pumpkin pie spice blend allows you to have complete control over the flavors of your fall baking and is a lot cheaper than purchasing those tiny $4 containers of pumpkin pie spice that only last for a handful of recipes.

Personally, I like making my own DIY pumpkin pie spice for a couple of reasons. The first is that I’m not a huge fan of cloves and like to adjust the amount of ground cloves in my recipe to be less than what is usually found in pre-made pumpkin spice mixes; and I love adding ginger to my pumpkin spice mix!

The second reason why I like making my own pumpkin pie spice substitute is that I like to avoid the sulfiting agents that are added by many commercial spice makers. Sulfiting agents are allowed to be used in spice blends because the FDA assumes that these blends will be added to items that will be baked – they are banned for use on fresh fruits and vegetables that are assumed to be eaten raw (although many salad bars still use them despite the National Restaurant Association advising against any use of sulfites). But many of us use pumpkin pie spice on top of a latte or sprinkle it overtop of baked goods, so we are still consuming them “raw.”

Individuals with asthma (and sulfite-sensitive people) are more prone to reactions from sulfites, including asthma attacks, flushing, faintness, weakness, hives, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, swelling of the tongue, difficulty swallowing, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, and loss of consciousness. My daughter has asthma and while I can’t avoid all potential triggers, this is a simple swap that makes sense for our family.

What is in Pumpkin Pie Spice?

Pumpkin Pie Spice is usually a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger. Some recipes leave out the ginger, which is a travesty.

Some people like adding mace or cardamom to their pumpkin pie spice, and in recent years, some super food companies have started adding pumpkin powder to their spices. (It’s usually used as a super-food flour replacement, but I’ve used it in pasta sauces and to naturally dye foods.)

If you’re adding cardamom or mace, just start with a 1/4 teaspoon to start and then increase it slightly if you like what it adds to the recipe. Both can easily overpower the other spices so go slow.

Recipes that Use Pumpkin Pie Spice:

Check out our quick video for how to make this simple homemade pumpkin pie spice and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab your free printable recipe card:

Pumpkin Pie Spice Ingredients

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: Start with leaving the cardamom and mace out and then add them in if you feel like your spice blend is missing something. Feel free to experiment by adding more or less of the increments mentioned here.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

Spice Grinder
Measuring spoons
Mason jars, for storing – I do not recommend plastic jars as they can hold moisture and you want to keep this seasoning mix dry to preserve freshness

How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice

Measure out your ingredients into a small bowl (or directly into your small mason jar).

Stir (or secure the lid and give it a good shake).

Adjust the seasoning as desired – I like to “taste” my spice blends by sprinkling onto a coffee, or you can just adjust it after baking with it. It may take a while to figure out your perfect blend, but you will be so happy when you do!

Pin this Simple DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice:

The best recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice, as well as tips for customizing your own blend, why you want to avoid store brands, and recipe ideas to use your pumpkin pie spice

Grab your free printable recipe card for Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe:

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Yield: 6 Tablespoons

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Name: Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Pantry Staple
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg; 1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice; 1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves; 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional; 1/4 teaspoon mace, optional

A simple homemade pumpkin pie spice to add to all of your favorite pumpkin desserts, or top your homemade PSL with. The perfect homemade gift for a baker this fall!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice
1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional
1/4 teaspoon mace, optional

Instructions

Measure out your ingredients into a small bowl (or directly into your small mason jar).
Stir (or secure the lid and give it a good shake).
Adjust the seasoning as desired - I like to "taste" my spice blends by sprinkling onto a coffee, or you can just adjust it after baking with it. It may take a while to figure out your perfect blend, but you will be so happy when you do!

Notes

Start with leaving the cardamom and mace out and then add them in if you feel like your spice blend is missing something. Feel free to experiment by adding more or less of the increments mentioned here.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 6Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.

This is simply the best recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice – I hope you enjoyed our tips for customizing your own blend and learning why you want to avoid store brands.

We provided a larger list of recipes to use your pumpkin pie spice in above, but here are two of our favorites: Magical Pumpkin Cake (with video) and our Pumpkin Turnovers.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice (with Video)