Homemade pumpkin spice blend is the easiest spice blend to mix with spices you probably already have in your pantry!
Pumpkin is just squash, without the exotic spices that make ‘all things pumpkin’ Pumpkin; Cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger, cinnamon and even white pepper.
Homemade pumpkin spice blend, with many of the favorite spices already in you pantry, lets you emphasize those spices you like most!
If it weren’t for the exotic aroma of Pumpkin Spice making it’s annual debut every September, distracting my mind from the garden-fresh days of summer, I would probably cry my way through the winter!
Pumpkin Everything!
From pies to candles, coffee to seltzers and the bright orange balls popping up everywhere, I soon realized that pumpkins are a magical as cinderella’s coach!
For me, it was often simply the color, trying to get my mind off the sun that is soon to grow cold. I had to ask myself ‘what is it exactly, that pumpkins do for me each September’.
Pumpkin Patch
Since the day I had my first child, to this day with several grandchildren, a trip to a local farm or farmer’s market to pick a favorite ‘orange ball’, kicks off Autumn, at least for our family.
These pumpkin patch trips, are not only a special occasion and totally a photo op, but the sparkle in everyone’s eye just feels like a happy place to be.
Of course the aromatherapy that wafts at every corner, luring me to sniff, helps ease the loss of my beloved summer sun.
Even those Cinderella white pumpkins, which look like white-washed pumpkins, are catching my attention more and more. Is it because they look as though they might turn into a horse drawn coach, or is it the pumpkin spice candle burning along side of them?
Pumpkin Spice Aromatherapy
The steam that rises in a Pumpkin Latte coffee, the way the house smells when a pumpkin pie is baking in the oven, is that same smell in my pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, or pumpkin waffles.
Step away from the kitchen, to your favorite spa or cosmetic counter; hmmmm that smell is there too, and nothing is cooking there, well at least let’s hope not!
What is that smell, if it isn’t (in fact), the smell of a pumpkin?
Pumpkin Scent?
That smell? Simple, it’s Cardamom, Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice, Ginger, CINNAMON and sometimes Orange Rinds. Yum.
Oh sure, I logically know that pumpkin spice scent has absolutely nothing to do with a pumpkin! So let’s go into our pantry, pull out some spices most of us always have tucked away in there, and make our own Pumpkin Spice Blend!
DIY Pumpkin Spice Blend
Why should we make our own spice blend? First, and most important, just like making your own pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread or pumpkin hummus (what, you’ve never had pumpkin hummus?), you know exactly what’s in it. And I like that!
The second reason to make your own spice blend, is because it’s way more cost affective. Pumpkin spice blend is made from spices we often buy for other recipes and sit idle, in the pantry the rest of the year.
Preparing Whole Spices
If you happen to be really nutty about ‘make your own’ stuff, like I am, you can take this a step further; toast and grind whole nutmeg, cinnamon or cloves into powder.
Grind your own nutmeg, why not? Those little nutmeg nuts are just sitting on your rack year after year waiting for a little shave on top of your ‘occasional’ Creme Brûlée.
Or those cinnamon stick? Did you simply buy them to stir a winter cocktail, or for for holiday crafting?
- Toss those sticks into a grinder and inhale!
- Cardamom pods; grind and sift them.
- Allspice berries; grind and sift them.
- White pepper, cloves you name it. Or, leave out any of the spices you like least and add more of the spices you love.
Homemade Pumpkin Pie
From mid October until the end of December we are all baking or buying pumpkin pies. Can’t get enough! Not to sound arrogant, but truly, My Pumpkin Pies are the best!
Why? Several reasons. One, of course, I make them with my Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix. Two, I roast my own farm fresh pumpkins and make several mini pies with it, freeze what ever pumpkin remains for other pumpkin recipes.
Three, and this is the best of all; when I roll out my Homemade Spiced Pie Crust, I save the scraps to make a cookie to bake on top of the pie. Talk about a decadent dessert! You really must try them, they are spectacular!
Have you forgotten summer yet? I have and I adore summer. Let’s make something amazing together for Autumn and the holiday season that is just around the corner.
Great Pumpkin Recipes Start With Richly Blended Pumpkin Spice
- Pumpkin Seed Date Cake
- Quick Maple Pumpkin Bread
- Keto Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients Needed
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Allspice
- Cloves
- Cardamom
- White pepper
- Cayenne pepper
Equipment Needed
- Measuring spoons
- Airtight Container or glass jar
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Blend
Course: SpicesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy1
ounceDIY pumpkin spice blend with all the favorite spices already in your pantry.
Ingredients
Cinnamon – 2 teaspoons
Ginger – 2 teaspoons
Allspice – 1/2 teaspoon
Cloves – 1/4 teaspoon
Cardamom – 1/2 teaspoon
White Pepper – a pinch
Cayenne Pepper – a pinch (optional)
Directions
- Measure the spices into an airtight jar. Shake it up and you have the perfect pumpkin spice mix.
- Orange rinds are best left to zest fresh when using your homemade pumpkin spice mix, as is grated fresh ginger.
Recipe Video
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.
