Last Updated on September 7, 2023
Pumpkin pie spice is such a fan favorite, I’m going to show you how easy it is to make with this pumpkin pie spice recipe. It’s so quick, easy, and can be used to pack your favorite recipes with delicious pumpkin pie flavor.
A few years ago I was mixing up a bowl of pumpkin pie Greek yogurt when I was bummed to see I was out of pumpkin spice.
It would’ve been impossible to make my dish without this key ingredient. I was craving pumpkin spice so bad but it was raining at the time and going to the store in a torrential downpour wasn’t high on my priority list.
So I experimented until I came up with the perfect blend of spices to make my own yummy(!!) pumpkin pie spice at home.
I’ve been using this pumpkin spice recipe ever since and I like it so much more than the pre-made stuff I was buying from the store.
It’s not easy to find healthy pumpkin spice at the store. But it’s very easy to make your own. And you should be making your own pumpkin spice because the stuff at the stores isn’t even made with spices…
It’s best to make your own pumpkin pie spice at home to ensure your pumpkin spice is healthy and free of problematic ingredients. Keep reading…
WHAT SPICES ARE IN PUMPKIN PIE SPICE?
Pumpkin pie spice is made from a simple mix of 5 other popular spices.
This is all you need to make pumpkin pie spice at home.
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
- Allspice (Fun fact: Ground allspice is made from a certain type of dried berry. It’s not a blend of spices.)
- Cloves
All you have to do is mix up this blend of ground spices with a whisk or a spoon. Just measure and mix, it’s that easy and takes less than a minute to make.
Is Pumpkin Pie Spice Healthy?
The short answer is no, not unless you make it yourself.
Homemade pumpkin spice is healthy. The stuff you can get in the stores isn’t.
The seasonal blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves that make up the signature pumpkin spice flavor provides a healthy dose of beneficial antioxidants, phytochemicals, and antimicrobial agents.
But you have to make sure you’re getting quality spices to get the benefits and avoid issues.
In the health world, commercialized store-bought spices are known to be toxic.
Consumer Reports tested 126 bottled spices and herbs from McCormick, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and other popular brands.
Nearly a third of 126 store-bought spices tested had high enough levels of arsenic, lead, and cadmium that could cause health risks.
Thirty-one products had lead levels that exceeded the maximum safe limit for daily consumption.
Frequent exposure to even smaller amounts of lead and other heavy metals can affect brain development in children and overall health in adults.
You may not think that spices are cause for concern but even low levels of exposure to harmful metals from individual food sources, add up quickly to levels that cause health issues.
Fortunately, the spices in pumpkin pie spice aren’t as high in toxic levels of metals, but that’s assuming your store-bought pumpkin spice is made with actual spices. Most are not.
It’s common for commercialized pumpkin pie spice to be made with chemical flavors, not the real thing.
Common chemicals found in store-bought pumpkin spice include cinnamaldehyde (fake cinnamon), sabinene (for nutmeg), zingiberene (for ginger), and eugenol (for clove or allspice).
Homemade pumpkin pie spice is so much better for you…
What are the Health Benefits of Pumpkin Spice?
Pumpkin pie spice is made with a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, and ginger.
Together this delicious blend has tangible health benefits including:
- Antioxidants – Cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants that can help regulate blood sugar. Allspice also has antioxidants that can reduce inflammation and optimize the immune system.
- Cinnamon has great anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antitumor, cardiovascular, cholesterol-lowering, and immunomodulatory effects.
- Vitamins and minerals – Nutmeg is full of Vitamin B, minerals, and fiber, which helps the central nervous system function properly.
- Zinc, potassium, and iron – Ginger is full of these minerals and can also help with minor digestive issues
- Coves are a great source of eugenol, a natural anesthetic that can help reduce pain, kill bacteria, and reduce swelling & inflammation.
- Nutmeg also has powerful anti-bacterial properties, too.
Make your own pumpkin pie spice to get all of the pumpkin pie spice flavors without any potentially harmful additives. Plus, it’s so easy to make and tastes so much better, this is a no-brainer, must-try recipe.
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe
I always make my own pumpkin pie spice mix because it tastes better and is better for you. I love it because you can easily mix up the exact amount you need so it’s always fresh and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp cinnamon, ground
- 2 tsp ginger, ground
- 2 tsp nutmeg, ground
- 1 tsp allspice, ground
- 1 tsp cloves, ground
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
- You can add this blend of pumpkin goodness to your coffee, smoothies, ice cream, yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, and other baked goods.
- This recipe makes approximately 5 tablespoons. You can double or cut the recipe in half to make more or less depending on how many pumpkin treats you make each season.
- Once combined, store your homemade pumpkin spice blend in an airtight container at room temperature. Your homemade spice blend will last up to 2 years assuming you’re using fresh ingredients and storing it properly.
- Feel free to tweak the ingredients to suit your tastes. A little nutmeg and ginger goes a long way.
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
NOTES
- You can add this blend of pumpkin goodness to your coffee, smoothies, ice cream, yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, and other baked goods.
- This recipe makes approximately 5 tablespoons (or 15 teaspoon) servings. You can double or cut the recipe in half to make more or less depending on how many pumpkin treats you make each season.
- Once combined, store your homemade pumpkin spice blend in an airtight container at room temperature. Your homemade spice blend will last up to 2 years assuming you're using fresh ingredients and storing it properly.
- Feel free to tweak the ingredients to suit your tastes. A little nutmeg and ginger goes a long way.
Nutrition
I hope you enjoy this pumpkin pie spice as much as I do.
Your Coach and Biggest Cheerleader,
Use this pumpkin pie spice for:
Sources:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20924865/#:~:text=Cinnamon%20has%20been%20used%20as,%2Dlowering%2C%20and%20immunomodulatory%20effects.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5222521/#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20its%20use,also%20been%20reported%20in%20literature.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3819475/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3891794/#:~:text=Allspice%20is%20known%20for%20its,against%20DPPH%20radical%20%5B12%5D.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7019938/
I’d love to make this pumpkin pie spice recipe. What brand of spices do you use to make this? Where do you get them?
I mix and match brands. In the stores look for organic options, preferably bottled in glass. They’re a bit more expensive but are the purest, freshest, and best tasting. I hope you enjoy the recipe and use it for years to come. : )