Fall is here! Pumpkin pie spice flavoring is so popular this time of year…it’s comforting, warm and homey. I wanted to make a homemade version of pumpkin pie spice mix so I could enjoy that classic autumnal aroma and yummy spicy flavor any time I wanted to.
You will find that making your own pumpkin pie spice mix is less expensive and easier than buying it at the store, and you can have as much as you want in your pantry. If you are wondering what you can do with your pumpkin pie spice mix, I’ve included a couple of ideas below. But first, let’s make the homemade pumpkin pie spice mix.
I did some research online and found out there are four or five basic spice ingredients that comprise pumpkin pie spice mix. In fact, you might even find that you already have most if not all of these ingredients in your pantry. They are: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Total time: 5 minutes
- Servings: 5 tablespoons
Ingredients:
Directions:
Measure out and add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk together until well combined. Store in an airtight container until you are ready to use (I used a small glass jar). You can even double or triple this recipe and have some leftover for your spice cabinet!
Most people are surprised to learn that there is no pumpkin in pumpkin pie spice mix! By omitting cloves from the ingredients list, you can make your pumpkin pie spice mix taste more like pumpkin pie and less like gingerbread (I tried making it both ways, with and without the cloves, and keeping the cloves in the recipe gives it a little more of a gingerbread aroma…leaving them out reminds me of pumpkin pie).
Homemade pumpkin pie spice mix takes less than five minutes to mix with these few common spices that I’ve listed. You will find yourself using it for fall baking, flavoring your coffee, spicing up your whipped cream and making a fragrant simmering potpourri. You can add a teaspoon to your morning coffee (I did…and it was delicious!), and incorporate it into your pancake mix, french toast, oatmeal, cookies, muffins and cakes.
Next, I decided to scent my house naturally and easily with kitchen spices by making my own simmering potpourri. This was easily accomplished by utilizing the already made pumpkin pie spice mix, and a few other simple ingredients…
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
Directions:
Fill the saucepan with water and set it on the stove…turn the heat on high and bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn down the heat and let it simmer…add 2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice mix to the water. Pour 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract into the water and then carefully drop in 2-4 fresh cinnamon sticks. Slice up an apple and add the pieces into the water, along with the fresh cinnamon sticks. If you have an orange, you may slice it up and add it to the water (as well as a few whole cloves), although this is just optional. Continue to let the saucepan simmer on the stovetop for an hour.
