Make Your Own Apple and Pumpkin Pie Spice Blends
Creating the best apple or pumpkin pie spice blend for your fall desserts is a simple matter of blending together spices many of us already have in the pantry. Blended and placed in decorative jars, pie spice blends also make fabulous hostess and Secret Santa gifts. Whether you blend to share or blend to bake, these spice blends are a great way to get the most out of your spice rack while creating some holiday cheer.
And let’s not forget the benefits inherent in using spices such as cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.), nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), allspice (Pimenta dioica) and ginger (Zingiber officinale). Cinnamon, containing vitamins A and K as well as magnesium, potassium, and calcium is a positive addition to any balanced diet (Brazier, 2020). Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg are all known to stimulate digestion, making them ideal ingredients for rich desserts (Mar, 2007). Below are two pumpkin spice blends and one apple spice blend for you to try.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend Version 1
Making your own pumpkin pie spice for muffins or pies saves a trip to the store. It also offers the chance for blending to taste and experimenting with flavors. This base recipe is a good place to start. Yield: ¼ cup.
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) bark
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice (Pimenta dioica) berries
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) flower bud
- Mix all ingredients together in a dry clean bowl.
- Store in an airtight container.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend Version 2
This pumpkin pie spice blend differs from the first version both in quantities of spices as well as removing allspice (Pimenta dioica) from the blend. Allspice, also known as “Jamaica pepper” tastes similar to cinnamon and nutmeg combined. Removing it from the blend will produce a milder flavor combination. Experiment with both blends to see which works better for you. Yield: ¼ cup.
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) bark
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) flower bud
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) seeds
- Mix all ingredients together in a dry clean bowl.
- Store in an airtight container.
Apple Pie Spice Blend
Who doesn’t love spiced apple quickbreads or classic apple pie? Apples are packed full of nutrients including vitamins B and C, as well as calcium and beta-carotene (Mars, 2004). A spiced apple pie is the perfect end to a fall meal and a chance to combine the wholesome benefits of apples with the digestive properties of spices. This apple spice blend is sure to please. Yield: ¼ cup.
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) bark
- 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice (Pimenta dioica) berries
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) seeds
- Mix all ingredients together in a dry clean bowl.
- Store in an airtight container.
To create larger batches of the spice blends, simply double or triple the quantities of the spices. That way, you should have enough for yourself as well as friends and family.
For more recipes filled with warm holiday herbs and spices be sure to check out:
12 Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes
REFERENCES
Brazier, Y. (2020). What are the health benefits of cinnamon? [Online article] Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266069
Johnson, J. (2017) 12 herbal Thanksgiving dinner recipes for this year’s celebrations [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://theherbalacademy.com/12-herbal-thanksgiving-dinner-recipes/
Mars, B. (2004). Rawsome! Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications.
Mars, B. (2007). The desktop guide to herbal medicine: The ultimate multidisciplinary reference to the amazing realm of healing plants, in a quick-study, one-stop guide. Columbus, OH: Basic Health Publications, Inc.
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