It’s the season for Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING! As much as the phrase and the food items now connected with it get a bad rap and wind up being the butt of jokes, sometimes you really do need some pumpkin spice for a favorite recipe (like these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Bars).
As it so happens, that was the situation I found myself in just the other day. A trip to the spice rack initially had me texting Mr. Coalcracker In The Kitchen as I frantically tried to catch him before he left the vicinity of a grocery store.
As my thumbs were flying, my eyes were skimming over the spices staring back at me from my collection and the light bulb went off; I already had “pumpkin pie spice”, I just needed to blend together five spices that were already in my possession – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
Why pay several dollars for a tiny, just-over-one-ounce jar of a pre-blended spice mix when I already had the ingredients and a spare 5 minutes? A quick search on the web showed prices for a tiny jar from McCormick which has only about three Tablespoons of spice blend in it costing from $4 to $5 on average from places like Walmart and Target. The very frugal “Coalcracker/Dutchie” side of me just can’t make peace with that.
Do note that the McCormick blend pumpkin pie spice mix does not contain cloves, so if the traditional McCormick taste is the flavor you want in your blend, leave the ground clove out. If you are like me and enjoy clove in your pumpkin spiced items, include it.
I made up two batches, one with clove and one without and tucked them in the spice rack. I always keep a few 4-ounce canning jars around and use them in times like this; I love them for keeping spices fresh and organized. In 5 minutes, I was ready to go, prepared for any “pumpkin spice flavor” need I might encounter this holiday baking season!
To keep your spice blend fresher longer, you can store it in the freezer and just remove what you need for a recipe any time.
Learning to make your own seasoning and spice blends is a very handy skill anyone can master and this recipe is a great place to start!
Money saving spice blend to make yourself!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions
- In small mixing bowl, whisk the spices together until well blended.
- Store in a glass jar or heavy duty zip top plastic bag in cool, dark place.
- Blend may be stored in freezer to prolong freshness for up to 18 months.
Notes
- To make a McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice blend clone, omit cloves.