I Made This 4-Ingredient Pumpkin Spice, and I’ll Never Buy the Store-Bought Stuff Again

Every September, I find myself reaching for pumpkin spice, sprinkling it into my morning coffee, folding it into whipped cream, and even dusting it over roasted squash at dinnertime. I am embarrassed to admit that I stocked up on little jars from the grocery store for years without thinking twice. But after making my own blend with just four pantry staples, I realized I’d been missing out. 

In my opinion, homemade pumpkin spice is way better than the store-bought stuff! The seasoning is more balanced, affordable, and honestly, just makes me happier knowing I stirred it together myself. Throwing together a batch of pumpkin spice is the kind of simple ritual that ushers in autumn no matter what the temperature is outside, filling my kitchen with the scent of warm spices. Take it from me: Once you try it, you’ll never go back.

What Is Pumpkin Spice?

Pumpkin spice—a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger—is what gives pumpkin pie its signature warm and aromatic flavors. Cinnamon and cloves offer bold, sweet notes, while nutmeg contributes a subtly nutty taste and ginger adds a hint of spice and earthiness with a little zing. Contrary to its name, pumpkin spice (also called pumpkin pie spice) does not contain pumpkin. It is just commonly used to flavor pumpkin-based desserts and drinks (looking at you, pumpkin spice latte).

How to Make Your Own Pumpkin Spice

Jacquie’s Homemade Pumpkin Spice recipe is remarkably simple. All you need to do is combine 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves. That’s it! 

Jacquie’s recipe makes enough to spice one pumpkin pie—but I quadruple the recipe to have enough to sprinkle on dishes and drinks for a couple weeks. 

How to Use Pumpkin Spice

• Whip up a PSL. Once I realized I have all the elements to make the iconic fall drink at home—coffee, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin spice, and whipped cream—I stopped hitting the Starbucks drive-thru. Try Zippy’s Pumpkin Spiced Latte recipe, my current go-to.
• Jazz up potatoes or squash. I love baking whole sweet potatoes, which are perfect to split in half and load with butter, brown sugar, and Homemade Pumpkin Spice for an easy side or dessert. Or Homemade Pumpkin Spice also plays well with roasted squash.
• Cook up a storm. Fall is the season for making cozy, comforting dishes and treats. Bake some Pumpkin Crunch Cake, start your morning with Cinnamon Pumpkin Waffles, or sweeten your tailgating spread with a batch of Pumpkin Fluff Dip.