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Small batch pumpkin pie spice blends warm cinnamon, sharp ginger, and cloves into one fragrant mix in 5 minutes. You make just enough from scratch to last the season, with spices already in your pantry.
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Equipment: small bowl, whisk, airtight jar or spice container
- Cook Method: no-cook, whisked together
- Servings: 8 teaspoons (2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons)
- Difficulty: easy
Made from scratch with five ground spices, this small batch blend swaps 1:1 for store-bought pumpkin pie spice in any recipe.
Why Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice
Homemade pumpkin pie spice smells like fall the moment you open the jar. Sweet cinnamon up front, warm ginger and clove underneath. Mix it fresh from your pantry and it’s brighter and more fragrant than a jar that’s been sitting on a store shelf.
The ratio is balanced so no single spice takes over. Cinnamon leads, with ginger and nutmeg behind it and the cloves and allspice kept in the background. You need just five ground spices and one bowl. Five minutes gives you about 8 teaspoons, enough for a season of single serving and small batch baking.
You always know exactly how much to reach for. This little jar flavors a pumpkin pie for one, small batch pumpkin muffins, single serve pumpkin coffee cake, or a bottle of pumpkin spice creamer.
Ingredient Notes
You need just five ground spices to make homemade pumpkin pie spice, and each one has a job in the mix. If you have spices leftover from this recipe, our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder will help you find ways to use them.
Cinnamon: This is the main spice and the one you’ll use the most. It gives the blend its sweet, warm flavor, the taste most people picture when they think of pumpkin pie.
Ginger: Ground ginger adds gentle warmth and a mild, peppery kick alongside the cinnamon, so the blend tastes fuller.
Nutmeg: Nutmeg is warm and slightly nutty, and it adds richness under the cinnamon. A little goes a long way, so you only need a small amount.
Allspice: Despite the name, allspice is a single spice, and it tastes like cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg all at once. That makes it good at pulling the other flavors together.
Cloves: Cloves are the strongest spice in the blend. Just a little adds deep, warm flavor, so the recipe uses only a half teaspoon.
How Much Pumpkin Pie Spice To Use
How much pumpkin pie spice you use depends on the size of what you’re baking, from a full pie down to a single serving.
How Much Pumpkin Pie Spice For One Pie?
Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for a standard 9-inch pumpkin pie. Start with 1 teaspoon for a mild, warm flavor, or use 2 teaspoons for a stronger, spicier pie.
How Much Pumpkin Pie Spice For A Single Serving Pumpkin Pie?
Use ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice for a single serving pumpkin pie for one baked in a 10-ounce ramekin. It replaces the separate cinnamon, ginger, and cloves and gives you the same warm flavor in a smaller amount.
How Much Pumpkin Pie Spice To Use In Other Recipes?
Use pumpkin pie spice as a 1:1 swap anytime a recipe calls for it. If the recipe lists the warm spices separately, add up the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves it calls for, then use that same total amount of the blend instead.
How To Make Pumpkin Pie Spice
You can make homemade pumpkin spice in one bowl. See the recipe card below for exact amounts and full instructions.
Whisk the spices. Add all five ground spices to a small bowl and whisk until the blend is even in color, breaking up any clumps of ground ginger as you go.
Store the blend. Spoon the pumpkin pie spice into a small airtight jar and keep it in a cool, dry spot like a pantry or cupboard.
Recipe Variations
Once you have the base blend, homemade pumpkin spice is easy to adjust. Make a smaller batch, leave out a spice you’re missing, or add cardamom for a brighter flavor.
Make a Smaller Batch of Pumpkin Pie Spice
To make even less, halve everything: 2¼ teaspoons cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon allspice, and ¼ teaspoon cloves. That makes about 4 teaspoons.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Without Allspice or Cloves
You can leave out the allspice, the cloves, or both. Allspice is the easiest to skip, since its flavor overlaps the other spices; add ¼ teaspoon more cinnamon in its place. If cloves taste too strong to you, leave them out and add ⅛ teaspoon more nutmeg.
Add Cardamom for a Brighter Blend
Stir in ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom for a brighter, slightly floral flavor that pairs well with pumpkin.
Expert Tips
Use fresh spices for the strongest flavor. Ground spices fade over time, so a blend made from older jars tastes weaker. If yours have been open a year or more, replace them before mixing.
Whisk until the color is even. Ground ginger and cinnamon clump easily. Whisk well so the spices are fully combined and the blend looks uniform, with no streaks.
For extra aroma, grate fresh nutmeg. Ground nutmeg from a jar works well here. If you have a whole nutmeg on hand, grating it fresh gives the blend a little more fragrance.
Adjust the ratio to taste. Add more cinnamon for a stronger cinnamon flavor, or more ginger and cloves for a warmer, spicier blend. Give it a smell before you store it and tweak from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Pumpkin spice and pumpkin pie spice are two names for the same blend of warm baking spices. The shorter name is just a common way to refer to it.
No. Pumpkin pie spice contains no pumpkin. It’s a blend of warm spices, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves, named for the pie it flavors, not for any pumpkin in the mix.
Yes. Add up the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves a recipe calls for, then use that same total amount of pumpkin pie spice instead. It works as a 1:1 swap.
Homemade pumpkin pie spice lasts 1 to 2 years when the spices you use are fresh. Store it in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place, and use it within about a year for the strongest flavor.
How To Use Pumpkin Pie Spice
Once your homemade pumpkin pie spice is mixed, stir it into any of our small batch pumpkin recipes like:
Mini Pumpkin Dump Cake
Small Batch Pumpkin Pie Bars
No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake For One
Small Batch Pumpkin Spice Granola
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small batch DIY pumpkin pie spice or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Small Batch Pumpkin Pie Spice
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Add all of the ground spices to a small bowl.
- Whisk the spices together for about 30 seconds, breaking up any clumps of ginger, until the blend is even in color.
- Spoon the pumpkin pie spice into a small airtight jar and store it in a cool, dry place.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Great recipe.
Thank you.