Name: Homemade Apple Pie Spice
Prep time: 2 min
Total time: 2 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon; 1 Tablespoon Ground Nutmeg; 2 Teaspoons Ground Allspice

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In this post: Apple pie spice is a mixture of aromatic spices that are especially delicious with apple desserts. It is also used as a savory seasoning for other foods. Learn how to make your own here.

There’s nothing quite like the flavor of apples and cinnamon. Well, except the taste of apples with apple pie spice!

In the fall apples are plentiful and it’s a great time to make apple crisp, apple muffins, and even caramel apple sangrias!

And no matter what time of year, apple pie is a favorite of almost everyone. And apple pie spice is handy to have on hand for all those apple recipes.

What is apple pie spice?

Very simply, it’s a mix of spices that are used in apple baked goods.

Why make homemade?

Well, making homemade means you can control the quality of the spices you use. You can also tweak the ratio of spices to your liking. So, why not make homemade?!

Why you’ll love our recipe

It only includes three easy to find ingredients
It’s often cheaper to make your own than it is to buy store-bought, ready-made apple pie spice.
It is versatile – you can use it in apple pie, of course. But you can also use it in many other apple recipes.

What is in apple pie spice?

Apple pie spice can include any of the following spices:

cinnamon – cinnamon is the base spice in apple pie, so don’t substitute this for anything else
allspice – allspice has a nice peppery kick in addition to the sweet flavor and can be replaced with cloves if desired
nutmeg – some people don’t love nutmeg, so you can reduce or eliminate it if desired
ginger – ground ginger has a spicy almost hot taste, which I personally don’t love
cloves – cloves taste subtly sweet and add warmth to apple dishes
cardamom – cardamom is sweet and warm and slightly citrusy but can be omitted if you don’t have any

Although, I personally don’t love ginger and cardamom can be pricey and harder to find than the other spices. So for our recipe, we’ve only included cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

three spices in separate pinch bowls for appl pie spice

How can I make my own apple pie spice blend?

For measurements and full printable recipe directions, see the recipe card below.

Ingredients

Ground Cinnamon
Ground Nutmeg
Ground Allspice

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mason jar, or spice jar and thoroughly mix.
Use right away or store in a sealed container, in the pantry, for 10-12 months.

Tips:

This recipe is really easy to double, triple, etc. Just be sure to mix all the ingredients thoroughly. You don’t want any unmixed pockets appearing in your bowl.
Use this recipe interchangeably with any other apple pie spice you may have used. In other words, if a recipe calls for apple pie spice, you don’t need to change the amount it calls for.
Be sure to break up any clumps that appear in your spice mixture. It gives it a more even blend when you do.
This recipe works great in cobblers and such as well. See below for more ideas.

apple pie spice in a small mason jar with a white measuring spoon in it

How to use apple pie spice

Add to any sweet or savory recipe that you want to add a spicy yet sweet flavor to.
For fruit pies, add 1.5 teaspoons or more (to taste).
In any recipe that calls for cinnamon, use this apple pie spice 1:1.

Great on or in:

french toast, pancakes, and waffles
muffins and loaves
cookies and cakes
oatmeal and granolas
roasted sweet vegetables like sweet potatoes, acorn squash, or carrots
hot drinks like teas and ciders
sweet roasted nuts

Storage & shelf life

Store your spice blend at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, in an airtight container. We like to keep our spices in small mason jars on shelves near our stove.

Ground spices begin to lose their potency at about 6 months, so the longer you store them the more you may need to use to get the same flavor.

Tools to Use:

Spice jars with bamboo lids
Minimalist spice jar labels
“Picture Ledge” style shelves

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FAQ

How much apple pie spice to use in a pie?

For fruit pies use 1.5 teaspoons. Or use 1:1 for the cinnamon or pie spice that the recipe calls for.

What is allspice?

Allspice is a spice made from the dried berries of a plant known as Pimenta dioica, which is a member of the myrtle family. (source: The Spruce Eats) It tastes like a blend of the spices clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

There is also a spice blend called allspice made of those spices that tastes like the singular allspice.

What is a substitute for apple pie spice?

If you don’t have all the spices you need, you can simply substitute cinnamon for the same amount of apple pie spice called for in your recipe. The taste will be less robust though.

You could also substitute with pumpkin pie spice since the spice blend flavors in both are similar.

What is the difference between apple pie spice in pumpkin pie spice?

Pumpkin pie spice is typically made with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice or ground cloves. So it’s very similar to apple pie spices and can be used somewhat interchangeably.

Where to buy apple pie spice?

You can buy premade apple pie spice in most grocery stores, in the spice or baking aisles.

Gifting homemade spices

Use cute jars with pretty labels (like these and these) and give spice blends as gifts to family, coworkers, and friends in the fall and for the holidays.

Recipes to make with apple pie spice

Other homemade spice mixes

More Awesome Apple Recipes

Homemade Apple Pie Spice

Yield: 2.5 tablespoons

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

Homemade apple pie spice is a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice for the perfect combination of flavors in your pies and cobblers. Only three ingredients and super fast to make, it’s nice to have on hand for a variety of uses.