Apple Pie Spice

This homemade Apple Pie Spice recipe is the perfect way to add a little touch of Fall flavor everywhere you go. Add it to your favorite apple recipes, or gift some to friends and family in a decorative jar with a pretty label and a bow.

Oh, and don't forget to check out my recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice - it's the perfect way to welcome the Fall season.

When I first started cooking more than 20 years ago, it would be an understatement to say I was on a budget. The first spice blends were coming to market, but we were still years away from anything that would be labeled "apple pie spice" or "pumpkin spice." In fact, it would be several years before the first Pumpkin Spice Latte was launched!

But even back then, I started to wonder if I could make my own taco seasoning, hot chocolate mix, or Italian seasoning.

Once I figured out that I could make these things on my own, I felt like a world of possibilities opened. I could make all of my favorite foods on a budget - because I knew how to make a few simple things from scratch.

How to Make Your Own

This Apple Pie Spice recipe is a spice blend that has become popular in recent years, and home cooks love it for being able to quickly add signature warm spices to a favorite dish - no detailed measuring required.

This easy recipe is a great way to make your own spice blend and save money in the process. But that's not all - you can also skip out on any preservatives or anti-caking agents of the original. What's not to love about that!?

Ingredients

• Ground cinnamon: Warm, comforting, and quintessentially apple pie.
• Nutmeg: Another warming spice, and a beloved companion to cinnamon.
• Ginger: You'll want to use ground ginger for this recipe. It's slightly spicy and warm and adds the perfect complimentary flavor to apples.
• Allspice: This is actually one single plant that produces berries, which are then ground into a powder. It gets its name from having notes of clove, star anise, fennel, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper - hence "allspice".
• Cardamom (optional): This ingredient isn't as common in your average spice drawer as the others listed, so I have made it optional. But if you can take the time to find it at your local grocery store, I highly encourage you to do so - it adds a truly special touch.

Step three: Transfer your homemade spice blend to a storage jar and add a tight lid. Label and store (or prepare for gifting).

Expert Tips

• Start off right. Use good quality, fresh spices when making your homemade apple pie spice. This will extend the storage on the homemade blend, and give you the best possible results.
• Keep it sealed. Make sure you use an airtight container or jar. Exposure to air causes the spices to lose their potency, so keep your jars well-tightened.
• Shop around. Ground spices can be pricey, so check out the various aisles of the grocery store to get the best deal (surprisingly, the best price in my grocery store is organic!). You can also find great prices at local markets.

Ways to Use Your Apple Pie Spice

The wonderful thing about this homemade apple pie spice recipe is that you aren't limited to just apple pie. In fact, you can use it in all of your favorite apple recipes, and I encourage you to try some savory dishes as well!

• French toast. Sprinkle a little bit into the custard mixture, a little more on top for serving, and add some pan-fried apple pieces for an extra special touch.
• Hot apple cider. Give this an extra boost by using a few teaspoons of apple pie spice.
• Apple turnovers. Cook your apples with some apple pie spice, then add to a puff pastry shell and bake (or make air fryer apple turnovers).
• Ice cream. Sprinkle some on top and serve with a few spoonfuls of apple pie filling and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
• Apple muffins. You can substitute the blend of spices used in your recipe for an equal measure of your homemade blend.
• Apple crisps. If you love these as much as I do, you'll be happy to know you can make them even more flavorful with the addition of a DIY spice mix.
• Pork chops. These pair with apples and applesauce perfectly, so how much more so with a little sprinkle of apple pie spice?

Apple Pie Spice Substitute

If you need just a small amount of apple pie spice for a recipe, you can make a small batch by scaling according to a ratio OR cutting the full recipe into a fourth.

• Ratio: 9 parts cinnamon + 6 parts nutmeg + 3 parts cardamom + ½ part ground ginger + ½ part ground allspice.
• Small batch: 2 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon + 1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg + ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom + ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger + ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice. Makes 4 ¾ teaspoons of apple pie spice.

Gifting Ideas

• Decorative jar. Make a big batch and distribute it into decorative jars. Add a custom label, some twine (or ribbon), and gift jars to your friends and family.
• Pair with pumpkin spice. If you have a passionate baker in your life, pair a jar of apple pie spice with a jar of pumpkin pie spice.
• In a basket. Add a jar of your homemade spice blend with some complimentary items like puff pastry, apple cider, fresh apples, gourmet butter, a wooden spoon, etc.