Last updated on December 16th, 2024

Homemade Apple Pie Spice is a warm blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice commonly used in apple desserts to deepen their flavor. You can use it in old-fashioned apple pie, apple muffins, and apple cake. It is readily available in grocery stores, however, it is really easy to make your own. Making your own can allow you to swap the amounts of the individual ingredients to use more of the spices you like and less, of the ones you don’t.

How to make Homemade Apple Pie Spice:

This recipe starts with a base of good quality cinnamon and then I add in a bolder blend of other traditional apple pie spices such as nutmeg, cardamom, and allspice. Although not found in most traditional apple spice blends, I add a little bit of ginger to my blend for that extra zing. You can choose to add a little more or less of these four spices to suit your taste buds.

Equipment Needed:

Bowl
Whisk
Measuring spoons
Small Funnel
Mason Jar or Sealed Container

Ingredients:

Use quality spices:

My favorite spices are from Frontier Organics which you can order direct from them or find in bulk at natural food stores. I’ve found after testing recipes that they are more potent than the average spices on conventional grocery store shelves. When making Apple Pie Spice, I start with a base of good quality cinnamon and then add traditional spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice but also prefer to add cardamom and ginger too.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is the tree bark from cinnamon trees. There are two types Cassia and Ceylon. Cassia cinnamon is yields a mild, sweet flavor and is commonly found and as it is cheaper to produce. Ceylon cinnamon is known as “true cinnamon” and it is more expensive to produce and has a spicer bite. Cinnamon can be found in savory dishes and baked goods and is available in whole form as sticks or ground.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg originates from nutmeg trees in the Spice Islands. Nutmeg is used by chefs and bakers alike and is available as a whole nutmeg shell and ground fresh or purchased in ground form.

Cardamom

Cardamom are pods originated in India, now predominately grown in Guatamala. It is available in whole cardamom pods, shelled seeds, or ground powder. Cardamom is typically used in Indian savory dishes and also found in baked goods.

Ginger

Ginger is a root from a plant grown in Southeast Asia. Ginger can be found in a variety of ways such as the dried or fresh root, ground, or crystallized (candied) pieces.

Allspice

Allspice is made from dried berries from a plant that grows in a tropical climates found in Mexico and Central America. Allspice berries are found in dried, whole form or ground.

Storage:

Keep your mix in a small mason jar and store for up to one year.