Homemade Apple Pie Spice

Apple Pie Spice is a cozy blend of warm spices that you can use in anything! Sprinkled into baked goods, oatmeal, coffee, and more, it adds an unforgettable autumn flavor.

Perfect Apple Pie Spice, Great in All Kinds of Recipes!

When cool weather finally makes its way down to Florida, you know I love me some pumpkin recipes. From muffins to donuts to cake, pumpkin basically takes over my life, as I’m sure it does with lots of you guys. But fall and winter are also the perfect time for all things apple, you know? Even the apples in the grocery store are just better, since they’re finally in season again.

No fall baking extravaganza would be complete without plenty of spiced apple goodies, which is why I’m excited to share this quick and easy tutorial for making your own apple pie spice. It’s wonderful to have on hand, and you can sprinkle it into almost any recipe. Add some to your coffee, too! You won’t regret it!

(If you’re looking for some apple-y treats to bake, try these Rum Apple Dumplings, Apple Blondies, or my Cinnamon Apple Buckle!)

Are Apple Pie Spice and Pumpkin Pie Spice the Same?

These two spices are very, very similar, but you’ll find that pumpkin pie spice has a slightly more intense flavor, most famously used in pumpkin pie, of course. Apple pie spice is a little lighter and more cinnamon-forward. The main difference is in the use of cloves. Cloves are super strong, with a powerfully Christmas-y flavor that gives pumpkin spice its depth. Cloves aren’t used in apple pie spice (usually), leaving it lighter, but still flavorful.

What Is In Apple Pie Spice?

While you could customize this recipe any way you like, the basic ingredients for apple pie spice are just four basic baking spices that you probably have on hand. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is the basis for this mixture. Make sure yours is fresh, since older spices don’t have as much flavor. 
• Nutmeg: This holiday favorite brings out the best in baked apple dishes. 
• Allspice: Similar to cloves, allspice has a deep, unforgettable taste that gives the blend a lot of character. 
• Ginger: Again, be sure to check the dates on your spices, and use fresh spices to make this recipe. Anything older than one year old is probably losing its flavor.

How to Make Apple Pie Spice

Okay, brace yourself – these instructions are super complicated. Just kidding! All you have to do is mix up your ingredients. So simple and quick, you can’t go wrong.

• Prep as Needed. If any of your spices are whole spices, use a spice grinder to grind them up. 
• Mix the Spices Together. Once everything is ground, mix the spices together in a small bowl or shake them together in a baggie.
• Store. To keep the mixture fresh, store it in an airtight container. 

Recipe Tips and Notes

You really can’t go wrong with this little recipe, but there are lots of neat ways to tweak it and make it your own. Here are my top tips for working with apple pie spice:

• Scale It Up or Down: If you do a lot of baking, you may want to scale up. If you won’t use this very often, feel free to scale down! Either way, the mix will be an amazing part of your kitchen pantry.
• Tweak the Amounts: Who says this has to taste the same for every household? If you love a certain flavor, go ahead and add a little more of it. Maybe you prefer the nutmeg to take a backseat, or the ginger to have a bolder taste? Go for it!
• Cardamom Option: Some apple spice recipes call for cardamom, and for good reason. This fragrant spice has a pleasant floral or citrus aroma, and it works wonderfully with apples! If you’d like to include cardamom, I recommend swapping some of the allspice for it.

Delicious Ways to Use Apple Pie Spice

This fragrant little kitchen helper does a lot more than just pie! You can stir it into just about anything for a blast of autumn flavor and warm, homey comfort. Here are just a few ideas to get you started!

• Baked Apples: Perfect on some Cinnamon Baked Apples!
• Oatmeal: Or Cream of Wheat, or any other hot cereal.
• Cookies: Speaking of oatmeal, you can add some apple pie spice to Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies or any other autumn cookie recipe that you like.
• Muffins: If you really want to wow your family, try adding this spice blend to your favorite muffins – these Apple Cinnamon Muffins are an especially scrumptious choice. 
• Casserole: Breakfast casseroles are were it’s at, I promise this Apple Pie French Toast Casserole.

And more! Add it to spice cakes, quick breads, pork and chicken recipes, or even cold cereal – it’s all good.

Storage

Store homemade seasonings in an airtight container in a dark, cool place, marked with the date. Ground spices can be stored for literally years, but they do start losing flavor after a year. If you feel your apple pie spice is lacking in flavor, check the date – it may be time to mix up a new batch.

More Essential Baking Recipes

• Easy Homemade Pie Crust
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• Easy Lemon Curd Recipe
• Homemade Empanada Dough
• Homemade Apple Pie Filling
• Homemade Pita Bread
• Homemade Flour Tortillas

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