Skip to main content

Embrace your inner basic bro: Learn how to make your own pumpkin spice

You don't have to deny It anymore — pumpkin spice is delicious

Look, no one’s proud of it. It’s something that’s associated with teenage girls and Ugg boots, or middle aged moms and Hobby Lobby. This time of year, every “Karen” in the country is walking around singing its praises and decorating every nook and cranny of her home accordingly with plastic gourds and faux foliage. But the sad truth is, pumpkin spice is delicious.

It just is, and there’s nothing we can do about it. So we say, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Throw on some flannel and embrace your inner basic bro. Stand up and declare your passion for pumpkin spice proudly. And we daresay, take it a step further by making your own blend at home. Because this time of year, adding this easy-to-make spice blend to just about anything will put you in a leaf-jumping, apple-picking, hay-riding kind of mood. And we’re here for it.

Just about every food and drink brand has hopped on the pumpkin spice bandwagon in the last few years. Of course, the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is the leader of the pack, selling millions of the popular drink every autumn. Brands like Nespresso and Swiss Miss have also cashed in on the trend. Our favorites are the more unusual pairings — Pumpkin Spice Oreos, anyone? Or how about cracking open a cold Pumpkin Spice Hard Seltzer courtesy of Bud Light? No matter how far these brands might be reaching, there seem to be customers who just can’t get enough of this popular spice in their favorite foods and drinks.

The good news is, with this simple recipe, you, too, will be able to give anything you desire a pumpkin spice kick. Simply sprinkle bit to your coffee beans for a bit of fall flavor in your brew. Dust a little on toast or pancakes on those chilly fall mornings. Add a bit to your vanilla milkshake if you’re still in the summer heat and just can’t wait for fall to start! And of course, use it in all of your favorite pumpkin spice recipes, like pies and cakes.

Pumpkin spice recipe

Ground cinnamon spice.
Pexels

This recipe is ridiculously easy to make. No cooking required — just mix a few things you probably already have in the cupboard, and bam. Homemade pumpkin spice. Pro tip: Make a big batch, find some cute jars, and give them away as gifts. Your charm meter just skyrocketed.

Maybe make a few extras, tag them with your number, and hand them out in front of Starbucks? Sounds like a brilliant plan to us.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Method:

  1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.
  2. Store in a tightly sealed jar.

That’s it! Now you’re ready to put pumpkin spice on… well, just about anything!

Editors' Recommendations

Lindsay Parrill
Lindsay is a graduate of California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, from where she holds a degree in…
This is how to make a Bloody Bull – a better, beefier Bloody Mary recipe
Here's a different version of a Bloody Mary
Brennan's Bloody Bull.

Born in the great city of New Orleans, the Bloody Bull is the beefier cousin of the Bloody Mary. Treated to some meaty broth, the drink is super savory and begging to accompany your brunch plans.

The original hails from Brennan's, a colorful creole restaurant that's been on the scene since 1946. There are riffs of course, with bartenders treating the drink to everything from a bit of Guinness to a host of different spice blends.

Read more
Flying with alcohol: How to pack beer and wine in your luggage
Can you fly with alcohol? Learn how with this packing guide
Packing a suitcase.

If you're a craft beer aficionado or ardent wine lover, chances are that, at some point, you'll find yourself in a predicament when packing for a flight. You've gone a little overboard at the breweries and wineries and couldn't resist splurging on several of those delicious bottles. Don't worry; we've all been there. From a souvenir perspective, locally produced beer and wine make for refreshing mementos from any journey, as well as great gifts to bring back from your travels. Here's the big question though. Can you bring alcohol on a plane?

The short answer is yes. Like with anything else in life, there are rules and it's important to know them before you head to the airport including how much and what you can bring. It's also essential to know how to pack the alcohol for the flight. There’s nothing worse than a bottle of red wine breaking in your suitcase and staining everything or a broken beer bottle making your luggage smell like yeast right before a long-haul flight. With a few smart packing decisions, your beer or wine will be safely waiting for you at the baggage carousel, wherever your final destination may be.

Read more
The best whiskey options to make your Manhattan drink recipe even better
Rye whiskey is classic, but not the only option
Manhattan

The Manhattan is one of the most well-known classic cocktails ever created. Like many famous mixed drinks, its history is a bit mysterious. One version of the story says that the drink was made at New York City’s Manhattan Club in the 1870s by a bartender named Iain Marshall. There is a mention of the drink in the later 1800s in a book written by bartender Wiliam F. Mulhall. Regardless of who created it, this whiskey-driven cocktail has stood the test of time.

Whiskey matters
This iconic drink is similar to the Old Fashioned, except instead of whiskey, sugar, water, and Angostura bitters, the Manhattan is made with whiskey, Angostura bitters, and sweet vermouth. While the other ingredients are important, the whisky is the key. The bitters add a bit of spice to the mix, and the vermouth adds a fruity sweetness, but the big, bold flavor is the whisky. The other ingredients are only there so the whiskey can shine through.

Read more