I would venture a bet that at least 50% of the pumpkin recipes I look at each year (both old and new recipes) include pumpkin pie spice on the ingredient list.  And if it’s not specifically called pumpkin pie spice, it’s some combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and maybe allspice and/or ground cloves.  Does this sound familiar to you?  Frankly, I got tired of measuring out each individual spice for recipes like the pumpkin butterscotch blondies (in the photo above) and I refused to spend money on a pre-made spice mix that I could easily make at home.  And why not make it at home?  Aside from saving a few bucks on the pre-made mix, I already keep all of the necessary spices in my pantry so it was a no-brainer to just combine them all together to make a ready-to-use homemade pumpkin pie spice mix whenever I need it.

Like most spice mixes, including this taco seasoning, you can play with the amount of each spice you use in order to get the right combination for you.   Your best tool for making DIY pumpkin pie spice is your nose – you’ll be able to smell if the you need to adjust the amounts for your own preference.  It’s especially easy with this spice mix because all of the spices have a very distinct scent independently so by taking a whiff, you’ll know which you may need more of.  Just be sure you are familiar with how each spice smells on its own before combining them together!  If you think it needs a little more cinnamon,  add a little more.  Or if you’re not a huge fan of nutmeg (like me), add a little less from the start.  When you’ve got the right combination, the mix should smell like a hint of pumpkin pie – it’s so easy!!