Learn what the difference is between apple pie spice and pumpkin pie spice and whether you can swap one for the other in your recipes.
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With the fall season approaching or already upon us (depending on when you are reading this), many people will be thinking about baking. Apple and pumpkin desserts are the most popular for sure. And those desserts would be missing something without spices.
Many people turn to spice blends for their pies and other baked treats. Pumpkin spice being the most popular but also apple pie spice being on the list as well. Have you ever asked the questions, is there any difference between pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice? I am here to break it down for you.
🍎 Apple Pie Spice
Since you don't grow apple pie spice on a single plant, it's going to be mix of spices! So that means what goes in that mix is up to whoever made it. There is no legal rules saying what you must put in these spice mixes.
Let's take a look at what spices are included in apple pie spice by different brands.
| McCormick | Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. |
| The Spice House | Cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, allspice, ginger and cloves |
| Primate Palate | Cinnamon (Saigon), ginger, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg |
| Kroger | Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, not more than 2% soybean oil |
| The Pioneer Woman (Blog) | 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon with 2 teaspoons each ground nutmeg and allspice. |
🎃 Pumpkin Pie Spice
Now let's look at what you commonly find in pumpkin pie spice.
| McCormick | Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Allspice and Sulfiting Agents |
| Target | Cinnamon, ginger, all spice, nutmeg, and cloves |
| Walmart | Cinnamon, ginger, all spice, nutmeg, and cloves |
| Kroger | Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves |
| Sally's Baking Addiction (Blog) | 3 Tablespoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 and ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon, ground allspice, pinch ground black pepper (small pinch, less than ⅛ teaspoon) |
The differences are a lot brand dependent but it seems that pumpkin pie spice has more in than apple pie spice. It really comes down to your tastes and you can swap one for the other in a recipe without any worry.
Create Your Own
Not matter what blend you are using, they all start with cinnamon. If you want to have a delicious spice blend, then you need to start with the best cinnamon. For me, the best cinnamon I have ever had is Royal Cinnamon from Burlap & Barrel.
Other spices I recommend from them for a fall spice blend include:
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