Pioneer Woman’s Homemade Pumpkin Spice

As soon as September comes around, I make an extra large batch of the Pioneer Woman’s Homemade Pumpkin Spice blend. I’ve used it every year since I found it. It’s the perfect blend for all of my fall baking! Make a big batch and start using it now and well into the Christmas baking season as well!

I’m completely obsessed with the Pioneer Woman. So much so, in fact, that the curtains in our kitchen were fashioned from one of her Pioneer Woman Collection tablecloths.  (I wish I were kidding!) But, put aside all of her household items, Pioneer Woman’s Homemade Pumpkin Spice is the only blend I’ve been using for years. It’s the absolute best!

PUMPKIN SPICE IS EVERYTHING NICE!

I’m also obsessed with anything pumpkin-flavoured, and Pioneer Woman’s Homemade Pumpkin Spice brings this boy to the yard!  What is it with the pumpkin spice hate? Every year the memes and the anti-pumpkin remarks seem to come around earlier and earlier.

I could never get enough pumpkin spice flavour.  In fact, it’s not only present in our home during the fall.  I will often bake pumpkin spice-flavoured scones or cookies throughout the year.  Because why not!?

(I’m actually updating this post with new pictures, but I made the pumpkin spice blend you see in the photos yesterday.  That was indeed August 31st!  I feel like such a pumpkin spice rebel!  Blame the Pioneer Woman!)

THE PIONEER WOMAN CRAZE!

The Pioneer Woman Collection is a rather new obsession of mine. I absolutely love her collection!  Did you know that my colleagues at work physically drove from Toronto to the United States to purchase Pioneer Woman dishes as a graduation present for me?

And then, a few weeks later, we made the trip back for me to purchase more.  And then, (I’m not kidding!) about a month after that, we were off to Buffalo AGAIN!  I told you I was obsessed.

As I write this post, I’m looking forward to heading back to Buffalo again tomorrow morning. The purpose of tomorrow’s trip is to do a back-to-school shop for McKenna, but truth be told, Walmart, which is the only store that carries the Pioneer Woman line, is the first stop on my agenda.

HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE A PUMPKIN SPICE BLEND

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post. 

• Cinnamon – Cinnamon is a spice created from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree.   The bark is dried until it curls into a roll known as a cinnamon stick.  These are ground into powder.  Commonly found in baked goods, cinnamon is aromatic with a warming flavour.
• Ginger – Ground ginger is fresh ginger that has been peeled and dried before being ground into a powder.  It has a pale yellow in colour and a pungent, spicy smell.  It adds a warming, spicy flavour to recipes.
• Nutmeg – Nutmeg is a seed that comes in whole or ground form.  It is a key ingredient in many baked goods and is essential to anything eggnog related.  I often use it in fall dishes, especially in mashed potatoes!
• Allspice – Contrary to what its name suggests, allspice isn’t a blend of other spices.  Allspice comes from a dried brown berry from a tree.  It is a warm-tasting spice and is very aromatic.
• Cloves – Ground cloves come from whole cloves which have been finely ground.  They are a flower bud that comes from the clove tree.  Whole dried cloves look like small nails.  The name clove comes from the Latin word for nail.  They are extremely fragrant and commonly found in spiced cakes and confections.

Pioneer Woman’s Homemade Pumpkin Spice couldn’t be easier to make. I measure out all of the ingredients into a bowl. Then, I whisk them together until the blend looks uniform. Transfer the mixture to a mason jar and store it in your pantry for up to six months.

I PREFER HOMEMADE SPICE BLENDS

I’m getting carried away – the whole point of this post is the Pioneer Woman’s Homemade Pumpkin Spice! Looking through the Pioneer Woman cookbooks, more specifically, the A Year of Holidays edition, I was inspired to search Pinterest for a spice blend. And, what did I find!?  Pioneer Woman’s very own recipe!  And, now, I’ve made it myself, tested its flavour profile, and I’m sharing it with you, Dear Reader. 

It’s easy to go to the store and buy a jar of pumpkin spice, but let’s face it, making your own spice blend at home is even easier. If you own a spice rack – most of us do! – you just might have everything you need to make your own blend already. You don’t even need to change out of your pajama pants!

SPICE RACKS

The problem, however, is that those pre-mixed, store-bought, spice blends can be quite expensive. Compare, if you will, the cost of buying a store blend to the cost of making one yourself at home. Of course, those cost savings depend on whether or not you have an existing stocked spice rack. And, truthfully, most of us do!

Unless you are a seasoned cook, most home cooks will have a spice rack that sits on the countertop. You know the kind I speak of. They are either plastic or chrome and most of them spin around so that you have easy access to the spices.

Some home cooks have old-fashioned wooden spice racks that are mounted to the kitchen wall. To be honest, these are the types of spice racks I prefer. My mom used to have one of them and I have fond memories of it. When we bought our house, despite wanting to modernize everything, I wanted to keep some old-time charm to it too.

I found this spice rack on Amazon. I admit, it is a little expensive, but when you consider what you’re getting, it’s not that much of a stretch. The rack is well-made with real wood. And, the spice jars are completely full. I trust the McCormick brand and use it often. It was a no-brainer for me. It hangs quite nicely in our old, country kitchen.

LET’S CHAT ABOUT SPICES FOR A BIT!

Anyone who knows me well will confirm that I am obsessed with spice racks and spice jars. John.e can attest to the fact that over the past eight years, I have updated and completely changed our spice storage system at least five times.

Initially, I had to have all of our spices in mason jars. That lasted for a year or so. Then, I found these really great glass jars with a pull-off lid. The seal was great, but again, they were quite big. Next, I used smaller bottles, and then spice bottles that I picked up from Ikea. I could go on, but I digress.

My obsession has taught me a few things about buying spices. First, keep your spices in a cabinet or at least out of direct sunlight. Yes, I have my spice rack on the wall in my kitchen, but it is as far away from the windows as I could possibly get it.

Secondly, buy spices in small amounts. You should never have more than three to six months’ supply. Spices lose their pungency and flavour. The only seasonings I buy in larger quantities are salt and pepper. That’s why I love the McCormick jars. They’re not too large for me, but keep in mind, I cook quite often. And, when I run out, it’s easy to replace that one jar.

WHAT TO MAKE WITH HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE:

Like I said at the beginning of this post, I make a big jar of this and I use it up rather quickly. The blend will last about six months, but if you love to bake, you can easily use it up all between fall and Christmas baking.

You can start by making these Pumpkin Spice Blondies, or these Spritz Cookies. They are seasoned with pumpkin spice, proving that spritz cookies are not only something we should bake at Christmastime! It’s easy to think of cake and cookies, but have you tried to make your own spiced nuts? We love these Pumpkin Spiced Almonds!