Pumpkin Pie Spice vs. Apple Pie Spice: What’s the Difference?
Learn what goes into these iconic fall flavors.
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Close your eyes and imagine a fragrant slice of pumpkin pie. What flavors come to mind? Sure, there’s pumpkin in pumpkin pie, but it just wouldn’t be the same without the warming notes of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.
Manufacturers have bottled this unique blend of spices to make it that much easier to add fall flavor to everything from pie to cocktails. (And yes, coffee.) But what exactly is in pumpkin pie spice, and how does it differ from apple pie spice? Here’s everything you need to know about these spice aisle favorites.
Related: 22 Pumpkin Dessert Recipes to Keep Your Kitchen Smelling Like Fall
What is in pumpkin pie spice?
Pumpkin pie spice, also often known as pumpkin spice, is a popular blend of warm baking spices originally designed to easily flavor pumpkin pie. This blend is loaded with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and — depending on the brand — allspice as well.
While bakers originally used the spice mix for seasoning pumpkin pies, its popularity and convenience have expanded its use to other desserts such as cakes, breads, and cookies. But the ruddy orange-brown powder isn’t only for desserts — it also adds an aromatic, autumnal spin to cocktails, transforming a summery spritz into a fall-inspired drink or adding warm and fragrant notes to a hot cider.
Despite Starbucks’ iconic pumpkin spice latte, the coffee chain does not have a trademark on the spice blend itself. Pumpkin pie spice in fact dates back to the 1930s, when manufacturing companies like Thompson & Taylor Spice Co and McCormick & Company first dropped versions. Today, you can pick up pumpkin pie spice at almost any major grocery store in the baking or spice aisle.
What is in apple pie spice?
Apple pie spice is a blend that shares many of the same ingredients as pumpkin pie spice — cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger — but more often includes allspice and occasionally cardamom; notably, it doesn’t often include spicy cloves. While sprinkling apple pie spice into your filling for an old-fashioned apple pie is an obvious place to use this blend, you can also mix it into muffin or cookie batter (hello snickerdoodles), or use it as a topping for a hearty breakfast of oatmeal or yogurt.
Apple pie spice is less widely available than pumpkin pie spice, but you can order it online if your local grocery store’s baking or spice aisle doesn’t carry it.
How to substitute for pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice
Since both these blends have overlapping spices, you can easily substitute one for another. Depending on the brand, some versions of pumpkin pie spice lean more heavily on cloves, which have a natural bitterness. If you plan to use pumpkin pie spice in lieu of the milder apple pie spice, start with a small amount and work your way up.
These spice blends are beloved as a group, but each individual ingredient performs beautifully solo too. You can single out any one of the spices present in these blends and still end up with a beautifully warming dessert. (If you’ve got ground cinnamon on hand, that’s more than half the flavor battle.)
Related: There’s More to Baking Than Cinnamon — Try These 6 Spices Instead
And, while store-bought pumpkin and apple pie spice blends are super convenient, some bakers prefer the ability to control how much of each spice (and its flavor) is present in a dish. Take cloves, for example: if you're more sensitive to those astringent notes, you can easily omit them and make sweet treats like these pumpkin pie bars, which soar with cinnamon and just a pinch of nutmeg.
How to store pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice
Like most spices, both pumpkin and apple pie spice benefit from being stored in a cool, dark place away from sunlight, like a spice drawer or pantry. A grocery store brand of pumpkin or apple spice blend keeps for up to a year or more if stored properly.
If you plan to make homemade versions of either blend, it’s best to store them in an airtight container like a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid to ensure the spices retain their freshness.
Related: How to Make Spice Blends Like a Pro
