It is that time of year when pumpkin spice is everywhere, including grocery stores and coffee shops. You will find pumpkin spice scented candles, delicious pumpkin spice pancakes, and piping hot cups of pumpkin spice lattes. How did this phenomenon start, and does pumpkin spice actually contain pumpkin? Continue reading to learn about the history of this fall favorite. We will also give you an amazing DIY pumpkin pie spice recipe you can enjoy yourself.
What is Pumpkin Pie Spice?
Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of cloves, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg. Many people are surprised that pumpkin pie spice does not actually contain pumpkin. There are different recipes of pumpkin pie spice; however, most recipes include at least two spices.
Why Is This Spice Blend Called Pumpkin Pie Spice?
Pumpkin pie spice is named this because it is often used in pies and cakes that included pumpkin. During the 1950s and 1960s, spice manufacturers like McCormick started marketing spice blends like pumpkin pie spice to save consumers time and money. Home cooks no longer needed to blend spices that were to be used in baked pumpkin goods. Now, they could just use this spice blend. Over time, pumpkin pie spice found itself being added to recipes that had no pumpkin.
What Can Be Used in Place of Pumpkin Pie Spice?
If you do not have pumpkin pie spice, you can use a combination of the spices used in pumpkin pie spice (allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg) or you can use apple pie spice. If you are making your own spice blend, you will need to use quite a bit of cinnamon as it is the main flavor profile in pumpkin pie spice. Another dominant spice is cloves, so you will want to include it into your spice mixture.
What Are the Differences between Pumpkin Pie Spice and Apple Pie Spice?
Apple pie spice contains one ingredient not found in pumpkin pie spice – cardamom. Additionally, apple pie spice does not typically contain one of the main ingredients found in pumpkin pie spice – cloves.
A DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe
Pumpkin pie spice can now be found in almost every imaginable food, including sweet desserts, cereals, beverages, crackers, and savory salsa. Pumpkin pie spice is typically a dry powder; however, it can be found in syrup form. You can try making your own pumpkin pie spice – it’s not that hard.
The first retailer to capitalize on everyone’s love of pumpkin pie spice was Starbucks. In 2004, they began offering their popular pumpkin spice latte. In 2003, Peter Dukes, along with a team of baristas, crafted a pumpkin spice latte. The pumpkin spice latte was tested in the market, and Starbucks store managers praised the success of the pumpkin spice latte. Since then, more than 200 million pumpkin spice lattes have been served in Starbucks. Many coffee shops have realized the importance of offering this amazing drink. In fact, due to pumpkin spice latte’s (PSL) success, it has its own hashtag (#PSL) and can be found on all social media sites, including Instagram and Twitter.
Pumpkin spice is loved by everyone. This fall, you will see it in restaurants and coffee shops, as well as grocery stores. Incorporating the delicious fall flavors in pumpkin pie spice will take your home-cooked dishes to the next level.
