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I’ve never understood the appeal of Pumpkin Spice Lattes. First of all: I’m curiously allergic to coffee, and have thusly lost almost all interest in it; second of all, when I was finally able to try a coffee~free version of the latte that swept a nation, it didn’t taste like pumpkin at all! I mean…they say it’s pumpkin spice flavored right there in the name, but why not just call it “autumn spice” or “holiday spice” if it isn’t going to be predominantly pumpkin flavored, too??

(As a pumpkin pie lover, I clearly have a lot of strong feelings on this topic.)

Since all the hubbub of the PSL took over our world, apple pie spice has become all but forgotten…along with who-knows-how-many other lesser known spice blends. To be honest, apple pie spice is made with far fewer ingredients, most of which are readily available in most kitchens these days, so there’s not much reason to go digging around grandma’s spice rack¹ if you already have all of the ingredients on hand.

And while pumpkin pie spice includes more…well…spicier spices, like ginger and cloves, this apple pie spice has only three ingredients: cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. The latter isn’t always as common as the two former, so it’s often omitted in modern recipes for apple pie, but in my opinion, there’s just something missing from the delicious warm spices which make up the flavor of apple pie with only cinnamon and nutmeg in it.

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Like its more famous cousin, apple pie spice need not be reserved only for the occasional apple pie. In my opinion, it does much better in a (proper) latte than pumpkin pie spice, because it isn’t as overwhelming (read: a spiced punch to the face). It’s also a good substitute for just cinnamon and sugar if you’d like some comfort food for breakfast, but you’d also like a more grown up way of making cinnamon toast². If, for some reason, you want to be a grown up.

However, if you do want the flavor of apple pie spice in its namesake dessert, but the recipe only calls for cinnamon and nutmeg, you have two very easy choices: either substitute the combined amount of spices from the recipe with apple pie spice (for example, 1 Tbs. cinnamon + ½ tsp. nutmeg = 1½ Tbs. of apple pie spice) or simply add a small amount of cardamom to the recipe (usually equaling as much nutmeg as is asked for).

This recipe for apple pie spice makes enough for a few pies—with a bit left over for playing around with—and it easily fits in an average-sized spice bottle. You can make as little or as much as you’d like to keep around, dividing or multiplying as you see fit…or you can follow my even easier, arithmetic-free recipe below!

Edit:
I made a big mistake, and accidentally wrote teaspoons instead of Tablespoons for the cinnamon in the original post for this recipe. The amounts have now been corrected.

ごめんなさい！

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Apple Pie Spice:

• 4 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

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Directions:

1. Stir together all the ingredients.

2. Bam です.

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This recipe is easily made in a measuring cup, using either a fork or a small whisk, as it can then be transferred to a spice jar with very few dishes. Or, if you’re the kind of person who keeps paper cups hanging around (Ooh! I am! I am!), you can stir everything together in said paper cup, crease it to easily pour the spice mix into a jar, and then have only a fork to wash!

One more note: if you are so inclined, you are more than welcome to grind your own spices to make this mix, however I don’t find it necessary. While I am the kind of person who likes to keep whole spices around—like cinnamon sticks for rice pudding (does anybody want me to share a rice pudding recipe?)—this mix is intended to end up in a cupboard, so all the effort of freshly ground spices will be lost fairly soon. But you do you!

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1. I swear to gawds, that is not some creepy euphemism! ↩︎
2. Recipe in a recipe! Mix 1 teaspoon of apple pie spice with 1 Tablespoon of sugar! ↩︎