A Homemade Blend for Holiday Baking
There’s more to gingerbread spice than cookies. This homemade blend combines ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and cardamom in one jar, ready for baking, warm drinks, and a few unexpected uses.
Making your own lets you choose exactly what goes into the blend and adjust the spices to your liking. If you love a little extra ginger or prefer less clove, you can make it your own.
Beyond Gingerbread Cookies
Stir this blend into muffins, pancakes, waffles, or cakes whenever you want that familiar gingerbread flavor. It’s also delicious in oatmeal or mixed with sugar for sprinkling over buttered toast.
You can use it in recipes that call for gingerbread spice, or try replacing the cinnamon in a favorite recipe with a small amount of the blend. Remember that ginger and cloves bring more bite than cinnamon alone, so start with less and adjust from there.
Cozy Drinks with a Little Spice
A small pinch adds warmth to hot chocolate, coffee creamer, eggnog, or warm oat milk. Start with a little—you can always add more.
Ground spices won’t dissolve completely, so whisk them in well and give your drink an occasional stir. For homemade coffee creamer, gently warm the spices with the milk or cream to help distribute their flavor.
Gingerbread Spice Mix
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Instructions
- Add all the spices to a small bowl and stir until evenly combined, breaking up any clumps with the back of a spoon. Transfer the blend to a clean, dry spice jar with a tight-fitting lid. Label the jar and store in a cool, dark place away from heat and moisture.
- Notes
- For the best flavor, start with fresh, fragrant ground spices. This blend has a noticeable ginger bite, so begin with a small amount when adding it to a recipe that doesn’t already call for gingerbread spice.
- Uses
- Use in gingerbread cookies, cakes, muffins, pancakes, waffles, and French toast. Stir a little into oatmeal, or use to flavor homemade gingerbread syrup, coffee creamer, and whipped cream. Mix with sugar for sprinkling over buttered toast or popcorn, or add to candied nuts and baked apples or pears.