Easy Recipes for Pumpkin Pie Spice Season

Pumpkin Season is in the Air

Pumpkin Pie Spice season is my favorite time of year. Cilantro season is over, it’s time for the warmth of cinnamon.

Move over light and fruity. Hello, robust flavor and savory dishes.

Nothing says autumn like Pumpkin Pie Spice. Twinkies, KitKats, Cheerios, and Poptarts. Little Debbie is getting in on the act. Shout out to Pumpkin beer.

Once this summer, while on a normal shopping trip in the grocery store I found, on a closeout sale, organic solid packed pumpkin for .36¢ a can. Fortuitous? Heck, yeah! I started thinking ahead to PPS season and all things pumpkin.

More so than the calendar, the arrival of Pumpkin-Pie-Spiced-everything is how we know that there has been a change of season.

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The change of seasons in the south is subtle. There has been no discernible change in the temperature yet.

A Pumpkin Spice Latte is the most conspicuous indication we have. It’s hot outside; mosquitoes and gnats are biting. You can still work up a good sweat doing yard work. And there is still yard work to be done. The pool beckons on a warm day. 

The first taste of the fall season

It’ll be a while before it gets cold. Sweater weather is still 6 weeks away. Pumpkin Pie Spice Everything heralds the arrival of autumn.

To me, cinnamon is warm. It’s the taste of fall. Certainly, it’s a personal preference but don’t you love the cinnamon-scented brooms in the grocery store and at Michaels this time of year?

Look forward to the time when you can swap out shorts, tee shirts, and flip-flops for fuzzy socks and warm jammies.

I suppose that a big part of the appeal of Pumpkin Pie Spice Everything is that it is seasonal; available for a short time only. That suggestion of scarcity makes it almost irresistible.

You may not be able to get Pumpkin Pie Spiced Twinkies, Poptarts, and beer all year long, but you can make your own pumpkin pie spice blend and use it when you want this toasty warm flavor

If you decide to use store-bought pumpkin pie spice (no judging here) make sure it’s fresh. Spices have a shelf life and lose potency over time.

I put together a DIY version of pumpkin pie spice that you can make yourself. It’s so easy. It just calls for a variety of spices that you probably already have in your pantry or spice cabinet. Try this one, you can modify it to suit your taste.

PPS Blend

• 3 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix well in a small bowl, and put it into a pretty jar. (You know the ones you’ve been saving). Make a triple batch. A small jar of pumpkin pie spice makes a great gift for your PPS-loving friends and family.

For PPS coffee, sprinkle a ½ teaspoon of this spice blend over your coffee grounds and brew as usual.

If you have whole cloves, cinnamon, or nutmeg use a spice grinder or grater to easily prepare what you need. Use only dried, ground ginger in this recipe.

Here’s another way to enjoy it.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Overnight Oats

• ¼ cup oats
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• ¼ tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
• A drizzle of honey or maple syrup
• ¼ cup yogurt (Plain or vanilla)

Layer ingredients in a bowl in order, cover, and put it in the refrigerator overnight. This makes one bowl of oats. 

Stir it up in the morning and enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Spice creamer

Around my house, we typically drink black coffee. But a splash of Pumpkin Pie Spiced creamer is a treat we enjoy for a short time. Another easy recipe.

• 2 cups half & half
• 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice blend
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Mix everything in a saucepan and heat, be careful not to bring it to a boil. Pour into a small pitcher (or back into the half & half container like I did).

It will last about 2 weeks in the fridge.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Muffins

These have been, by far, a favorite around my house. I keep a muffin mix in the fridge (for muffin opportunities) and just add ½ cup pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice blend to the basic muffin recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Pretzels

These little beauties are popular at my house.

This time of year you can find Pumpkin Pie Spice chocolate melts that are perfect for PPS pretzels.

I used a 10 oz. bag of Wilton Pumpkin Pie spice chocolate melts and 4 cups of small pretzel twists.

I started by melting the chocolate in the microwave, but it cooled off and thickened before I could make more than a couple of pretzels. So, I put the bowl of chocolate over a pan of simmering water (double boiler style) and kept it warm while I was dipping the pretzels. Worked like a charm.

You can use a fork or small ice tongs to dip the pretzel and then place them on a cooling rack. Once you have finished, put them in the fridge for an hour or so and the chocolate will harden a bit.

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Make the Most of the Seasons

Much of the country experiences 4 distinct seasons. There are wonderful things to experience in each one. You’re glad when one is over and another begins.

In the south, we have maybe 2-½ seasons with real blurry segues from one to another. We might see up to 6 weeks of winter. We have a mini-spring that might last 3 weeks and dive headlong into summer. Summer can last a long time, through much of fall.  So as a state of mind autumn starts with PPS lattes and can linger through most of January.

I plan to enjoy it while it’s here. And since you know how to make Pumpkin Pie Spice blend, you can enjoy it whenever you want.