Pumpkin pie spice, also known as pumpkin spice, is an American spice mix, originally developed for flavoring the filling of a pumpkin pie. It does not include pumpkin as an ingredient. Pumpkin pie spice is similar to the British and Commonwealth mixed spice, and the medieval poudre-douce. It is generally a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice. It can also be used as a seasoning in general cooking. , pumpkin spice consumables produce $500 million in annual sales.

History

Flavour combinations similar to pumpkin spice were known in the medieval period - the 1390s book Le Ménagier de Paris contains a spice mix of 17 parts ginger, 4 parts each cinnamon and sugar, and 2 parts each cloves and grains of paradise. Similar spice mixes were often called 'poudre-douce' or 'sweet powder'. A "Pompkin" recipe calling for a similar spice mix (mace, nutmeg, and ginger) can be found in the first known published American cookbook, American Cookery, published in 1796 by Amelia Simmons: Pompkin No. 1. One quart stewed and strained, 3 pints cream, 9 beaten eggs, sugar, mace, nutmeg and ginger, laid into paste No. 7 or 3, and with a dough spur, cross and chequer it, and baked in dishes three quarters of an hour. No. 2. One quart of milk, 1 pint pompkin, 4 eggs, molasses, allspice and ginger in a crust, bake 1 hour. Pumpkin pie spice has been mentioned in cookbooks dating to the 1890s. Blended pumpkin pie spice was introduced commercially by McCormick & Company in 1934.