Christmas

Gingerbread Spice Mix

24 November 2019 | Last Updated: 8 January 2024 By Aleksandra

Gingerbread spice mix is a blend of spices perfect for making anything gingerbread-flavored, like gingerbread cookies, granola, pancakes, or oatmeal. Instead of using individual spices each time, you can make a batch of this spice mix and use it for all your favorite gingerbread treats. This homemade spice mix is quick and easy to make and it will improve the flavor of any gingerbread dessert.

The first time I baked gingerbread cookies using this homemade gingerbread spice mix, I thought “Oh, that’s how real gingerbread should taste like”. They were just so flavorful and fragrant.

Gingerbread spice mix in a brown bowl. Christmas decoration in the background.

Ingredients

Gingerbread spice is made with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, allspice, star anise, coriander, and black pepper.

If you don’t have star anise or coriander, you can omit them.

The recipe calls for the small seeds inside the star anise, not the whole star anise.

Labeled spices for gingerbread spice mix.

What’s the difference between gingerbread spice mix and pumpkin pie spice?

Pumpkin pie spice is made with only 5 spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. It’s milder than gingerbread spice and contains more cinnamon. Gingerbread spice also includes additional spices such as star anise, cardamom, black pepper, and coriander, which bring a more Christmassy feeling.

For me, pumpkin pie spice smells like fall, while gingerbread spice reminds me of winter and the holidays.

How to make homemade gingerbread spice mix

STEP 1: If you have purchased whole spices, you need to grind them first.

STEP 2: Measure out all the ingredients.

STEP 3: Combine all the spices in a tightly closed jar. Shake with the jar until all the spices are evenly distributed.

How to grind spices

  • You can use a coffee grinder.
  • You can use a powerful blender.
  • I have heard Thermomix grinds such hard spices very well.
  • Using a pestle and mortar (this is what I’ve done). When it comes to mortar, you need a large and solid mortar. I have a Thai granite mortar (check out this pesto recipe to see the photo). Don’t buy a small mortar, you will only be frustrated. A couple of years ago I bought one – I just wanted to try it out and see if I would be using it but it landed in the trash. It’s better to invest and buy a solid mortar and pestle.

Top tips

  • The most flavorful spice mix is made from whole spices that are freshly ground.
  • If you can’t find all the whole spices you can mix freshly ground spices with store-bought ground spices.
  • You can make the spice mix with just store-bought ground spices. It won’t be more flavorful than store-bought gingerbread spice but it will be cheaper and you can control what goes in it and adjust it to your liking.
  • Don’t make big batches of the spice mix, spices lose their flavor quickly so it’s better to make a new batch rather than to use a flavorless one.
  • You can omit spices that you don’t have on hand, except cinnamon. You can also change the spice ratios to your liking.
Spices for gingerbread spice mix on a blue plate.

Gingerbread spice mix uses

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Gingerbread Spice Mix

Gingerbread spice mix is a blend of spices perfect for making anything gingerbread-flavored, like gingerbread cookies, granola, pancakes, or oatmeal. Instead of using individual spices each time, you can make a batch of this spice mix and use it for all your favorite gingerbread treats. This homemade spice mix is quick and easy to make and it will improve the flavor of any gingerbread dessert.
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ingredients for gingerbread spice mix on a white-blue plate
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5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 5 tablespoons
Calories 92kcal
Author Aleksandra

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger not fresh
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom split open the green capsules and take out the seeds, you only need the seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice berries
  • ground seeds from 2 stars anise not the whole stars*
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • a large pinch ground black pepper

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Instructions

  • You can use ground spices or purchase whole spices and grind them yourself. You can grind them in a coffee grinder, a powerful blender, or using a pestle and mortar.
  • Measure out all the spices and combine them in a small jar.
    You can also mix freshly ground spices with store-bought ground spices if you can't get all of them or just use only ground spices. Freshly ground whole spices will be more fragrant.
  • Store the spice mix in a tightly closed jar.

Notes

If you don’t have star anise or coriander, you can omit them.
The recipe calls for the small seeds inside the star anise, not the whole star anise.
Course spice mix
Cuisine european, international
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2 Comments

  • Reply
    Susan
    7 December 2021 at 02:04

    I’m not sure about the 2 star anise pods. I could only find Anise Seed. How much of that would I use?

    • Reply
      Aleksandra
      7 December 2021 at 07:29

      anise seed is much more potent than star anise, add just 1-2 seeds or omit it

    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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