For some, once the calendar flips to Fall, a new obsession begins to take hold. No, it’s not leaf-peeping…It’s all things pumpkin spice! But enjoying this warm spice blend that conjures up Autumn nostalgia isn’t reserved just for your favorite frothy, caffeinated drink or the Thanksgiving table.
The flavor can pop up in desserts like pumpkin spice cheesecake, soups, cocktails, cookies—basically any recipe that works with the classic pumpkin spice blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.
“A lot of people think pumpkin spice [flavor] and they think holidays, Fall and they think change of season,” observes award-winning pastry chef Padua Player, a.k.a. SugaChef, the mastermind behind his namesake online bakery, SugaChef Desserts. “I really think it has a lot to do with pop culture.”
Becoming a Pantry Staple
We have no doubt pumpkin spice has been on our collective flavor radars for some time. While it’s difficult to pinpoint the first time pumpkin spice ingredients were blended together, we do know that “pumpkin pie spice” was available in 1934 courtesy of the American spice company McCormick & Company, Inc. The spicy-sweet flavor of cinnamon and ginger became a pantry staple, helping home cooks craft the traditional Thanksgiving pie dessert.
More recently, Starbucks can claim getting their ubiquitous pumpkin spice flavor on everyone’s tongue, literally, with their pumpkin spice latte (PSL). According to the coffee chain’s website, PSL was born on the seventh floor of its Seattle HQ back in 2003. There, Starbucks “Liquid Lab” researchers sampled forkfuls of pumpkin pie, followed by sips of hot espresso, to hone the ideal PSL flavor.
Pumpkin spice even made it into the dictionary. Merriam-Webster officially added pumpkin spice to the dictionary in 2022, describing it as “a mixture of usually cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and often allspice that is commonly used in pumpkin pie.”
Working With Pumpkin Spice
So when Chef Player observes that pumpkin spice has permeated pop culture, he’s right on target. The Maryland-based pastry pro incorporates the popular flavor in several of his recipes, including pumpkin spice cheesecake, cookies, shortbread and creme brûlée. The Food Network contestant veteran shares that he often adds the pumpkin spice blend when he’s “creaming” ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs and flour to allow the spice to permeate the recipe better.
“Another trick is to add a little citrus to the pumpkin spice,” he shares. “I would do maybe a teaspoon of orange zest—that intensifies the flavor and gives it another dimension and also another layer of flavor for me.”
Mixing Up a Pumpkin Spice Blend
Chef Player also shares that he likes to mix up his own batch of pumpkin spice blend. “I put cardamon in my pumpkin spice blend because I think [the classic blend] needed a little more warmth and depth in terms of flavor. I also added a little more cinnamon and a little more ginger,” he details.
The executive chef will keep a shaker of this pumpkin spice blend handy to flavor recipes, like his pumpkin spice cheesecake. He shared the recipe below:
SugaChef Pumpkin Spice Blend
3 ¼ tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Measure the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Store in an airtight container.
By Jocelyn Amador
