Forget Pumpkin Spice: This Retro British Seasoning Blend Is Packed With Warm Cinnamon Flavors

Lending muffins, cakes, and cookies a warming aroma and complex flavor, pumpkin spice is the quintessential flavor of fall. This heady blend of spices transforms a basic bake into a cozy and nostalgic confection, but if you want a punchier vibe (with the same cinnamon backdrop), try mixed spice. This British spice blend is made with different ratios of ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and mace. In some cases, it can also feature ground coriander, which gives it an earthy aroma and peppery bite.

Mixed spice is commonly used to flavor popular British holiday bakes, such as fruit cakes, mince pies, and hot cross buns, to lend them warmth and characterful fragrance. However, it can also be used in savory recipes, such as marinades and rubs, casseroles, or even salad dressings due to the presence of the coriander and cloves. Meanwhile, pumpkin spice contains some but not all of the same ingredients found in mixed spice. For instance, you'll find a mixture of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice in most store-bought options, making it best suited for sweet autumnal bakes, like muffins, or cozy fall drinks, such as pumpkin lattes. That said, you can use mixed spice in recipes that call for pumpkin spice if you have it on hand. While the final flavor will be slightly different, both blends are heavy on the cinnamon, imbuing dishes with a welcome note of sweetness.

Mixed spice isn't a common sight in U.S. grocery stores. However, you can still find it in specialty spice shops or grab some at online retailers with a little deep dive. If all else fails, you can make your own with ease. Simply combine ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and mace in a bowl, give them a good stir, and store in an airtight container (go heavier on the allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg and pull back on the more savory-flavored cloves, coriander, and ginger to create a balanced blend). To customize, add more ginger for a warmer and spicier character or a smaller measure of cloves to mellow out its piquancy and pungency. 

Use your homemade mixed spice in your favorite muffin recipe to give your bake a rounded and complex flavor, or sprinkle some into pancake batter for an aromatic breakfast. You can also add it to apple pies and pumpkin pies for a touch of woody sweetness and nuttiness that has a contrasting savory dimension to it. While spices themselves aren't inherently sweet or savory, there are some, like cinnamon, that are inextricably linked to sweet recipes. It's the coriander and the cooling personality of the mace in mixed spice that gives it a slightly piquant quality that brings depth and nuance.