How to Make a Cheap Homemade Apple Pie Spice Blend with Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice and Cardamom!
“All the cozy warmth you want in an apple dessert, with a little pop of cardamom that makes this homemade apple pie spice blend smell absolutely magical!” – Mona, Far From The Farm.
Apple pie might be about as American as a bald eagle, but did you know there is such a magical thing as apple pie spice?! This Copycat WinCo Apple Pie Spice Recipe gives you a full cup of warm, cinnamon-forward homemade seasoning inspired by the bulk-bin version at WinCo, with one little addition I absolutely love: cardamom.
Hi! If you’ve been following me for long you’ll already know this, but for those who are new, welcome to Far From The Farm. I’m Mona, the Brit behind the recipes, learning life and food in the States while sharing our debt-free journey and what’s on the menu in our home today!
Coming from Britain, there are still American food traditions that delight me, and the sheer enthusiasm for all things apple in the fall is definitely one of them. Apple pie, apple cider, apple butter, apple crisp, caramel apples. America really commits to the apple season!
And then there is apple pie spice.
Think of it as pumpkin pie spice’s brighter cousin. They live in the same cozy autumn world, but apple pie spice has a different character that works particularly well with sweet, tart apples and the desserts we make with them.
If pumpkin pie spice isn’t really your thing, don’t write off the whole fall-spice cupboard just yet. You might find that apple pie spice is much more your speed.
My version is styled after the apple pie spice from the bulk bins at WinCo Foods, but adding a touch more cardamom makes for that little something different. Whimsical, almost.
Cardamom has a wonderfully distinctive fragrance. You might recognize it from some Indian foods, but put it alongside cinnamon and apples and suddenly it makes perfect sense there too. It gives the blend a brighter note that separates it from the deeper flavor we associate with pumpkin pie spice.
And goodness, this stuff smells lovely!
Apple desserts are the obvious place to start, but I also love the idea of using this homemade apple pie seasoning blend in a simmer pot during fall and the holiday season. Apples, water and a little of this spice blend bubbling gently away can give the whole house that warm, welcoming seasonal smell.
Making a big batch also means the jar is sitting there waiting when you need it. No pulling four separate spices from the cupboard every time you make an apple dessert, and no buying another tiny specialty spice jar if you already have the individual seasonings at home.
As a military family working through Baby Step 2 of our debt-free journey, we’re making more things at home and stretching what we already have as far as possible.
Pantry staples are an easy place to do that because a few jars you already own can easily replace another premixed product from the grocery store spice aisle.
And just a reminder that if you’re struggling and you need help with managing your budget or starting your own debt free journey then here’s some FREE resources below you may find helpful!
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As always, these photos are from my real kitchen here in our sweet military base home. No AI recipe images or staged lighting or spotless marble counters. Just real life and real food made in a small space. Proof that you can feed your family well without needing a dream kitchen or fancy tools!
So grab those spice jars and head into the kitchen to make this easy Copycat WinCo Apple Pie Spice Recipe!
Recipe Disclaimer
All Far From The Farm recipes are shared as a guide based on what works in my home kitchen. Results may vary depending on your ingredients, equipment, and cooking setup, so always use your own judgement. Please check all ingredients for allergies, intolerances, or dietary needs before making any recipe. Far From The Farm is not responsible for any reactions or outcomes from the use of these recipes. Nutritional information is an estimate only.
Mona – Far From The Farm
Apple Pie Spice Flavor Profile Breakdown
This blend is intentionally cinnamon-forward, but it isn’t simply cinnamon with a token amount of something else thrown in.
- Cinnamon provides the familiar sweet warmth that immediately works with apples and fall baking.
- Nutmeg deepens that warmth without taking over the blend.
- Allspice brings another layer of cozy spice and helps round everything out.
- And then there is cardamom, giving this version a brighter, more aromatic edge and is one of the biggest things separating its overall flavor from my pumpkin pie spice blend. You don’t need enough to dominate everything. Just enough to notice there is something particularly lovely going on.
Apple Pie Spice vs Pumpkin Pie Spice
These two spice blends are close relatives, but I wouldn’t describe them as interchangeable in flavor.
Pumpkin pie spice tends to lean into ginger and cloves, giving it a deeper, sharper warmth.
This apple pie spice has no ginger or cloves. Instead, cinnamon dominates and cardamom provides that brighter aromatic note.
If you find pumpkin pie spice a little too heavy or clove-forward, apple pie spice is absolutely worth trying, especially now that major coffee house menus are moving away from traditional pumpkin lattes to embrace the viral caramel apple pie flavor trend!
How to Substitute Homemade Apple Pie Spice
Use this homemade blend as a 1:1 substitute for store-bought apple pie spice.
If your apple recipe calls for 1 tsp apple pie spice, use 1 tsp of this homemade mixture. Simple!
Replacing individual spices in a recipe:
If a favorite recipe calls for individual seasonings like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice separately, 1 to 2 teaspoons total of this big-batch mixture will easily replace that entire combination.
How much to use per pie:
For a classic 9-inch apple pie or a big batch of turnovers (using roughly 4 pounds of sliced apples), 2 teaspoons is the absolute sweet spot for flavor. If you are stirring it into warm autumn drinks like a cozy mug of hot cider or a homemade latte, start small with just a quarter to half teaspoon so it doesn’t overpower your cup.
Sneak Peak!
Sometimes you need to see the end product before you commit to making it, right?! So here’s a quick glimpse of how it turned out for me today!
Equipment
- Measuring cups
- Tablespoon measuring spoon
- Medium mixing bowl
- Spoon
- Airtight spice jar or container
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Ingredients
Makes approximately 1 cup, or 16 tbsp
- 3/4 cup ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp ground allspice
- 1 tbsp ground cardamom
How to Make Copycat WinCo Apple Pie Spice
Step One: Measure the Spices
Measure the ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground allspice and ground cardamom into a medium mixing bowl.
There is no special order required. Measure each spice carefully so you maintain the intended balance throughout the finished blend.
Step Two: Mix Until Evenly Combined
Stir everything together thoroughly until you have one even, warm-brown mixture.
Press any compacted pieces against the side of the bowl with the back of your spoon as you stir. You don’t want visible pockets of one spice remaining in the finished mixture.
Step Three: Transfer and Store
Transfer the finished apple pie spice into a clean, completely dry airtight container.
Store it in a cool, dark cupboard for up to 3 months for the best flavor and aroma.
Give the container a quick shake before measuring if the spices have settled during storage.
Use anywhere you would normally use store-bought apple pie spice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Yield and Scaling: This big-batch recipe makes approximately 1 cup (16 tbsp or roughly 112 grams) of homemade apple pie spice. For my global bakers, that breaks down to 84g cinnamon, 14g nutmeg, 7g allspice, and 7g cardamom. Scale it down if you don’t need that much, although having a full jar ready makes fall baking wonderfully easy.
- WinCo Copycat Disclaimer: This is my homemade copycat-style interpretation, inspired by the bulk bin spices at WinCo Foods. It is not an official WinCo corporate recipe.
- The Cardamom Twist: Cardamom is my addition to this blend. It provides the brighter aromatic note that I think works wonderfully with apples and makes this mixture distinctly different from my pumpkin pie spice.
- Use Ground Spices: Use ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom rather than whole spices for this recipe.
- Freshness Matters: Ground spices gradually lose their aroma after opening. If the individual spices barely smell of anything in their jars, the finished mixture will also taste flat.
- Keep Everything Dry: Your bowl, spoon, measuring equipment and storage container should all be completely dry. Moisture is one of the biggest enemies of homemade dry seasoning blends.
Troubleshooting: How to Fix Common Homemade Apple Pie Spice Mishaps
Small clumps can come from compacted ground spices, but a mixture that becomes increasingly clumpy or hard during storage has likely been exposed to moisture. Even a slightly damp measuring tool, steam from a nearby boiling kettle, or humid kitchen air can cause dry spice powders to swell and cake together.
The Fix: Break apart dry compacted pieces with the back of a spoon while mixing, or pass the entire batch through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer to remove stubborn lumps. To permanently prevent clumping in your storage jar, drop a food-safe silica gel pack into the container. If the mixture has actually become damp rather than simply compacted and shows signs of mold, discard it completely.
Ground baking spices have completely different textures, weights, and natural oil densities. Because of this, if they are only stirred a couple of times with a spoon, you can easily end up with obvious streaks or dense pockets of individual seasonings rather than a smooth blend.
The Fix: Mix thoroughly from the bottom of the bowl upward until the overall color looks completely uniform. Use a small wire whisk or press the mixture through a fine-mesh sifter to crush any stubborn, oil-dense lumps that resist basic stirring.
Ground cardamom has an incredibly distinctive, intense, and citrusy-floral fragrance. If your hand slipped and you accidentally added too much to the bowl, its potent aromatic profile will quickly cross the line into tasting perfumed or soapy against sweet apples.
The Fix: Don’t try to counteract excess cardamom by throwing in another strong, sharp spice like ginger or cloves. Instead, scale up your batch by adding more of the sweet cinnamon base (about 3 tablespoons) along with a half-teaspoon of ground allspice to round out the floral notes and return the cardamom to a pleasant background accent.
Nutmeg is much stronger and more pungent than cinnamon. When its proportion becomes too high, it will easily overwhelm the sweet profile of your mix, making your homemade apple desserts taste unpleasantly woody, bitter, or medicinal.
The Fix: You need to dilute the nutmeg’s dominance. Increase the remaining ingredients using the recipe’s original proportions rather than adding cinnamon alone. Stir in an extra 6 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, a half-tablespoon of allspice, and a half-tablespoon of cardamom to completely restore the intended sweet balance.
A finished large-batch spice blend can only be as vibrant and fragrant as the individual ground spices you used to make it. Ground pantry seasonings lose their volatile essential oils over time, and if they have spent 6 to 12 months sitting open in a dark cupboard, they gradually lose their aromatic punch.
The Fix: Always smell your individual spice jars before mixing a big batch. If one or more barely have an aroma, replace them. If you’ve already mixed the batch and it smells flat, you can temporarily revive the trapped oils with a quick skillet hack: pour the blend into a completely dry pan over dead-low heat for exactly 30 to 45 seconds, shaking constantly to bloom the fragrance. Let it cool completely before jarring so condensation doesn’t ruin it!
Micro-fine spice powders develop a high amount of static electricity very quickly. This causes the powder—especially ground cinnamon—to cling stubbornly to plastic measuring tools, bowls, and narrow funnels, creating a messy spill when you try to transfer it.
The Fix: Switch out your plastic kitchen tools for glass, ceramic, or stainless steel mixing bowls and metal funnels. If you only have plastic tools on hand, work slowly and wipe the outside of the utensils with a barely damp cloth before measuring to ground the static electricity.
Too much nutmeg or allspice can quickly push a sweet, cinnamon-forward mixture toward a harsh flavor profile. Alternatively, using old, cheap, or poor-quality base spices that have gone stale can leave behind a flat, bitter aftertaste.
The Fix: Check your measurements first to ensure a heavy spice didn’t slip in. If everything was measured accurately, check the freshness of your base ingredients. Upgrading to a premium, oil-rich sweet cinnamon like Saigon (Vietnamese cinnamon) for your future pantry batches is a brilliant way to guarantee a sweeter, less acidic result.
Fine powders naturally settle and separate over time according to their unique particle size, weight, and density. This is completely normal physics and does not mean anything has gone wrong with your homemade mix.
The Fix: Always store your blend in a tightly sealed glass mason jar or dedicated spice container to lock out air, and give the jar a good, vigorous shake before each use to redistribute the seasonings evenly.
Storage
- Container Choice: Transfer the finished spice blend to a clean, completely dry airtight container. I highly recommend using a glass jar or a small glass mason jar rather than plastic, as glass locks in those fragrant spice oils much better and prevents them from seeping into the container.
- Pantry Environment: Store it in a cool, dark cupboard away from direct sunlight, heat, and moisture. If you want an extra layer of protection against kitchen humidity, you can even drop a food-safe silica gel pack right into the jar to keep the powder perfectly free-flowing!
- Shelf Life: For the strongest flavor and aroma, I recommend using it within 3 months. It may remain perfectly usable beyond that point, but ground spices naturally become less fragrant with time.
- Moisture Protection: Always use a clean, dry measuring spoon. Don’t hold the open container directly over a steaming pot, mug, or simmering pan, as that trapped kitchen steam will instantly cause your blend to clump.
Serving and Usage Ideas for Apple Pie Spice
Apple pie is only the beginning! This versatile blend adds a gorgeous, cinnamon-forward warmth far beyond traditional desserts. Try your homemade apple pie spice in:
Cozy Autumn Breakfasts
- Oatmeal or Overnight oats
- Homemade granola
- Apple pancakes or Apple waffles
- French toast
Sweet Apple Desserts & Baked Goods
- Apple pie, Apple crisp, or Apple cobbler
- Apple crumble
- The Best Apple Pie Cookies with White Chocolate Chips
- Apple muffins, Apple bread, or Apple cake
- Baked apples
Comforting Holiday Baking
- Cinnamon rolls
- Bread machine sweet breads
- Fall quick breads & Holiday baking
- Swapping it as a sweet alternative in recipes that call for Copycat WinCo Pumpkin Pie Spice
Warm Seasonal Drinks & Fragrances
- Coffee grounds (add a pinch directly to your basket before brewing!)
- Homemade coffee creamer or a cozy morning Latte
- Hot apple cider for the holidays or Oktoberfest
- An autumn Simmer Pot (see the simple instructions right below!)
Apple pie Spice Simmer Pot Instructions
Want your home to smell like a cozy autumn bakery without baking a single thing? A natural stovetop potpourri is the ultimate answer! Because this big batch seasoning is cinnamon-dominant and contains a bright pop of cardamom, it makes the most incredible home fragrance.
What You’ll Need:
- Leftover peels and cores from 1 to 2 apples (don’t waste fresh fruit! Save your scraps from a pie or crumble to stretch your budget even further).
- 1 teaspoon of your homemade copycat WinCo apple pie spice blend.
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional, for an extra sweet vanilla bean note).
- Water to cover.
Stovetop Directions:
- Combine: Place your saved apple scraps, vanilla, and a teaspoon of your spice blend into a medium saucepan or small pot.
- Cover with Water: Pour in fresh water until the apple peels are completely submerged, filling the pot about two-thirds of the way full.
- Bring to a Rumble: Place the saucepan on your stovetop over medium heat and bring the liquid to a gentle boil.
- Drop to a Simmer: The moment it rumbles, turn your burner down to its lowest setting so it streams a warm, welcoming fragrance through the entire house.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!?
- Makes approximately 1 cup
- Ready in about 5 minutes
- Uses just four ground spices
- No specialty equipment
- Warm and cinnamon-forward
- Brighter than pumpkin pie spice
- Contains no ginger or cloves
- Cardamom adds a distinctive aromatic note
- Perfect for apple desserts
- Easy 1:1 replacement for store-bought apple pie spice
- Fantastic for fall baking
- Useful in coffee and hot cider
- Lovely for seasonal simmer pots
- Budget friendly
- Uses pantry staples
- Easy to scale
- Stores neatly in one jar
- Saves measuring several spices for every apple recipe
Frequently Asked Questions About Apple Pie Spice
Apple pie spice recipes vary, but cinnamon is generally the dominant spice. My version contains ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, and ground cardamom. The cardamom gives it the brighter aromatic note that distinguishes this blend from my pumpkin pie spice recipe, giving it a whimsical touch that pairs beautifully with sweet, tart apples.
While both options share a sweet cinnamon base, their supporting flavor profiles target different baking needs. Pumpkin pie spice features a robust warmth built around ginger, cloves, and allspice to cut through dense vegetable purées. Apple pie spice deliberately reduces or completely omits heavy cloves and ginger, focusing instead on milder seasonings like cardamom to elevate fresh fruit flavors.
If you do not have cardamom on hand or simply dislike its floral fragrance, you can easily replicate the classic King Arthur Baking profile. Mix 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon with a quarter-teaspoon of ground nutmeg and a quarter-teaspoon of ground allspice.
No, it contains absolutely no fruit. The name refers to the specific combination of warm baking seasonings traditionally used to flavor American fruit desserts. You add the dry mixture to raw apples during the baking process rather than the apples being part of the seasoning itself.
The best blend depends on your personal taste, but a cinnamon-forward ratio with a subtle hint of nutmeg and allspice is the standard bakery favorite. Adding a small touch of cardamom creates a bright flavor that complements sweet, tart apples perfectly.
As a general rule of thumb, use 2 teaspoons of this blend for a standard 9-inch pie or a big batch of turnovers, which averages about 4 pounds of sliced baking apples.
If a baking recipe calls for separate increments of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice, you can substitute 1 to 2 teaspoons total of this multi-spice mixture to cover all of those individual seasoning calls smoothly.
Yes, you can swap them at a 1:1 ratio in everyday bakes like morning oatmeal, breakfast pancakes, fall cookies, or quick breads. However, it is not recommended to use pumpkin pie spice in a delicate, traditional apple pie, because the aggressive cloves and ginger can easily overwhelm the crisp flavor of the apples.
If your pantry is missing allspice, cardamom, or nutmeg, simply omit that single ingredient from your mixing bowl. Increase your primary cinnamon baseline by a tiny fraction to keep your overall powder volume balanced without altering the sweetness.
To make a quick single-serving for tonight’s dessert, whisk together 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, a quarter-teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and a quarter-teaspoon of ground allspice or ground ginger in a tiny prep cup.
You can use this blend to flavor warm fall drinks by stirring a quarter to half teaspoon directly into hot apple cider, hot cocoa, or morning coffee grounds. It also works beautifully as a budget-friendly home fragrance when simmered on the stove in a pot of water with leftover apple peels.
When kept in a sealed, airtight glass jar inside a cool, dark pantry, it will remain fresh for up to one full year. For the absolute strongest aroma and punchy flavor, it is best to use your large-batch pantry mixes within 3 months of blending.
Copycat WinCo Apple Pie Spice Recipe (Big Batch!)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Measure the ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground allspice and ground cardamom into a medium mixing bowl
- Stir thoroughly until evenly combined and uniform in color. Use the back of your spoon to break apart any compacted pieces of spice.
- Transfer the apple pie spice to a clean, dry airtight container. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to 3 months for the best flavor. Shake before using if the spices have settled.
Video
Notes
- Substitution: Use 1:1 in place of store-bought apple pie spice.
- For Apple Pie: Use approximately 2 tsp for a classic 9-inch apple pie made with around 4 lb apples.
- For Drinks: Start with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp for hot cider, coffee or lattes and adjust to taste.
- Freshness: Use fresh ground spices for the strongest flavor and aroma.
Storage
Keep in a clean, dry airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard. For best flavor, use within 3 months.Copycat Disclaimer
This is Far From The Farm’s homemade copycat-style interpretation inspired by the bulk-bin spices at WinCo Foods. It is not an official WinCo corporate recipe.Related Recipes
- Copycat WinCo Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe (Big Batch!)
- The Best Apple Pie Cookies with White Chocolate Chips Recipe!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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The Takeaway
Apple pie might be one of the most famously American desserts on earth, but discovering that it has its own spice blend makes the whole thing even better.
And apple pie spice deserves a little more attention in its own right.
It’s warm and cinnamon-heavy without simply tasting like pumpkin spice under another name. The nutmeg and allspice deepen it, then that little pop of cardamom brings in something brighter and beautifully fragrant.
Five minutes. Four spices. One full cup waiting in the cupboard.
Use it for pies and crumbles. Sprinkle it into oatmeal. Add it to fall coffee or hot cider. Pull it out for holiday baking, or use a little in a simmer pot when you want the house to smell wonderfully cozy.
And if you’ve always assumed you don’t like these fall spice blends because pumpkin pie spice isn’t your thing, give this one a chance.
You might just love it!
What to Try Next?!
Share & Rate This Recipe!
If this homemade Apple Pie Spice earns a permanent place in your spice cupboard, tap the stars on the recipe card and leave a quick comment below!
I’d especially love to know where you used it first. Apple pie, coffee, oatmeal, fall baking or a wonderfully fragrant simmer pot?!
Last update on 2026-09-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
