Forget Pumpkin Pie Spice — Festive Desserts Are Even Better When Paired With This Blend

Year after year, there comes a time when two food factions form like clockwork: pumpkin spice lovers and everyone else. Those in the former camp seem to have it all: the famed pie, first and foremost, plus a whole culinary galaxy of pumpkin spice products, recipes, and even non-edible items like candles and skincare. The latter group of pumpkin spice skeptics is left to figure out what flavors will be just as festive without the orange ubiquity. And while chai spice is nice throughout the seasons, it is also a particularly topical alternative to big squash for all of your autumnal desserts. Even pumpkin lovers will have a hard time denying chai spice's superior warming qualities in these chillier times, thanks to its just-different-enough makeup versus the botanical alternative. 

Homemade chai spice blends can vary from household to household, but were you to buy a jar instead, it would likely include things like cardamom, cloves, ginger, citrus peel, and even some of the cinnamon that's so prominent in those pumpkin spice compounds. But chai spice has its own unique bouquet, and is even more warming with what's often the extra kick of black pepper. That warmth gives your treats more depth and a tactile coziness versus a blend with flatter flavors alone. And the added dimension makes your goodies all the more satisfying. Should you be new to the sensational profile, you can easily heat up a cup of the best store-bought chai from our ranking for a taste of what your recipes might be in for — or, of course, simmer some from scratch. You can then simply swap that old pumpkin spice with its chai counterpart in all of your seasonal cakes, breads, and, yes, even pies.

One could enjoy a month's worth of chai spice preparations as easily as they could partake of pumpkin. The pumpkin spice pancakes or muffins that might be on the breakfast menu, for example, can get the chai spice treatment instead. A few teaspoons stirred into your usual recipe for either should be enough to move the chai dial. It's also great in the granola you might use to top your yogurt for a midday snack. These spice switcheroos will usually work out in a one-to-one swap, but there are also plenty of more dedicated preparations like chai spice-enhanced sugar cookies that will detail more precise measurements. 

Chai spice is also nice for some extra comforting cinnamon rolls. Imagine these aromatic babies perfuming the house on Thanksgiving morning. Which brings us back, of course, to pie. Folks have been known to use chai spice in lieu of pumpkin pie spice in an actual pumpkin pie as well. That effect would certainly be more subtle; you are still dealing in squash, after all. But you can also factor chai spice into your apple, pear, and banana cream pies too. Once you try chai spice in a treat or two, you'll see infinite possibilities for what you can do with the stuff. And it isn't going to remind anyone of a jack-o'-lantern when you're still using it outside of the "ber" months.