35 Homemade Spice Mixes and How to Use Them

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Making Homemade Spice Mixes is a great (and delicious) step to take towards having a healthier lifestyle. It’s a simple thing to do, helps you avoid the additives in the store-bought packages, and it helps save money too.

To save you time in addition to money, I’ve rounded up 35 Homemade Seasoning Mixes that are sure to become faves in your home.

Homemade Spice Mixes
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Why Make Your Own Homemade Seasoning Blends

Save Money

When you make your own food, rather than buying packaged, pre-made products, you save money.  Plain and simple.

Having someone else make things for you costs more.  Plus, since you are buying more things (the raw ingredients and the finished product), you are likely wasting more as food does spoil.

Get Control Over Ingredients

You might have food allergies and need to avoid certain ingredients, but there are other ingredients in typical store-bought spice blends that you may not want to consume.

Things like:

Silicon Dioxide – a free-flowing agent that’s linked to insulin resistance (source)
Maltodextrin – can lead to gastrointestinal problems (source)
MSG – linked to multiple health concerns (source)
Natural Flavors – these can be just about anything — including the kind of scary MSG
Modified Food Starch – typically sourced from wheat (a gluten concern), or corn (a GMO concern)
Hydrolyzed Proteins – not necessarily as bad as other ingredients, but there are some concerns about them causing anxiety and more (source)

How to Substitute Spices In Spice Blends

Don’t have all the spices you need to make one of these homemade seasonings? No problem!

You can most likely find an appropriate substitute here. If not, if it’s a smaller part of the recipe try omitting it completely–it might not make that big of a difference.

For more thoughts on ways to tweak recipes or make your own blends from scratch, see this post on how to make your own spice mixes. It’s sure to be a big help.

Where to Buy Spices

My two favorite places currently are Frontier (here’s their Ceylon cinnamon as an example) and Starwest Botanicals.

35 Homemade Spice Mixes and How to Use Them

The “Best” Basic Chili Powder

We love this in Chili Mac, on veggies, salads, and more.

jar and cups of spices

Our Family’s Favorite Spice Blend – Chat Masala

We LOVE this on these Moroccan Carrots, but it is literally on our table all the time.

homemade chaat masala in jar with measuring spoon

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Great not only for pumpkin pie (of course), but perfect for pumpkin dishes, in coffee or tea, or on hot cereal.

This is great to use in Pumpkin Custard, Pumpkin Pie Coffee Creamer, or any of these Healthy Pumpkin Recipes.

pumpkin pie spice blend in jar

 Mild Curry Powder

This is a great mild, kid-friendly curry that tastes amazing in this Pakistani Kima and on so many other dishes.

homemade curry powder in glass jar

Herbes de Provence

There are loads of uses in the post including a really special one–
Herbes de Provence Popcorn!

top view herbes de provence in a glass jar

Celery Salt

Great on so many kinds of foods and it’s the main ingredient in this delicious and useful Vegetable Broth Mix.

jar of celery salt

Sage, Rosemary, and Garlic Salt

Would be great on so many things!

Vegetable Broth Mix Recipe | All-Purpose Seasoning

Great in any recipe calling for broth, and in a pinch can be used as a sub for chicken or beef broth as well.

Vegetable Broth Powder in a jar.

Apple Pie Spice Blend

Perfect for apple pie, of course, but also would be great on oatmeal and other hot cereals, on pancakes, and more!

All Purpose Spice Blend

Great for many uses–sides, mains, and salads.

Gingerbread Spice Mix

Gingerbread Spice Mix

Taco Seasoning

Great with tacos served with these Grain-Free Taco Shells and Grain-Free Tortillas. Fabulous on salads and veggies and popcorn too!

homemade taco seasoning

Homemade Chai Spice Blend

Sweet Potato Spice Blend

Use on sweet potatoes, of course :).

St. Peter’s Spicy Fish Seasoning

Versatile Sausage Seasoning Blend

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

This is great to use on Lemon Parmesan Popcorn and roasted chicken.

The Best Cinnamon Sugar – Made Healthier

Use for cinnamon toast, on hot cereal, as a pancake topping, etc.

healthy cinnamon sugar with text overlay

Paprika Chicken Rub

Breakfast Sausage Seasoning

Fajita Seasoning

Use it as a seasoning for your fajitas, tacos and burritos.

Copycat Lawry’s Seasoning Salt

According to the blogger behind this,

“This seasoning is used in the traditional Chex Mix  recipe and is also good sprinkled on chicken or other meat, added to vegetables, etc.

It can add an extra dash of flavor to casseroles and even to egg dishes in the morning. One of my favorites is to make ‘smashed’ potatoes in the oven with homemade Lawry’s seasoning salt on top!”

Homemade BBQ Chicken Rub

Homemade BBQ Chicken Rub

Homemade Garlic Powder

Use in any recipe that calls for fresh garlic–1/8 teaspoon = 1 clove garlic.
Or use in seasoning blends and recipes like Chili Powder, Crispy Green Bean Chips, and “DORITO®” Popcorn

homemade garlic powder in metal measuring spoon on wooden table

Garam Masala

According to the blogger behind this spice,
“Think of garam masala as a finishing spice that is added almost at the end of the cooking. Usage of garam masala is not restricted to curries or biryanis, sprinkle it on your salads, add it to your marinades or use it as dry rubs for meat before grilling.”

Garam Masala

Homemade Mustard Dry Rub

Easy Ranch Seasoning

ranch seasoning ingredients

Allspice Alternative

Use in any recipe that calls for allspice.

Homemade Allspice Alternative

Spicy Steak Rub with Secret Ingredient

Everything Bagel Seasoning

Of course, great on homemade bagels, but fantastic on avocado toast–and salads, pastas–whatever!

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

This would taste amazing on roasted chicken, roasted veggies, and popcorn (specifically this Lemon-Parm Popcorn).

5-Spice Cajun Seasoning

Easy Cajun Seasoning

Blackening Seasoning

Use this Blackening Seasoning for chicken, fish, or any cut of meat.

Blackened Seasoning

 

Which of these homemade spice blends is YOUR favorite?
Do you make homemade seasonings?

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51 Comments

  1. Although your article is about homemade spice mixes, reading this was really helpful for my own business. Especially I was confused before what more spice blend I can include for my business . Now I am quite clear. Very well written and worth reading this article.

    Pumpkin Pie Spice, Gingerbread Spice Mix are my two favorite.