Allspice substitute

Also called pimento and Jamaica pepper.

Mix 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and use it in place of 1 teaspoon of allspice. That is The Spice House's 2:1:1 blend; extension charts use 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and cloves.

4 options, scored for what you are making · Checked

Out of allspice mid-recipe?

Tell Sous Chef what you are missing. It swaps the ingredient and rewrites the steps that use it, and keeps your original recipe.

Download Sous Chef on the App Store

What are you making?

  1. Cinnamon + nutmeg + cloves (2:1:1)

    Great fit

    ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and ¼ tsp ground cloves

    For this dish: The Spice House says this mix tastes very similar to ground allspice.

    How: Mix the spices well and use the blend in place of the allspice, one for one. For savory dishes, add a small pinch of black pepper.

    What changes: Close to allspice in sweet recipes. Cinnamon leads, so it tastes slightly sweeter and less peppery.

    No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.

  2. Pumpkin pie spice

    Great fit

    1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

    For this dish: The Spice House calls it a close match for sweet recipes.

    How: Start with the same amount and taste. Add a pinch of ground cloves if the clove note is missing, or a pinch of black pepper in a savory dish.

    What changes: Mostly cinnamon, so it is sweeter. McCormick's blend already contains some allspice.

    No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.

  3. Cinnamon + cloves

    Works

    ½ tsp ground cinnamon and ½ tsp ground cloves

    For this dish: Works, but half cloves can taste strong in a delicate cake.

    How: Mix equal parts and use one for one, as Colorado State and Utah State extension charts list. Cloves are strong, so taste before adding more.

    What changes: More clove-forward than allspice, with no nutmeg note.

    No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.

  4. Ground cloves alone

    Avoid

    ½ tsp ground cloves

    For this dish: Cloves alone can taste medicinal in a cake or pie.

    How: Start with half as much as the allspice called for, taste, and build up.

    What changes: Cloves share allspice's main aroma but are much stronger and lack the cinnamon and nutmeg notes.

    No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.

Scores are our editorial judgement from the sources below, not lab tests.

What allspice does in a recipe

Allspice is one spice, the dried berry of a Caribbean tree. Its name comes from tasting like cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg at once, with a peppery edge. It warms pies, spice cakes and gingerbread, and it is central to Jamaican jerk and many braises and pickles. Mixing those three spices copies the overall effect.

Swap it in your recipe with Sous Chef

A substitution is more than one ingredient line. The steps that use it change too. Sous Chef edits both on a working copy of your recipe, so the original is always one tap away.

You ask Sous Chef

"I don't have allspice."

Sous Chef edits the recipe

1 tsp allspice
½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and ¼ tsp ground cloves
Added to the steps: Mix the spices well and use the blend in place of the allspice, one for one. For savory dishes, add a small pinch of black pepper.
Download Sous Chef on the App Store

When not to substitute

In Jamaican jerk, where allspice (pimento) is a lead flavor, substitutes taste noticeably different. If jerk is the point of the dish, buy allspice.

Common questions

What can I use instead of allspice?

Mix 2 parts ground cinnamon to 1 part each ground nutmeg and cloves, and use it one for one. For 1 teaspoon: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon cloves.

Is allspice a blend of spices?

No. Allspice is a single dried berry, also called pimento or Jamaica pepper. It is named for tasting like a mix of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

Can I use pumpkin pie spice instead of allspice?

Yes, in sweet recipes. Start with the same amount and add a pinch of ground cloves if it needs more depth. Many pumpkin pie spice blends already contain allspice.

Can I use cinnamon instead of allspice?

Cinnamon alone is sweeter and lacks the clove note. Food Network's guide adds a pinch each of ground cloves and nutmeg to 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon to replace 1 teaspoon of allspice.

Related

Sources

Cook with what you have.

Import any recipe into Sous Chef and ask for the swap. It rewrites the ingredient list and the steps, and never loses the original. Free on iPhone.

Download Sous Chef on the App Store