The Best Substitute for Allspice That You’ll Love posted by Taylor Munsell Pin Share Tweet Email SomethingSwanky is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Are you looking for a substitute for allspice in a recipe that calls out for it? Many allspice substitutes can be used that are very effective. Allspice may sound like a mixture of spices, such as pumpkin spice or chai spices. It’s actually a fruit! The allspice berry is a berry that grows on evergreen trees in Mexico, Jamaica, and other tropical climates. Click To Tweet It has a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Allspice is an important ingredient in Caribbean cuisine. Jamaican Jerk Seasoning is one of the things it is used for. There is the best substitute for allspice in baking. Table of ContentsWhat is Allspice?What Does Allspice Taste Like?Substitutes for AllspiceFive Spice Powder (Chinese Five Spices)Whole Allspice BerriesCinnamonClovesPumpkin Pie SpiceNutmegAllspice FAQ What is Allspice? Allspice is not a mixture or a combination of different spices, contrary to popular belief. This is mixed spice. Allspice, which comes from dried berries of the Pimenta Dioica plant, is a delicious spice all its own. Now that we have established the difference between allspice and mixed spice (trust us, it is important for later in the article), let’s see what happens if you don’t have any allspice. Many recipes use allspice, which is popular for its warm, earthy, sweet taste. It might not be as popular as other spices, so you might find a recipe that requires it, but you don’t have it. What happens next? Is your recipe doomed for good? Is it necessary to run to the grocery store to find allspice? Can you substitute it with something else? This article will explore some of the best allspice substitutes. We’ll also tell you which recipes they would work in and how much each one is needed. What Does Allspice Taste Like? Before we tell you about the replacements for allspice we thought it would be helpful to inform you about the flavor profile and uses of allspice. As we have made clear in the introduction allspice does not contain a mixture of spices as is often assumed. Allspice can also be used interchangeably to refer to a “mixed spice.” As you know, allspice can be used as a spice by itself. Perhaps the confusion lies in its flavor profile. Although it doesn’t contain a mixture of different spices, it tastes and smells exactly that way. This is because allspice smells and tastes a lot like other common spices. These spices are clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon. This is why allspice gets its name. It was first discovered by English explorers in Jamaica. They remarked that it tasted like many spices and were henceforth called allspice. This suggests that allspice can only be used in sweet dishes. This is not true. It is used in sweet recipes, but it is also used in savory dishes. It can also be used in sauces and drinks As you can see, allspice comes in the form of a berry. These berries can be purchased fresh or dried, and both can be used to enhance their flavor. It is possible to find ground allspice, but it is not very common. This is made from dried, ground cherries. They can be used in recipes and look similar to bay leaves when whole. This allows you to substitute one type for another. We mean that if you don’t have whole allspice berries, you can use ground allspice instead. Substitutes for Allspice Five Spice Powder (Chinese Five Spices) Five spice powder, also known as Chinese five spice, can be substituted for allspice in certain recipes. What is five spice? It is a mixture of five or more spices that are important in Chinese cuisine. (Source) However, it is also a staple in Vietnamese and Hawaiian cuisines. These are mainly cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. Five spice is rich, earthy, and spicy. It also has a spicy-sweet taste that is absent in allspice. Five spice contains all five flavors of traditional Chinese cuisine: Sweet, bitter, salty, and umami. It’s best to use it in recipes that have both savory and sweet flavor notes, such as Tuscan-style spareribs. This can be used as a substitute to allspice. Use equal parts five spices for each teaspoon of allspice. This should be sufficient to duplicate some of the allspice flavor notes. Whole Allspice Berries Before you start searching for the best allspice replacement, it is worth asking yourself if you have any whole allspice berries lying around. Ground allspice can be used to replace whole allspice berries. It is a byproduct of dried whole allspice. You can make your favorite bread pudding in no time using your handy spice grinder. Cinnamon You probably have cinnamon in your pantry. We also mentioned that cinnamon is a major flavor profile of allspice, so why not make an allspice substitution? We recommend that you use it for recipes with both allspice or cinnamon, such as this breakfast bread pudding. (Source) Adding a little more to the recipe will substitute cinnamon. It will get a stronger kick from this. Adding a pinch to a recipe that requires a peppery kick is possible. Cloves You can also substitute cinnamon and nutmeg with ground cloves. They are sweet and very aromatic but lack the same peppery kick as allspice. For savory dishes, you can easily compensate by adding a pinch of black pepper. You can substitute cloves for allspice by halving the number of cloves per teaspoon of allspice. It also has a subtle bitterness and acidity which makes it perfect for mulled wine and other acidic drinks. Click To Tweet Pumpkin Pie Spice Pumpkin pie spice is the best choice if you want to use allspice in pumpkin-related recipes. It contains all the ingredients you need to make a pumpkin pie spice cake. It contains spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. This can be used for savory dishes, as well. (Source) All you need to do is to add black pepper. You can use the same amount of allspice in this recipe as is indicated in the ingredient listing. Nutmeg This spice is also very popular and can be purchased whole or ground. Nutmeg can be used in both sweet and savory recipes. Nutmeg is warm and aromatic, with a nutty taste. It still lacks the same peppery kick as allspice. It does contain hints of clove. This allspice substitute is perfect if you want to use allspice in a sweet and nutty dish like wild rice with cranberries, nuts, and cherries. A little goes a long way with nutmeg. Start by adding half the nutmeg to every teaspoon of ground allspice. Allspice FAQ What spices are used to make ground allspice Allspice has four key spices. Allspice is a mixture of all the flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg as well as cloves and pepper.These spices are all very warming in their flavor and use in food. It can be used in many ways.Allspice can be used in baking and cooking. Allspice berries can also be purchased. These berries can be added to meats (often dark meats like beef and lamb) to enhance the flavor, much in the same way as garlic.These spices are often used to add flavor to warmer foods like Jamaican jerk chicken, Cincinnati-style chili, and Jamaican jerk chili. Can I substitute allspice for mixed spice? Mixed spice can be used as an allspice substitute.Allspice’s flavor is a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg (all spices). It is milder than cloves and almost as fruity as cloves.Mixed spice, on the other hand, is a mix of sweeter spices like coriander seed and cassia, cinnamon quills, allspice, or nutmeg.Although it is a mixture, its flavor is not as strong as allspice.Mixed spice can be used in many similar recipes as allspice but they are not interchangeable.This does not mean you can’t use them interchangeably if your goals are high, but you shouldn’t expect to achieve amazing results every time. Can I substitute five spices for allspice? Allspice is a combination of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. This makes it a warm mixture of spices. Allspice berries can look like peppercorns.These spices are used to season meats, stews, and pickles. To give the baked goods that warm spice flavor, ground allspice is often added.Allspice’s warm, sweet, spicy flavor is often misunderstood for Chinese five spice, which is a mixture of anise and cinnamon, star anise, and ginger. Click To TweetThis is also a warm spice mixture. Both are warm and spicy-sweet, so they can be used in meat dishes and baked goods.As much as you might think five spice is a bad substitute for allspice it is because its flavors are so similar that it emits a deliciously warm, spicy flavor that is just like allspice. All About Allspice This is a guide to the best substitute for allspice. There are many options to suit every recipe, and we hope you enjoy using them.
