Custom Homemade Spice Blends

Remember when we went over spice drawer essentials? Well, I’m back with some ways to put all of those spices to work for you. You know those spice blends you can buy at the grocery store? Mexican seasoning, Italian seasoning, pumpkin pie spice, etc? Well, if you already have a good supply of dried spices, it’s possible you’re just wasting your money on these things, re-buying blends of the same spices that you already own. So, you’re paying the spice company to just stir it up for you. Plus, those store-bought blends are often loaded with a bunch of extra salt/sodium that you don’t really need. Yuck!

My favorite part about making my own spice blends is that I can make them “custom” for my tastes. I really like garlic, so I add extra garlic powder to the blends that call for it. I’m not a big fan of dried rosemary, so I cut back on that and add less to the blends that call for it.

If you have just 5 minutes, you can mix up any of these homemade spice blends:

Mexican Seasoning (yield: about 1/3 cup)
(Once you make this, you can make Chicken & Green Chile Taquitos!)
-2 tablespoons chili powder
-1-1/2 tablespoons cumin
-2 teaspoons onion powder
-2 teaspoons paprika
-1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
-1 teaspoon oregano
-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Italian Seasoning (yield: about 1/3 cup)
-2 tablespoons dried basil
-2 tablespoons dried parsley
-1 tablespoon dried oregano
-1 teaspoon dried rosemary (chop this up a little if you feel like it)
-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Greek Seasoning (yield: just over 1/4 cup)
-2 tablespoons dried oregano
-2 teaspoons dried parsley
-2 teaspoons garlic powder
-1 teaspoon dried marjoram
-1 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Middle Eastern Seasoning (yield: just under 1/4 cup)
(Once you make this, you can make Chicken Shawarma. It’s also a great seasoning mix for kafta.)
-1 tablespoon cumin
-1 tablespoon dried oregano
-1 tablespoon paprika
-1-1/2 teaspoons coriander
-3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Pumpkin Pie Spice (yield: about 1/4 cup)
-3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
-1-1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
-3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Cajun/Creole Seasoning
You know, I could make up my own here, or you could just use Emeril’s version. I know that guy is really cheesy and all, but his spice blend recipe is pretty perfect. I put it in my homemade mac & cheese (also cheesy). (Once you make this, you can make Cajun-Style Shrimp & Polenta!)


Having fun making your own spice mixes? If you like “everything” bagels, try making a DIY homemade seed/seasoning mixture and then cut calories by using it to make an Everything English Muffin!