Get Ready for Baking Season With the 10 Best Substitutes for Nutmeg
Here's what to reach for when out of this versatile and warm spice.
The aroma of the holidays, the pop of magic in a creamy sauce, the excitement in a squash soup; it's all thanks to nutmeg. It's a warm hug in sweet or savory dishes and a favorite in the kitchen. But if you're reaching for that spice halfway through making the dough for your annual eggnog cookies and you realize you don't have enough, do not fret. There are many options available to you. .
What Is Nutmeg?
Nutmeg is not a nut, but the seed of an evergreen tree native to Indonesia. The seed is sold whole to be grated fresh upon use or pre-ground into a fragrant spice. Though often pigeonholed as a spice used for baking only, nutmeg has a rich history in cuisines all over the world, from Africa to France, in many savory applications.
Related: Nutmeg 101: What It Is and How to Use It
What Does Nutmeg Taste Like?
Nutmeg is intense and warm with an earthy nuttiness. The aroma is distinctly cozy and notes of pepper with a hint of sweetness can be detected. The depth of flavor nutmeg has by itself is wonderful, but its ability to elevate anything it touches, whether sweet or savory, is incredible.
Get the recipe: Eggnog Cheesecake
Best Nutmeg Substitutes
Mace
Did you know that the evergreen tree that produces nutmeg also produces mace? Mace is a spice made from the red, lacey outer layer of the nutmeg seed, that has been dried and ground. Knowing this makes mace a natural substitute. The warm, sweet notes can replace nutmeg 1 for 1. Try it in some sweet potato bread.
Cinnamon
If you bake a good amount, it's likely you purchase larger amounts of cinnamon than other spices, so if you run out of nutmeg, you're guaranteed to still have some cinnamon lying around. Like nutmeg, cinnamon is used in both sweet and savory dishes, but their flavors are different. Begin with ½ as much as you would nutmeg and taste (if possible) to determine if you need more.
Related: 9 Essential Ingredients That Every Baker Needs
Pumpkin Pie Spice
If you've got some of this hanging around from PSL season, go ahead and chuck it in. Nutmeg is included as a part of this blend that also incorporates cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves. An equal amount to the amount of nutmeg called for will work well, especially in something like pumpkin bread.
Allspice
Despite the name, this isn't a blend of all the spices. It's simply dried allspice berries that have been ground. Flavor-wise, it's a bit like a blend of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves with a hint of peppercorn, even though it is none of those things. But because of this, it makes an excellent teaspoon-for-teaspoon replacement, perhaps in a seasonal muffin like these autumn ones.
Related: What Is Allspice?
Cloves
About as prevalent in holiday baking as nutmeg, cloves are another warm, delicious spice. Though available whole or ground, ground cloves are what you would reach for in these scenarios, and you can use about half the amount. If you must use whole, stick to only sauces or soups where they can be strained out before serving, and use them sparingly. Certainly, if the recipe already uses cloves as well as the nutmeg, you don't want to simply add extra. Overdoing it on the cloves is a real and unappealing thing.
Ginger
Ginger is more zippy, but it'll be good if you don't mind a punchier flavor, in something like this apple betty. If the nutmeg is going in something that already has ginger to start with, just go ahead and add more. This substitute can be made in equal measure, especially in meat and vegetable dishes.
Get the recipe: Amazingly Good Eggnog
Cardamom
Another car on the warming spice train, cardamom is one of the main ingredients in chai spice blends. It's incredibly distinct, so use caution when swapping it for nutmeg. It would work particularly well if nutmeg is simply being used as a dusting garnish say, over the top of a beverage like eggnog, but if the recipe is using a scant amount like ¼ teaspoon, it would be fine then too.
Apple Pie Spice
Apple pie spice, like pumpkin pie spice, is a blend of warm spices, but cardamom is included in this one. To substitute it, stick to recipes that only need a smidge of nutmeg, like this old fashioned peach cobbler, and reduce the amount of apple pie spice by half, knowing you can always add more, but you can't take away.
Garam Masala
This blend of spices likely involving cinnamon, coriander, peppercorn, mace, and nutmeg is common in dishes like Indian curries. It's warming with a bit of heat, so stick to savory dishes, like herb rub roasted turkey or pulled pork, for this intriguing swap. And since it's complex, often including such savory spices as bay leaf and cumin, start with around ¼ the amount and increase if necessary.
Star Anise
Star anise, with its bold flavor, wouldn't step in lightly for nutmeg in many recipes, but if you're simply grating it fresh over top of a drink or into your coffee grounds, try grating some anise instead for a snap of licorice-like sweetness.
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