By Peggy Sue McRae

Summer has barely begun to fade when autumn makes its upcoming presence felt in sudden urges to gather apples, knit, and purchase school supplies. But what is that scent wafting through the air that heralds this seasonal change? Could it be pumpkin spice?

When did pumpkin spice go from a mostly neglected “Pumpkin Pie Spice” spice blend hiding in the back of your Mom’s spice drawer to the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte phenomena and further to all sorts of absurd applications? When pumpkin spice flavors and perfumes everything from Spam and potato chips to cat litter and car fresheners we do have to wonder, have we reached peak pumpkin spice yet? I hope we have and yet bringing it back to basics these warming spices; cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves still pleasantly invoke the cozy comforts of autumn.

Originally called Pumpkin Pie Spice the now ubiquitous spice blend was first packaged and sold in 1934 by the McCormick brand as an easy way to make a “perfectly seasoned” pumpkin pie. The famous Starbucks pumpkin spice latte debuted in 2003 and was updated in 2015 after people complained that there was no pumpkin in the pumpkin spice latte. They then added a pumpkin spice sauce made from sugar, condensed milk and pumpkin puree.

The classic Starbucks beverage includes milk, pumpkin spice sauce, brewed espresso, whipped cream, vanilla syrup and pumpkin spice topping bringing their 16 oz Pumpkin Spice Latte to a whopping 390 calories. Not too bad if you only do it a few times a year but before it becomes a regular habit you may want to consider alternatives. The spices themselves are perfectly healthy it’s the sugar and dairy fat that may concern some of us.

Making your own pumpkin spice recipes is a way to refine and adjust these seasonal treats to your own taste and health objectives. You can enjoy these autumnal pleasures by making a spice blend at home. Here is the general (every recipe I’ve looked at is slightly different) ratio of spices: two parts cinnamon, one part ginger, ¼ nutmeg, ¼ allspice, ¼ cloves and perhaps a pinch of cardamom. Of course you can adjust these ratios to your personal taste.

Experimenting with non-dairy milk substitutes, maple syrup, stevia or other alternate sweeteners, using vanilla extract instead of vanilla syrup are just a few suggestions to cut down on the sugar and dairy fat while still enjoying spicy fall treats.

I wouldn’t blame you if crass commercialization was putting you off your pumpkin spice but I urge you to reclaim these traditional treasures. Cooking with these spices will make your house smell incredible and they will warm you from the inside on crisp autumn days. As my favorite nineties girl group the Spice Girls would tell you, “People of the world, spice up your life!”