A British sweet-spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, allspice and often coriander, used in hot cross buns, Christmas pudding, fruit cake and crumbles; not the same as allspice.
What it is¶
Mixed spice (sometimes labelled "pudding spice") is the standard British sweet-spice blend: ground cinnamon with nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice, and in most commercial versions coriander and sometimes caraway. It flavours the country's spiced baking, from hot cross buns at Easter to Christmas pudding, fruit cake and mince pies.
It is often confused with allspice, particularly in American recipes, where "allspice" means the single berry of Pimenta dioica. The two are not interchangeable, though allspice alone makes a passable substitute for mixed spice in a pinch. The American equivalent is closer to pumpkin pie spice.
Origins¶
Spiced sweet dishes have a long history in Britain. Medieval cooks used mixtures such as powder douce (a sweet blend with sugar, cinnamon and ginger) and powder fort (a stronger one), and dried fruit and spices were a mark of festive food for centuries. See medieval-spice-cookery and spices-in-britain.
As spices became cheaper in the 18th and 19th centuries, recipes for plum puddings, Christmas cakes and buns called for combinations of cinnamon, nutmeg, mace and cloves, and "mixed spice" appears as a named ingredient in British cookery by the 19th century. Ready-ground packets became a standard grocery product in the 20th century.
What goes in it¶
| Spice | Role |
|---|---|
| cinnamon (or cassia) | Sweet warmth; the main spice |
| Coriander seed | Soft, orangey bulk; common in British blends |
| nutmeg | Rich, sweet warmth |
| ginger | Clean heat |
| cloves | Pungent depth, used sparingly |
| allspice | Clove-and-pepper roundness |
| caraway | Faint, old-fashioned seed-cake note (in some brands) |
| Optional: mace, cardamom | Home variations |
Flavour¶
Warm, sweet and rounded, with cinnamon leading and cloves and nutmeg behind. It is the smell of a British bakery at Christmas. Because coriander and caraway are subtle, a home blend without them tastes more intensely of cinnamon and cloves.
How to use it¶
- Hot cross buns: 2 teaspoons per 500 g flour.
- Christmas pudding, Christmas cake and mincemeat: 1–3 teaspoons, depending on the recipe and batch size.
- Crumbles, stewed apple, bread and butter pudding, rice pudding.
- Flapjacks, biscuits, gingerbread, tea loaves and Welsh cakes.
- Savoury: a pinch in braised red cabbage, a ham glaze or a spiced chutney.
Making it at home¶
About 6 tablespoons · 10 minutes
You need
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground caraway (optional)
Method
- Mix everything thoroughly in a bowl.
- For more fragrance, grind the coriander, allspice, cloves and caraway from whole, toasting the coriander briefly first and cooling before grinding.
- Store in an airtight jar.
Variations¶
- Commercial British blends differ: some are mostly cinnamon and coriander, others lean on nutmeg and cloves.
- With mace: older recipes often used mace where modern ones use nutmeg.
- Cardamom-scented: a modern variation for buns.
- Christmas pudding spice: usually just mixed spice, sometimes with extra nutmeg and cinnamon.
Families and bakers each have their own preferred balance; there is no single authentic formula.
Buying and storing¶
Ground sweet spices fade quickly; a jar that has sat in the cupboard since last Christmas will not do the pudding many favours. Buy in small quantities and keep airtight. See how-long-spices-last.