pumpkin spice

noun

variants or less commonly pumpkin pie spice

: a mixture of usually cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and often allspice that is commonly used in pumpkin pie

Pumpkin spice is everywhere, and at this point you simply give in to the pounds you'll potentially gain from all the glorious spreads during the holidays.

—Chris Scott

By mixing in a few simple ingredients with pumpkin—think vanilla yogurt, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and a sprinkling of graham cracker—you create a velvety pumpkin pie experience in a matter of seconds.

—Erika Chayes Wida

—often used before another noun

It's that time of year again—holiday decorations festoon the lampposts and store windows, the smell of pumpkin spice lattes pervades the air, and the chill of winter has settled in …

—Lee Hutchinson

With sweet potato pie, the same pumpkin pie spice blend … is used along with the pre-baked crust.

—WSOCTV.com

Examples of pumpkin spice in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As the leaves start to fall and pumpkin spice lattes multiply, there’s no better time to channel your inner Lorelai or Rory Gilmore through a fall wardrobe update. —Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 15 Oct. 2025

Head to Harrison Pumpkin Festival to pick out the most gourd-geous pumpkin, or sip on a pumpkin spice latte and stroll through Charm at the Farm's October Market to find the perfect fall decor for the home. —Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2025

Each piece combines rich milk chocolate with a creamy pumpkin spice latte filling. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Oct. 2025

Its 20-something ingredients somehow coalesce into a bar that comes in nine flavors, including cake batter, fudge brownie, and the seasonal pumpkin spice. —Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pumpkin spice

• imprecise
• sacrifice
• advice
• allspice
• concise
• device
• entice
• excise
• fordyce
• precise
• suffice
• dice