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

According to the Original Cream Puffs website, the cream puff has debuted different flavors such as strawberry cream, latte cream, cocoa cream, pumpkin spice cream and peppermint cream puff. —Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024

Something a bit more exotic for this holiday is a pumpkin spice margarita. —Mike Hoffmann, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2023

Or perhaps you're known to bake a batch of pumpkin spice cookies for the holidays? —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2024

And so, in the new year, the tastemakers will be giving us food that's healthier and better for the planet; more Mexican and Asian food; and, according to Nielsen IQ's Sherry Frey, more pumpkin spice, which can be found in products throughout the aisles. —David Pogue, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2023

The minty flavor will replace the pumpkin spice Frosty, which has been on the menu since Sept. 12. —Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023

Clearly, pumpkin spice is not going to go away on its own. —Daniel Neman, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024

Other seasonal flavors include apple pie and pumpkin spice. —Anna Haines, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023

With a 2004 debut, Baja Blast is just a year younger than Starbucks’s pumpkin spice latte, another beverage that has evolved from breakout star to cultural signifier and has now graduated into ubiquity. —Emily Heil, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above