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

Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini — Espresso martini infused with pumpkin spice, topped with pumpkin pie spice cold foam. —Lanee Lee, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

There's a breeze in the air and pumpkin spice in your cup, which means Halloween is right around the corner. —Melina Khan, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025

While the rest of the country starts to sip pumpkin spice lattes and bundle up in sweaters, the Keys are still warm as always, and just getting started for several months rich with activities and events. —Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025

Anyone who’s drinking hot pumpkin spice lattes in a chunky sweater may need to rein it in for a little while. —Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 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