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

The pumpkin spice notes came along a moment later as an aftertaste. —Eddie Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 12 Dec. 2025

Release a pumpkin spice latte on the problem. —Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Dec. 2025

Ask for a Grande Iced Matcha Latte Oatmilk with two pumps of brown sugar syrup, one pump of pumpkin sauce, pumpkin cream cold foam, pumpkin spice topping and without classic syrup. —Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025

Nutmeg is a sweet spice commonly used in baking, along with clove, cinnamon, allspice, and pumpkin spice. —Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 5 Dec. 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