The Easiest Way To Upgrade Pumpkin Pie Is Already In Your Spice Rack

Pumpkin pie is a delicious dessert to try your hand at baking. And while we oftentimes obsess over pumpkins during the fall, making the pie at home can be done year-round. However, there are a few tricks worth knowing when it comes to making pumpkin pie as good as it can be. The biggest of these has to do with the different spices you use. Erin Jeanne McDowell, food stylist, recipe developer, and author who literally wrote "The Book on Pie," gave us insight into the best spices to add to pumpkin pie — notable among them was black pepper.

"Black pepper falls right in line with the other warm spices that are often added to pumpkin pie," McDowell told The Takeout. Warm spices typically refer to spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice; all of which are typically found in pumpkin pie as well as pumpkin pie spice, though the latter can include even more unique spices. These seasonings collaborate to help your pumpkin pie embody that warm, cozy taste that it's known for. Black pepper is an atypical addition to the warm spice genre, but it's not all that different. While most people view black pepper as a seasoning meant for savory dishes, few spices can enhance the warm notes of pumpkin pie quite like the kitchen staple.

So, black pepper is key to making a great pumpkin pie, but be cautious about how much you add. The amount of pepper to add may vary slightly depending on what recipe you're following, but ⅛ teaspoon is typical. Beyond adding black pepper to pumpkin pie (and our favorite salted caramel), there are several other spices worth including. 

"I like to add Chinese Five Spice to my pumpkin pie," McDowell continued. "It contains a blend of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seed. It's fantastic with pumpkin pie." You can also add other, lesser-known warm spices to the mix if you want a slightly different take on the dessert. "Any warm spice works well in this application," she said. "It can be fun to play around with blending or focusing on one. Cardamom is another one that can be really lovely in pumpkin pie."