Homemade Spice Blends: 8 Mixes to Make and Gift (With Printable Labels)
If you have ever turned a tiny shop bought spice blend over in your hand and winced at the price, you are not alone. Those little jars often cost a surprising amount for a few spoonfuls of seasoning, and many are bulked out with anti caking extras, added starch, and more salt than you would ever choose yourself. The good news is that you probably own most of what you need already. With everyday spices, a few clean jars, and an hour at the kitchen table, you can mix a whole row of fresh blends for a fraction of the shop price.
Homemade blends also make the kind of gift people actually use. A small jar of taco seasoning or cinnamon sugar, finished with a handwritten label and a scrap of ribbon, suits neighbours, teachers, new homeowners, and anyone who is hard to buy for. If simple kitchen gifts are your thing, you will also love our guide to how to make beeswax wraps, which pairs beautifully with a jar or two in a food lovers hamper. Below we share eight reliable mixes, each measured for a small jar of about half a cup, plus our simple way to print labels at home.
Before You Start
A few small habits make a big difference. Start with the freshest spices you can: ground spices that have sat open for years give a flat, dusty result, so give each jar a quick sniff and replace anything that smells tired. Work in small batches, just like the recipes below, so each jar gets used up while the flavour is at its best. Always use clean, completely dry jars and spoons, since even a few drops of water can make a blend clump. Finally, mix well, taste a pinch, and adjust the heat or salt before filling your jars.
1. Taco Seasoning
- 3 tablespoons chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, optional for extra heat
This is the jar that disappears fastest in our house. Stir 2 tablespoons into a pound of browned beef, turkey, or beans with a splash of water for easy weeknight tacos. It is also lovely on roasted potato wedges, sweetcorn, and chicken strips for fajitas. Because you control the salt and heat, it suits family cooking far better than most packets, and you can leave out the chilli flakes for younger eaters.
2. Pumpkin Spice
- 4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional
Warm, sweet, and cosy, this blend is autumn in a jar. Stir a teaspoon into coffee, hot chocolate, or porridge, fold it through muffin and banana bread batter, or whisk it into whipped cream for pies and pancakes. It makes a sweet little gift on its own, especially in a jar with a cinnamon stick tied to the lid. Make a fresh batch at the start of the season and you will reach for it often.
3. Italian Herb Blend
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, lightly crushed
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried marjoram or extra oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, optional
Keep this green, fragrant mix next to the hob and dinner gets easier. Shake it over pasta sauces, soups, roast chicken, and tray baked vegetables, or stir a spoonful into olive oil with a pinch of salt for a quick bread dip. It is a kind gift for new cooks because it works in almost anything savoury. For the best flavour, rub the herbs between your palms as you add them to wake up their natural oils.
4. Curry Powder
- 3 tablespoons ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder, or more to taste
This mild to medium blend gives you a gentle, golden base for all sorts of curries without a cupboard full of separate jars. Fry a tablespoon or two in oil with onion, garlic, and ginger at the start of cooking, then add vegetables, lentils, chickpeas, or chicken and your liquid of choice. It is also tasty in rice, egg dishes, and spiced soups. Add more chilli once you know your household heat level.
5. BBQ Rub
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon fine salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sweet, smoky, and just spicy enough, this rub does most of the work at a barbecue for you. Pat meat, chicken, tofu, or chunky vegetables dry, coat well, and rest for at least 30 minutes before cooking so the sugar helps form a tasty crust. It works just as well under the grill or in the oven, and a jar makes a brilliant gift for anyone who loves to cook outside. Store it tightly sealed so the sugar stays loose and dry.
6. Chaat Masala Style Fruit Salt
- 3 tablespoons amchur, dry mango powder
- 1 tablespoon roasted ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon black salt
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 2 teaspoons dried mint, finely crumbled
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Tangy, salty, and a little bit addictive, this fruit salt style blend wakes up anything fresh and crunchy. Sprinkle it over sliced apple, orange, banana, cucumber, or a mixed fruit bowl, shake it over fries and roasted chickpeas, or stir a pinch into lemonade style drinks for a street food flavour at home. The black salt and mango powder give it its signature tang, so try not to swap them out. A small jar makes a fun gift for snack lovers.
7. Garlic Herb Salt
- 5 tablespoons fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried lemon peel, optional
If you only make one blend from this list, make it this one. Garlic herb salt lifts roast potatoes, grilled chicken, fried eggs, avocado toast, garlic bread, and plain vegetables with zero effort. Keep a small pot by the stove as your everyday finishing salt, remembering that it is salt first, so season the rest of the dish lightly. It is also the easiest jar for children to help make, with no heat and plenty of satisfying shaking.
8. Cinnamon Sugar
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
Simple, sweet, and endlessly useful, cinnamon sugar turns plain toast, buttered muffins, and warm doughnuts into a treat. Dust it over porridge, baked apples, rice pudding, and French toast, or rim a mug of hot chocolate with it. For gifting, layer the sugar and cinnamon in stripes in a clear jar, or simply mix it well and add a pretty label. It is a lovely first project to make with children on a rainy afternoon.
Jars, Storage, and Simple Printable Labels
You do not need special jars. Small glass jars with tight lids work best, from saved jam jars to inexpensive half cup preserving jars, and clear glass lets the colours shine through, which is half the gift. Fill each jar with a small funnel or a folded piece of paper, tap gently to settle the blend, and wipe the rim before sealing. Store jars in a cool cupboard away from heat and bright light, not right above the cooker, and most blends taste best for about 3 to 6 months. Ground spices do not go off quickly, they just fade, so give an older jar a sniff and add a little extra if needed.
Labels are what turn a kitchen mix into a present. If you have sticker paper, type or hand letter your labels, print, cut, and stick them straight on. Plain paper works too: cut labels to size and fix them on with a thin layer of glue or a glue stick, smoothing out bubbles with a clean cloth. On every label, write three things clearly: the blend name, the date you made it, and the heat level, for example mild, medium, or hot. Add a tiny use idea if you have room, such as best on tacos or lovely in coffee. For more playful handmade gifting, our guide to DIY blind bags is a fun companion project to tuck into a gift basket alongside your jars.
Once you have mixed your first batch, you will see gift ideas everywhere: a trio of jars for a housewarming, cinnamon sugar in a Christmas stocking, or a BBQ rub tied to a new set of tongs. Start with the blend your household will use most, keep your labels simple, and have fun with it. Homemade spice blends are cheap to make, quick to finish, and quietly generous, and that is exactly the kind of making we love most at Velvet Hands.
Free printable spice blend labels
To finish your jars properly, I turned the labels from this guide into a free printable. Page one has a ready made round label for each of the eight blends above, with the heat level, a little use idea and a space to write the date you made it. Page two has blank labels for your own mixes. Print them on sticker paper, or on plain paper or thin card, cut along the dashed line, and stick them straight onto your jars.
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