Six Alternatives to Nutmeg

Since nutmeg is a staple in many savory and sweet recipes throughout the season, home bakers rush to their neighborhood grocery store at the beginning of every fall and winter holiday season to stock up.

You won’t even realize you’re not using nutmeg if you’re at the shop and find yourself staring at an empty shelf where the ground nutmeg should be or if you’re just out of your home supply. There are a number of acceptable substitutes for ground nutmeg that are so similar to the genuine thing.

Because of its nutty and sweet flavor, nutmeg is a great addition to casseroles, soups, spice rubs, and pies. However, if you substitute another spice, such as mace, cinnamon, or garam masala, you might discover that you wind up like your dish even more than it did with nutmeg. Get your favorite spiced substitutes on hand, check out our comprehensive guide to the top 6 nutmeg substitutions, and get cooking!

1. Mace

As mace is the outer covering of the nutmeg seed, it is the ideal substitute for nutmeg, albeit it may be hard to locate in your neighborhood grocery store. You can also get it online. Mace can be substituted 1:1 for nutmeg in any recipe since its flavor is so similar to that of the spice.

2. Garam Masala

Garam masala, a famous spice combination used in South Asian cooking, is a perfect substitute for nutmeg when you don’t have any on hand. It usually contains nutmeg, mace, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper. In addition, the flavor of the other spices in garam masala is comparable to that of nutmeg, therefore any variety of garam masala will work well as a substitute in a 1:1 ratio.

3. Allspice

Don’t let the name deceive you; unlike garam masala, which is a blend of spices, allspice is manufactured from a single variety of berry called the Jamaican pepper. Allspice is a typical kitchen pantry essential that tastes like a combination of nutmeg, pepper, juniper, and cinnamon. It may be used as a 1:1 stand-in for nutmeg in any dish.

4. Cinnamon

It’s likely that you have ground cinnamon stashed away in your spice cabinet, even if it’s not quite stocked. Ground cinnamon works well in place of nutmeg in most recipes. But since cinnamon has a strong flavor and is best used in tiny amounts, if you wish to substitute it for nutmeg in your recipes, start with half as much and tweak the flavors to suit your palate.

5. Apple Pie Spice

Since apple pie spice contains cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, and ginger, it works well as a substitute for nutmeg in dishes that call for apples, such apple pie. If you use apple pie spice for nutmeg, make careful to use half as much nutmeg as specified because you don’t want the cinnamon flavor to take over the finished dish.

6. Ginger

Stop yourself before reaching for the fresh ginger nub in your refrigerator to replace the nutmeg. Instead of using fresh ginger, which is less ideal as a substitute for nutmeg due to its higher spice content, try using ground ginger. Use it a 1:1 substitute for nutmeg in savory recipes; however, since the flavor profile of the two will differ, don’t use too much in sweeter recipes.

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