The Top 5 Alternatives to Cloves

Cloves are a common ingredient in many dishes during the fall and winter seasons, so if you’ve ever cooked a large supper at home, you’re definitely familiar with them.

Cloves are used in both sweet and savory recipes, both in whole and ground form, to add flavor and warmth. They may be found in everything from mulled cider and wine to your favorite spiced pies.

But if you’re low on cloves at home or forgot to buy some, there are plenty of substitutes that may readily replace this unique spice. In fact, a lot of them are probably already in your spice cabinet, so you won’t need to make a special trip to the grocery store.

Check out our list of the top 5 clove replacements to keep your recipes full of that distinctive warmth and taste, whether you’re making savory or sweet dishes for a large holiday gathering or just a special evening supper at home.

1. Nutmeg

This warm spice, which is sweet and nutty, works well in place of ground cloves in almost any recipe. As a substitute to cloves, you can use nutmeg alone or in combination with other ground spices (several of which are listed below). Just be careful when measuring out the nutmeg, as a little goes a long way.

2. Allspice

With its warm, sweet undertones and delicately peppery flavor, ground or whole allspice berries are a perfect alternative to cloves. comparable to nutmeg, allspice can be used alone or in combination with other spices to provide a comparable flavor in most dishes where cloves are called for.

3. Pumpkin Pie Spice

Pumpkin pie spice, which consists of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice, is excellent for using in traditional fall pies as well as adding a warm, savory clove flavor to dishes in the absence of ground cloves. If desired, increase the amount of pumpkin pie spice by starting with a 1:1 substitution for the cloves.

4. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a great alternative for cloves because it complements cloves well in most recipes, especially pies and pastries. Combine cinnamon with another spice, such as nutmeg, to approximate the sweetness of cloves, and use the mixture in place of cloves in any dish.

5. Cardamom

Cardamom has a more lemony, herbal flavor profile that complements both savory and sweet meals, in contrast to cloves’ more toasty, sweet notes. To regain the proper flavor balance when substituting cardamom for cloves, blend it with nutmeg or cinnamon.

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