9 Best Nutmeg Substitutes - What's a Good Substitute?

The Pioneer Woman team chose every item on this page.Some products may earn the site a commission.

It is beginning to smell like Christmas.There is something magical about the smell of freshly baked Christmas cookies.It's a key ingredient in many baked goods and essential when you're making an Eggnog recipe.During the holiday season, Nutmeg gets a lot of attention, but it doesn't get much love the rest of the year.The list of the best Nutmeg Substitutes comes in handy.Don't worry, if you're about to make a recipe that calls for Nutmeg, like Ree Drummond's Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies, you have enough of it.The day will be saved by these easy Nutmeg Substitutes.

What is that thing?It screams Christmas because it comes from the seed of an evergreen tree.Many people prefer the whole seed because it lasts longer and can be freshly grated for the best flavor.The only thing you need to do is grate whole nutmeg.Keep an eye on the expiration date because ground nutmeg loses its flavor quicker.Nutmeg should be used lightly.It has a warm, nutty, and spicy flavor that makes it stand out in both sweet and savory dishes.You can find it in desserts like pumpkin pie and gingerbread cookies, but also in creamy dishes like Alfredo sauce and green bean casserole.Nutmeg is often used with other spices.If your Christmas cookie recipe calls for nutmeg, you can easily increase the amount of the other spices, or swap in one of these nutmeg substitutes instead.

You probably already have this in your cabinet.It can be found as sticks or ground from the bark of the cinnamon tree.The flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg are different.If you want to add more cinnamon, use half as much as you would nutmeg.

Did you know that the two are related?Mace is the outer layer of the nutmeg seed, so the ground spice is a logical choice for a substitute.It has a similar sweet flavor and can be used as a replacement in equal parts.

Pumpkin Spice appears in many recipes as soon as the summer ends.The classic autumnal spices are usually cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.Nutmeg is in pumpkin pie spice, so if you use it as a substitute, you'll still get some real nutmeg flavors in your dish.

allspice isn't a blend of all different spices, it's made from ground dried allspice berriesThe flavor of allspice is similar to cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorn.It can be used as a one-for-one replacement in any recipe.