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A well-stocked spice cabinet can make holiday cooking a whole lot easier. From the cinnamon and ginger going into your favorite cookies to the turkey spices you reach for when it’s time to season the main event, having the right McCormick® holiday spices organized and ready means less searching and more time enjoying the season.
Whether you’re stocking your shelves from scratch or refreshing what you already have, the best holiday spice cabinet doesn’t need to contain dozens of bottles. Focus on the essentials you use again and again, then add a few specialty seasonings, blends, finishing salts and sugars to round out your collection.
Planning Your Holiday Season Spice Cabinet: What Spices are Essential?
Let your holiday menu guide your spice selection. A small collection of versatile spices can take you from Thanksgiving dinner through holiday baking and New Year’s entertaining.
Cinnamon is one of the most useful spices for baking, adding its warm flavor to cookies, cakes, pies and breakfast favorites. It’s also at home in mulled drinks and savory dishes.
Nutmeg brings a warm, nutty flavor to eggnog, custards, cream sauces, baked goods and seasonal vegetables. Because it has a distinctive flavor, a little can go a long way.
Ginger adds a slightly peppery kick to gingerbread, spice cookies, cakes and seasonal drinks, while cloves bring bold, aromatic flavor to baked goods, glazed ham and mulled beverages.
Allspice delivers notes reminiscent of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in one spice, making it useful in desserts, savory rubs and warm drinks.
Cardamom is a great addition when you want to expand beyond the traditional basics. Its citrusy, aromatic flavor works especially well in cookies, cakes, breads and beverages.
Once the essentials are covered, think about the rest of your holiday menu. If turkey is the centerpiece, sage, thyme, rosemary, garlic and black pepper are useful additions. Frequent bakers may want pumpkin pie spice or other seasonal blends on hand, while hosts might get more use from seasonings for appetizers, dips and roasted nuts.
Finishing salts and sugars can provide the perfect finishing touch to your holiday favorites. Sprinkle them over cookies, desserts, cocktails, roasted vegetables or appetizers just before serving.
For more inspiration on combining flavors, explore 5 Almost Magical Spice Pairings You Need to Try Right Now.
Decide What Deserves Space
Before buying anything new, take inventory of what you already own and consider the storage available. A small cabinet may call for everyday essentials and a handful of seasonal favorites, while a larger space gives you room for whole spices, blends and specialty seasonings.
Prioritize ingredients you’ll use across several dishes rather than buying a separate seasoning for every recipe. You can also decide where whole versus ground spices make the most sense. Ground spices offer convenience, while whole spices can be ground as needed. If you’d like to experiment with the latter, How to Grind Your Own Spices, Plus Spice Conversions for Your Favorite Seasonings can help you get started.
Organizing and Storing Spices for Peak Freshness
Store spices in tightly closed containers away from excessive heat, moisture and direct sunlight. While the cabinet above the stove might seem convenient, frequent exposure to heat and steam can make another location a better choice.
Keep labels easy to see and note dates when needed so you know how long each bottle has been in your collection. Ground spices generally lose potency faster than whole spices, so periodically check their aroma and appearance to determine whether they’re still delivering the flavor you expect. For more guidance, see How Long Do Spices Last?.
How you arrange your collection depends on the way you cook. Alphabetizing makes individual bottles easy to locate, while grouping by use lets you keep baking, savory cooking and beverage ingredients together. Another option is organizing by cuisine. Whichever system you choose, place the bottles you reach for most often where they’re easiest to see and grab.
Build a DIY Spice Rack That Works for Your Kitchen
If bottles are disappearing into the back of a cabinet, a DIY spice rack can make your collection easier to navigate. You don’t necessarily need to build something from scratch, either. Modular storage lets you customize an existing space without committing to a permanent renovation.
Tiered shelves make labels easier to see, while pull-out racks prevent bottles from getting lost in deep cabinets. Door-mounted racks take advantage of unused vertical space, and countertop drawers can be useful when cabinet space is limited.
Consider bottle height and width before choosing an organizer. Leave enough clearance to remove jars comfortably and choose shelves that are deep and sturdy enough to keep containers secure. Materials that wipe clean easily are especially practical near food-prep areas.
Labels can make the system even more efficient. Choose an alphabetical arrangement or categories such as Baking, Holiday Dinner, Everyday and Drinks depending on which makes ingredients easiest to find while you cook.
Using Your Holiday Spice Cabinet: Recipes, Blends and Serving Tips
Once your cabinet is ready, turn a few of those individual spices into make-ahead blends you can use throughout the season.
For an all-purpose holiday baking spice, combine approximately 4 parts cinnamon, 2 parts ginger, 1 part nutmeg, 1 part allspice and 1/2 part cloves. Stir it into cookie or quick bread batter, sprinkle it over oatmeal or French toast, or use it to season roasted nuts.
For holiday dinners, make a savory herb rub with approximately 2 parts thyme, 2 parts rosemary, 1 part sage, 1 part garlic powder and 1 part black pepper. Try it on turkey or chicken or use it to season roasted potatoes and vegetables. For more ways to create your own combinations, explore Homemade Spice Mixes: How to Use Seasoning Mixtures for Different Cuisine Types.
For seasonal drinks, make a mulled spice sachet with cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and whole allspice. Add it to simmering apple cider or mulled wine with sliced citrus, then remove the sachet before serving.
Other Easy Ways to Use Holiday Spices
Beyond homemade blends, individual spices can bring seasonal character to everyday favorites. Add cinnamon or nutmeg to pancakes, oatmeal or hot chocolate; bring ginger, cloves or allspice into cookies, cakes and quick breads; or use cardamom to add an aromatic note to coffee, tea and baked goods.
Pumpkin pie spice is another versatile blend worth keeping nearby for breakfast, baking, drinks and desserts. These 10 Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipes to Celebrate the Fall Season offer more ways to put it to use.
When it’s time to serve, finishing salts and sugars can add a final layer of flavor and texture. Try a finishing salt over roasted vegetables or appetizers, or a flavored finishing sugar on baked fruit, cookies, warm drinks or the rims of holiday cocktails.
Spice and Seasoning Pairings to be Thankful For
A few easy combinations of McCormick seasonings and everyday ingredients can bring extra flavor to Thanksgiving favorites, from the turkey to the vegetables and dessert.
For Herby Roast Turkey, mix McCormick Poultry Seasoning into softened butter and rub it over the bird before roasting for an easy, golden centerpiece.
For Maple Garlic Roasted Carrots, toss carrots with olive oil, McCormick Garlic & Olive Oil Seasoning, and a drizzle of maple syrup before roasting. This is a simple serving idea rather than a separate recipe.
For Perfect Turkey Gravy, combine McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix with turkey drippings for an easy way to boost the savory flavor.
For a classic Thanksgiving dessert, combine McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice and McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract with canned pumpkin. These flavors work beautifully in Classic Pumpkin Pie, mini pies, or pumpkin cheesecake.
For a seasonal coffee treat, make an at home Pumpkin Spice Latte by pairing McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice and McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract with your favorite coffee.
For savory-sweet sides, combine McCormick Caramelized Onion Seasoning with McCormick Ground Cinnamon. Add the pairing to sausage or cornbread stuffing, or use it to season roasted Brussels sprouts, carrots, or butternut squash.
For another savory-sweet side or Friendsgiving main, pair McCormick Garlic & Olive Oil Seasoning with McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice. Toss carrots or sweet potatoes with oil and maple syrup, then season with 1 tablespoon Garlic & Olive Oil Seasoning and ¼ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice per pound of vegetables before roasting. Or rub turkey legs with butter, season with the Garlic & Olive Oil blend, and add a dash of Pumpkin Pie Spice.
Fun and Festive Christmas Flavor Pairings
A few thoughtfully chosen seasonings can bring new life to familiar holiday dishes. Try these combinations for Christmas dinner, brunch and dessert without adding a long list of specialty ingredients.
For a citrusy twist on holiday ham, prepare Brown Sugar Glazed Ham with McCormick Brown Sugar Glazed Ham Seasoning Mix, swapping in orange juice for a bright, zesty glaze.
For an easy Christmas side, toss Brussels sprouts with McCormick Garlic & Olive Oil Seasoning, roast until tender and finish with lemon or Parmesan.
Turn a mug of hot cocoa into peppermint hot cocoa with a dash of McCormick Pure Peppermint Extract. Top with whipped cream and Candy Cane Finishing Sugar for a pretty finish.
Build a fun a toffee dessert board with brownie bites, cheesecake bites or blondies with a sprinkle of McCormick English Toffee Finishing Sugar. You can also sprinkle it over warm pudding or ice cream for that extra little holiday touch.
Give your starchy sides a savory-sweet twist with McCormick Garlic & Olive Oil Seasoning and a pinch of Ground Nutmeg for extra cozy depth. Try the combination in Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, a cauliflower casserole or mac and cheese.
For Christmas brunch, stir McCormick Ground Cinnamon and Cranberry Finishing Sugar into softened butter. A dash of Pure Vanilla Extract brings a bakery-inspired aroma. Serve the flavored butter with biscuits, French toast, pancakes or muffins.
How to Scale Spice Blends for Holiday Hosting
Homemade blends are easy to scale when you’re cooking for a crowd. Simply multiply every ingredient by the same amount to maintain the original ratio.
Making a larger batch ahead of time can be especially helpful when the same seasoning appears in several dishes. Mix it once, store it in a tightly sealed container and measure what you need as you cook.
Turn Homemade Spice Blends into Holiday Gifts
Homemade blends also make easy holiday gifts. Portion baking spice, a savory herb rub or whole mulling spices into small jars or food-safe bags, then add a label with the ingredients and a few suggested uses.
For a larger gift, create a holiday spice sampler with several blends. Pair a baking mix with a savory seasoning and mulling spices to give the recipient options for desserts, dinners and drinks. Add recipe cards or serving suggestions to make the set even more useful.
Once holiday cooking winds down, give the cabinet a quick reset. Clean shelves and organizers, check older bottles for freshness and move the seasonings you use year-round into the most convenient spots. You’ll head into the new year with a spice collection that’s just as useful for everyday cooking as it was during the holidays.
