How to Make Spice Blends At Home

Kindi Lantz mai 09, 2025

Crafting Your Own Spice Blends from Scratch

We all love spice blends for the convenience they bestow onto our meal prep routines, but store-bought versions often contain preservatives, anti-caking agents, and other additives. Plus, they remove an element of fun by lessening culinary customization opportunities and stripping away creative control. There’s one other major problem with most premade spice blends. The spices are pre-ground and pre-mixed—often long before being packaged, shipped, and stocked in the supermarkets. With so many steps between harvest and your spice cabinet, the unique flavor of each ingredient will be muted at best, and your dish will suffer.

It’s a wonder why more culinary aficionados aren’t blending their own spices at home. It really is so easy! Use the guide below to start crafting DIY spice blends that are fresher, cleaner, and completely tailored to your taste.

How-To Guide Ideas for DIY Spice Blends at Home:

What tools should you have for creating your own spice blends?

If you are planning on making single-use spice blends from pre-ground spices, you won’t need any tools beyond a small mixing bowl and a spoon for stirring. That said, if you want to grind your spices fresh (which we highly recommend) or if you plan on making small-batches to be used into the near future, you will need a few simple tools.

Mortar and pestle or spice grinder - A basic mortar and pestle is a great hands-on option for grinding spices, especially if you enjoy the ritual of it. For a faster method, a manual or electric spice grinder does the job beautifully. Don’t want to buy new equipment? A clean coffee grinder works well in a pinch. Just be sure to wash it thoroughly so your spices don’t come out tasting like French roast.
Airtight containers for storage - Once your blend is ready, store it in small airtight jars to preserve freshness and potency. We prefer small glass jars but food-safe plastic containers also work. Just make sure the lid seals tightly to keep air and moisture out.
Labels and a marker - If you are creating multiple spice blends, you’ll probably want to label them to ensure you don’t mix them up. Adding a date to the label is also a great idea so you can keep track of how fresh it is and use it before the flavor fades.
Notebook or recipe cards - It’s always a good idea to jot down the ingredients and ratios of the spices you used in your blend so you can recreate it down the line.

How long will homemade spice blends last?

The shelf-life of any given spice blend will depend on how fresh the spices used to create the blend were to begin with, how the blend was stored, the temperature at which it was kept, and an array of other factors. In general, spice blends made from freshly-ground, whole herbs and spices will retain their flavor for 6 months to 1 year, while blends made from pre-ground spices may begin to lose their potency after 3 to 6 months. That said, once spices are ground, the volatile oils that give them their distinctive flavor begin to dissipate, and the longer they sit, the more those flavors fade. That’s why we recommend making small batches and using them as soon as possible to ensure your dishes stay bold and aromatic.

Here are some tips to help you prolong the integrity of your homemade spice blends:

Store them in airtight containers
Keep them in a cool, dark place (not above the stove!)
Avoid exposure to moisture, heat, and direct sunlight
Use clean, dry measuring spoons when scooping

Tips for making your own spice blends:

With a seemingly infinite world of spices, choosing the right combination to enhance your dishes can feel daunting. Understanding the relationship between spices, such as how they complement or contrast each other or share similar flavor notes, can deepen one’s connection to ingredients and make blending feel more intuitive. As you begin to recognize each spice’s unique aroma and character, you’ll gain the confidence to move beyond recipes and create your own signature blends with ease.

If you are wanting to expand your knowledge of characteristics and benefits of individual spices, check out our assortment of articles here.

Of course, getting to know your spices is our overarching “tip” to keep in mind when making your own spice blends, but here are a few more that will prepare you for creating flavor enhancing greatness.

Ingredient combinations - Incorporating elements of earthiness, brightness, and warmth into most blends will ensure they are balanced.These are the building blocks of most great spice blends. The ratio of these spices will depend on the dish you plan on using them for.
Number of ingredients - There is no optimum number of ingredients required for a perfect blend. While many focus on simplicity, there are others that can easily contain dozens of spices (it’s not rare to come across a 50+ingredient ras el hanout, for example). Don’t be concerned with the number of ingredients but rather the way those ingredients work together. Focus on the core building blocks of your blend and layer flavors from there.
Toasted or raw - Spices aren’t limited to a single flavor profile. The way they are prepared can dramatically change their character. Toasting spices some spices—either dry in a pan or with a small amount of oil—can awaken new layers of flavor. It often deepens, warms, or even sweetens the spice’s natural notes, bringing out complexities not associated with the spice in its raw form. For example, raw coriander has a bright, citrusy flavor, but when toasted, it develops an earthy, nutty, and somewhat warm notes. There is a time and place for each form. Experiment to determine which version best suits your dish or blend.
The grind - Flavor isn’t the only critical component of a quality spice blend; texture can drastically alter how a spice can be used and the way the flavors are presented. A fine grind blends seamlessly into sauces and dry rubs, releasing flavor quickly and evenly. A coarser grind, on the other hand, can add a rustic texture, visual appeal, and a slower, more layered flavor release, making it perfect for stews, roasts, or finishing.

Where should spices be sourced when creating DIY blends?

It should come as no surprise that creating exceptional spice blends at home depends heavily on the quality of the ingredients you start with. Whenever possible, opt for whole spices because they retain their oils and flavor much longer than pre-ground varieties and offer better control over texture and freshness when ground at home.

Purchasing locally can be a great option if you have access to a reputable spice shop but you’ll want to ensure you have done your research to be certain they are sourcing their spices from ethical purveyors. You'll often find fresher, more aromatic spices in smaller, specialty shops compared to big-box grocery stores. If you don’t want to make the trek to your local spice shop (or don’t have one in your area), ordering online opens up a world of variety—especially if you're looking for harder-to-find spices or want to ensure ethical sourcing practices—and will save you the time involved for an in-person spice hunt.

At our shop, we specialize in ethically-sourced, high-quality, whole spices that are perfect for DIY blends. Whether you're looking for vibrant turmeric, fragrant cardamom, or bold smoked paprika, we’ve got you covered.

Check out our full lineup of ethically sourced spices and stock your spice rack with the best of the best.