There is a jar of apple pie spice on the grocery shelf that costs more than the individual spices it contains, and it is mostly cinnamon. That is the whole product. Cinnamon, a little nutmeg, a little allspice, and a price tag that assumes you will not look at the ingredient list.
The blend is worth making yourself, but not because it is difficult to buy. It is worth making because the store version is built to be inoffensive, and the good version is not. Apple pie spice should have cardamom in it. Most commercial blends leave it out, and that omission is the difference between a blend that tastes warm and one that tastes bright.
The blend
This makes about 2 tablespoons, which is enough for one pie and a little left over. It is deliberately small so you are mixing fresh rather than working through a jar for two years.
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4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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1 teaspoon ground allspice
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1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
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1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Combine in a jar, seal it, and shake until the color is uniform with no pale streaks. Store somewhere cool and dark.
That is it. Five spices, no cooking, no toasting, about two minutes.
Why no cloves
This is the one real decision in the recipe, and it is what separates apple pie spice from pumpkin pie spice. The two blends share most of the same ingredients, but apple pie spice usually drops the cloves and adds cardamom instead.
Cloves are aggressive. In a custard-set filling they are pleasant, because there is fat and egg to absorb them. In a pan of sliced apples there is nothing to absorb anything, and cloves take over. You end up with a pie that tastes like a pomander.
Cardamom does the opposite. It cuts sweetness rather than adding to it, and it gives the fruit a sharp edge that keeps the whole thing from going flat and sugary. Apples are already sweet and already soft. They need contrast, not more warmth.
If you love cloves, add 1/8 teaspoon. Not more.
How long it actually lasts
Ground spices technically keep for two to four years, and blends fall in the same range. Technically is doing a lot of work in that sentence.
Potency is the issue, not safety. Old spices will not make you sick, they just stop tasting like anything. Ground spices are at their best within six months to a year, then fade steadily. Cardamom fades faster than the rest, which is another argument for a small batch.
Keep the jar somewhere cool, dark, and dry. Not the cabinet directly above the stove, which is where nearly everyone keeps spices and is the worst possible place for them. Heat and light are what kill them.
How much to use
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Apple pie filling: 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons for a standard 9-inch pie, or about 1 1/2 teaspoons per six apples
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Apple crisp or crumble: 1 1/2 teaspoons, split between the fruit and the topping
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Muffins, quick bread, or a single loaf: 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons per batch
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Applesauce: 1/2 teaspoon per quart, stirred in while warm
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Baked or roasted apples: 1/4 teaspoon per apple
A general rule: 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons per standard batch of anything. Cardamom means this blend is slightly louder than a plain cinnamon-nutmeg mix, so start at the low end.
What to use it in
Beyond pie, which is the obvious one:
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Whisked into oatmeal or overnight oats, especially with grated apple
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Stirred into pancake or waffle batter, 1 teaspoon per batch
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Sprinkled over roasted carrots or butternut squash with olive oil and salt
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In a crumble topping for any stone fruit, not just apples
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Rubbed on pork with salt and brown sugar before roasting
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Warmed into cider on the stove
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Shaken into a bourbon or apple brandy cocktail, a small pinch, or used with sugar to rim the glass
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Folded into whipped cream, about 1/4 teaspoon per cup of cream
Questions that came up
Is this cheaper than buying it? Considerably, assuming you already own the spices. A small tin of pre-mixed apple pie spice runs close to the price of a full jar of cinnamon, and you get a fraction of the volume.
Can I scale it up? Yes, and the ratio holds. In parts: 8 parts cinnamon, 2 parts nutmeg, 2 parts allspice, 1 part cardamom, 1 part ginger. Multiply from there.
Can I substitute apple pie spice for pumpkin pie spice, or the reverse? In a pinch, yes, and no one will send it back. They are not identical, though. Pumpkin pie spice leans heavier on ginger and cloves and reads warmer. Apple pie spice reads brighter.
Is cardamom really necessary? No, and plenty of published versions skip it. Leave it out and you have a perfectly respectable cinnamon-forward blend. Include it and you have one that tastes like someone made a decision.
Do I need to whisk it, or can I shake it? Shake it in the jar, but shake it well. Ground ginger and cardamom both clump, and you do not want a pocket of either landing in one muffin.
Fresh nutmeg or pre-ground? Freshly grated is noticeably better and takes about ten seconds with a whole nutmeg and a microplane. Pre-ground is completely acceptable.
Can I use this in savory cooking? Sparingly, yes. It is very good on pork and on roasted root vegetables, particularly when you pair it with salt and fat rather than sugar.
