Fall just arrived, but pumpkin spice season is already in full swing

In 2003, Starbucks rocked the coffee beverage world with the launch of its pumpkin spice latte. Also known as the PSL, the drink spawned a pumpkin spice craze that 20 years later is still going strong. Just this week, Stephanie Breijo reported on pumpkin spice lattes now available at some of L.A.’s best coffee shops. Many incorporate house-made syrups, hand-ground spices and other artisanal components. The Starbucks PSL is still so popular that the coffee giant no longer waits for fall to introduce the “seasonal” beverage. (This year Starbucks made it available on Aug. 24.)

But pumpkin spice isn’t just about pie and lattes. Come fall, pumpkin pie spice mix pervades all sorts of commercial goods, from Oreos and Twinkies to Pop Tarts and cake mixes; it surfaces in breakfast cereals, snack foods, ramen — even beer and dog biscuits. As if that weren’t enough, pumpkin spice-ification has crept into nonedible products as well: air freshener, beard oil, trash bags, detail spray — yes, the list goes on.

Referenced in cookbooks that date as far back as the 1890s, pumpkin pie spice mix is typically a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice. For such a beloved flavor, that is about as specific as it gets. Of course, every manufacturer has its own “secret” blend (McCormick & Co. introduced its pumpkin pie spice mix in 1934) — and you can also make your own, tweaking the ratio of components to suit your taste or a particular purpose. Once used almost exclusively for pumpkin pie (hence the name), its current popularity practically demands a broader reach in your home kitchen. Below are some recipes to get you started concocting your own spice blend and using pumpkin spice in different ways.

Pumpkin-Spiced French Toast is an easy, flavorful way to start — or conclude — a day. Rather than rely on a commercial spice blend, this recipe has you incorporate the individual spices into the custard — along with some pumpkin puree. The spice mix brings a greater depth of flavor to French toast than cinnamon or nutmeg alone. The proportions in the recipe allow you to make a basic spice mix that you can further customize and use in other dishes.

Clearly, a good pumpkin spice mix will make already tasty baked goods even more delicious. Jeremiah Tower’s Pumpkin Gingerbread With Rum Cream is moist, complex and even easier than pie to make. It is a bit heavier on the ginger than a typical pumpkin pie spice mix and omits the nutmeg, but you can always alter the ratios to suit your taste. And therein lies the beauty of mixing the spices yourself rather than working with a pre-ordained blend.

In a similar vein, Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream With Pecan Praline omits allspice from the standard mix, which leaves the ice cream a tad less peppery than it might otherwise be. Caramelized pecans add both crunch and another flavor dimension to the ice cream itself. And making it is a cinch — you don’t have to fuss with heating and then chilling a custard base before churning.

Rather than mix the spices into the batter (though you can if you want to), Roasted Pumpkin Loaves With Salty Spiced Bread Crumbs incorporate the spice mix into the crunchy bread-crumb topping. You can customize how much (or little) of the spice blend to use. While technically a quick bread, these loaves have a tender, moist crumb, making them more similar to cake than bread.

At the end of the day, chillax with a Spiked Pumpkin Spice Coffee. Like the ubiquitous PSL, this, too, is a coffee beverage. However, the similarities end there. The spike comes from a pumpkin spice cream liqueur, allowing for an alcohol buzz in addition to the caffeine effect. A cinnamon simple syrup gives it an edge that balances the creamy booze. Sip it slowly or pour it over ice cream for a pumpkin spice sundae.

(Glenn Koenig/Los Angeles Times)

Pumpkin-Spiced French Toast

A homemade pumpkin pie spice blend gives this French toast a signature flavor beyond what you’ll achieve with only cinnamon. Add the pumpkin spice blend along with some pumpkin purée to the custard base. Soak thick slices of brioche or challah in the mixture and fry the slices up. It almost tastes like you’re eating pumpkin pie for breakfast.
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Cook time: 24 minutes.

(Ken Hively/Los Angeles Times)

Jeremiah Tower’s Pumpkin Gingerbread With Rum Cream

Jeremiah Tower’s recipe for gingerbread is made with canned pumpkin and topped with a rum-spiked whipped cream. It has the intense flavor and moistness of pumpkin pie but requires a lot less work. Nothing could be easier.
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Cook time: 50 minutes.

(Glenn Koenig/Los Angeles Times)

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream With Pecan Praline

Homemade pumpkin pie ice cream gets a crunchy boost thanks to an easy pecan praline addition, making this the ultimate fall dessert. The praline with pecans adds crunch and a subtle nuttiness to the flavor. Making it isn’t a big deal either.
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Cook time: 25 minutes.

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

Roasted Pumpkin Loaves With Salty Spiced Bread Crumbs

This recipe calls for what may seem like a strange amount of pureed pumpkin. However it is the same amount as one can of pumpkin puree so that if you want to use canned puree you can easily swap it for the homemade version provided. In that same vein, you can trade the spices used in the bread crumbs for 1 ½ tablespoons premixed pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t want to futz with the bread crumbs at all, omit them and the olive oil, and add the spices directly to the batter.
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Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

Spiked Pumpkin Spice Coffee

This is pumpkin spice the way it was meant to be enjoyed, in an alcohol-forward drink that tastes like the cocktail equivalent of the movie “Love, Actually.” It’s dessert in a glass — a potent mix of espresso, vodka, cinnamon simple syrup and pumpkin spice cream liqueur — that will knock your Uggs off if you sip it a little too quickly.
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Cook time: 5 minutes.

(Katrina Frederick / For The Times)

Pumpkin Maple Drizzle Cake

Just look at the glaze on this loaf cake from cooking columnist Ben Mims, which features some favorite pumpkin spices, including nutmeg and cinnamon. This autumn cake combines pumpkin-spice warmth with the brightness of citrus, thanks to a tart syrup that soaks into the loaves once they come out of the oven. The maple icing is thick, rich and delicious. You also can leave it off and enjoy the syrup-soaked cakes plain.
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Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes.