When you’re in the process of cooking something and you find out you don’t have one of the key ingredients, it can be really stressful. It can ruin your whole recipe plan and then suddenly, you don’t know what to do.
This is why it’s really important to have substitutes in place for any ingredients you don’t have often, or even ones that are a bit expensive.
If you’ve found your way onto this article, then you are no doubt looking for something to substitute mace and we have the answers that you seek!
We’ve put together a list of 5 of the best mace seasoning substitutes that you should definitely try when you find yourself incapable of getting the real thing.
What Is Mace Seasoning?
If you’ve never used mace as a seasoning before, you might be wondering what it is. Well, mace actually comes from the outer covering of the nutmeg seed. So as you can imagine, it has a smell and taste that is very similar to nutmeg.
It’s warm in spices, with an earthy flavor. It also has hints of citrus and clove. While it is primarily used for sweeter dishes, it is also great for many savory dishes too.
One of the most popular savory dishes it’s used is actually curry. It also works great in hot teas!
You can get mace in its ground or whole form, but keep in mind that when it’s ground, it loses a lot of its flavor in compassion to when it is whole.
The 5 Best Mace Seasoning Substitutes
Because mace comes from nutmeg, there are plenty of substitutes out there that you can use in place of it. Anything filled with warm spices and earthy flavors will be the closest thing to the real thing.
Let’s take a look at the 5 best mace seasoning substitutes now so you can have a better idea of what sort of things you can use when you run out of the real thing.
1. Nutmeg
Seeing as mace comes from the outer covering of the nutmeg, it only makes sense that nutmeg itself would be the first substitute on this list.
While the flavor is similar, nutmeg is actually stronger in it’s spiciness and it is a lot more earthy than mace.
It should be noted that using nutmeg in the place of mace will change the flavor of the dish quite drastically, so always use a lot less nutmeg than you would mace.
The beauty of adding less nutmeg means that if you need to add more you can. It’s always better to underestimate in this situation so you don’t ruin the flavor of your dish before you’ve properly started.
2. Cinnamon
Another great substitute for mace comes in the form of cinnamon. You can probably taste and smell the cinnamon as you read it! It’s such a popular spice that is traditionally used during the autumn and winter months.
Cinnamon also has a really warm and earthy flavor, with the spices coming out in a really sweet way. This is such a good substitute for mace because it’s super easy to get hold of and it isn’t too expensive either.
Just be careful when you use cinnamon because it is much stronger than mace. If you use too much, it will completely overpower the dish.
3. Allspice
You’re probably seeing a pattern develop here, and that’s no surprise! So far all of these substitutes are quite similar in their smell, taste, and spice levels, and that’s because they are as close to mace as you’re going to get!
Allspice is absolutely no exception either. This one is quite a popular choice for mace substitute actually. It can be used in lots of different sweet dishes, but it also works wonderfully in savory dishes too.
Just like nutmeg and cinnamon though, allspice is a lot stronger than mace, so make sure you start off with less and do regular taste tests, or the taste of the whole dish will change.
4. Pumpkin Pie Spice
Keeping on theme, we next have pumpkin pie spice. This substitute is especially good because it contains a blend of spices (see also our article on Shichimi Togarashi) already and in that blend, you will find spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and more.
On top of that, most pumpkin pie spice also contains a ratio of mace seasoning too, so you can get a bit of the real thing into your dish!
You might have to use slightly less pumpkin pie spice than you would just mace seasoning by itself, but overall, it has a very similar taste profile to mace seasoning, so you won’t be able to tell the difference too easily.
Pumpkin pie spice is seasonal, so it might not be available all year, but it isn’t too expensive and it keeps for a while, so consider stocking up when autumn does roll around.
5. Garam Masala
And finally, we have Garam Masala. This substitute is a great option because, like pumpkin pie spice, it is also made up of a blend of other spices.
Some of the spices you’ll definitely find in Garam Masala include cumin, cardamom, cloves, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper.
There are alternative blends of Garam Masala which can include ginger, mace, star anise, bay leaves, garlic, saffron, and other related spices.
This substitute already has all of the others on the list in the blend and it has mace seasoning too, so if you’re in a bind and you need a reliable substitute, this is the perfect one for you to try.
Conclusion
As you can see, finding easy and affordable substitutes for mace seasoning isn’t too hard. If for whatever reason you don’t like this selection, there are plenty of others to choose from as well.
Just look at spices and spice blends with similar ingredients and profiles as these ones to work it out.
Give these substitutes a try for yourself and you’ll never have to worry about running out of mace seasoning again (see also ‘Salad Supreme Seasoning: 6 Tasty Substitutes‘)!
The 5 Best Mace Seasoning Substitutes
have you run out of mace seasoning and now you’re in a bit of a bind? Click here to learn about the 5best mace seasoning substitutes you can use right now!
Ingredients
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Allspice
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Garam Masala
Directions
- Decided on what substitute you need
- Pick a substitute from the list above
- Read what you need to substitute with
- Create the recipe and enjoy
Recipe Video
Cooking is great for your mental, physical, and emotional health. What’s the worst that could happen? Find a recipe that you like the sound of and cook it along with me. You might even unlock a new passion!
- 15 Traditional Greek Breads - July 31, 2023
- 30 Delicious And Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes - July 29, 2023
- 30 Of The Best European Desserts - July 29, 2023