Spices for desserts and sweets
Gingerbread, kheer, halwa, spiced cakes and the sweets of festival tables.
Dessert is where sweet spices are at home. Cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger, saffron and rose flavour puddings, cakes, biscuits and confectionery in nearly every cuisine.
Milk and rice puddings
Kheer in India, firni in Iran, muhallebi in Turkey and rice pudding in Europe are all gently spiced, with cardamom, saffron, rose, cinnamon or nutmeg.
Baking
Gingerbread, speculaas, Lebkuchen, mince pies, apple pie and cinnamon buns use warm spices. Baklava and other Ottoman sweets use cinnamon and clove, and Latin American sweets use vanilla and cinnamon.
Confectionery
Halwa in the Middle East and South Asia, gaz in Iran and Turkish delight take cardamom, rose, saffron and mastic.
Desserts and sweets on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 5 moreCinnamon
The dried inner bark of Cinnamomum trees, prized for its sweet warmth and essential oil.Bark · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreBasil
A tender culinary herb with glossy leaves and a licorice-like aroma, native to tropical Asia.Leaf · Anise and liquorice · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇦🇹 Austria and 5 moreCaraway
The crescent-shaped fruit of a carrot-family herb, used to flavour breads and spirits.Seed · Anise and liquorice · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇷 Iran and 4 moreSaffronزعفران
The dried crimson stigmas of the autumn-blooming saffron crocus.Stigma · Sharp and pungent · Bitter
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreNutmeg
The dried seed of a tropical evergreen tree, prized for its warm, pungent flavor.Seed · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreCardamom
Aromatic seeds from spindle-shaped pods used in sweet and savory dishes across Asia and the Middle East.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreMasticΜαστίχα
A bitter-sweet resin from the mastic tree, used in desserts and traditional medicine.Bitter · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreEast Indian arrowrootകൂവ
A wild South Asian ginger valued for its turmeric-scented foliage and starchy rhizome.Root · Earthy and deep · Herbal and green
🇮🇳 IndiaKewraकेवड़ा
A fragrant essential oil distilled from the male flowers of the screwpine plant.Resin · Sweet and mellow · Floral and perfumed
🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 moreVanilla
The cured fruit of a climbing orchid, the world's primary source of vanilla flavouringSweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇲🇽 Mexico and 4 moreVanilla
The cured seed pods of a climbing orchid, the world's second-most expensive spice by weight.Fruit · Sweet and mellow · Floral and perfumed
🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreBenzoin resin
A sweet balsamic tree resin used in incense, perfumes, and traditional medicine.Resin · Sweet and mellow
🇦🇺 AustraliaWattleseed
The edible seed of Australian Acacia trees, traditionally ground into flour by Aboriginal Australians.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Earthy and deep
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 3 moreCeylon cinnamon
The inner bark of a Sri Lankan evergreen, prized for its delicate, sweet spice.Bark · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 morePoppy seed
The tiny kidney-shaped oilseed of the opium poppy, used in baking and cooking across Europe and South Asia.Seed · Earthy and deep
🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 moreMahleb
A ground cherry seed used to sweeten Middle Eastern baked goods with an almond-cherry note.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Bitter
🇾🇪 Yemen and 1 moreHawaijحوايج
A ground Yemeni spice blend used for soups, coffee, and everyday cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep
🇯🇲 Jamaica and 2 moreAllspice
The dried green berry of a tropical tree, named for its blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove notes.Fruit · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreMixed spice
A British blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice for sweet bakingBlend · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreCinnamon sugar
A simple blend of ground cinnamon and granulated sugar used to sweeten and spice desserts.Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇺🇸 United StatesPumpkin pie spice
A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves used in American autumn baking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇹🇳 TunisiaQâlat daqqaقلات دقة
A Tunisian blend of five warm spices used to season meats and vegetablesWarm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇯🇵 Japan and 4 moreMugwort艾草 (ài cǎo)
Aromatic leaves from the Artemisia genus used in Asian cuisine and traditional medicine.Leaf · Bitter · Herbal and green
🇺🇸 United StatesMrs. Burns' Lemon Basil
An heirloom sweet basil cultivar from New Mexico with intense lemon flavor and large leaves.Leaf · Citrus and bright · Floral and perfumed
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 morePandan
The fragrant leaf of a sterile screwpine, used to scent rice and desserts across Asia.Leaf · Sweet and mellow · Floral and perfumed
🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 moreAnise
The sweet, licorice-flavored seed of an annual herb from the Mediterranean basin.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Anise and liquorice
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreLesser galangal高良薑
An aromatic Asian rhizome with orange flesh and a sweet, gentle spiceRoot · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreChar magazचार मगज
A blend of four melon seeds used to thicken and enrich dishes in South AsiaSweet and mellow · Earthy and deep
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreIndian bay leafतेजपत्ता
The large, veined leaf of a Himalayan tree, used for its warm cassia scent in South Asian cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreChinese cassia
The thick-barked spice tree of southern China, yielding a bold and sweet bark used in cooking and medicine.Bark · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau and 5 moreCalabash nutmeg
The dried seed of a West African tree, used as a local substitute for nutmeg.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreGinger
The pungent rhizome of a flowering perennial, one of the world's most traded spices.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇳 IndiaWild cinnamon
The aromatic leaves and bark of a Western Ghats tree, once known as malabathrum.Leaf · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇲🇦 Morocco and 2 morePeppermint
A hybrid mint with a sharp cooling taste, used in teas, oils, and flavourings.Leaf
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreChenpi陳皮
Sun-dried mandarin orange peel aged for use in Chinese cooking and medicineFruit · Sweet and mellow · Sharp and pungent
🇦🇹 Austria and 5 moreCaraway
The crescent-shaped fruit of a carrot-family plant, used to flavour rye bread and spirits.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Anise and liquorice
🇸🇻 El Salvador and 1 moreBalsam of Peru
A dark, sweet resin from a Central American tree, used for flavoring and fragrance.Resin · Sweet and mellow
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Chinese cassia: Itineranttrader, Public domain, source
- Allspice: Unknown author, CC BY 2.5, source
- Cinnamon: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pandan: Zuhairali, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mixed spice: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Balsam of Peru: Maša Sinreih in Valentina Vivod, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Caraway: Slick, CC0, source
- Anise: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chenpi: Dboxes, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pumpkin pie spice: Stephen Witherden, CC BY 2.0, source
- Benzoin resin: Wibowo Djatmiko ( Wie146 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Char magaz: Miansari66, Public domain, source
- Hawaij: Mx. Granger, CC0, source
- Wattleseed: division, CSIRO, CC BY 3.0, source
- Indian bay leaf: Sonja Pauen, Public domain, source
- Mahleb: Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database, Public domain, source
- Calabash nutmeg: Samuel Curtis and William Jackson Hooker, Public domain, source
- Ceylon cinnamon: NickCT, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Poppy seed: Odedr, Public domain, source
- Mastic: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- East Indian arrowroot: Jeevan Jose, Kerala, India, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kewra: Miansari66, Public domain, source
- Vanilla: Everglades National Park, Public domain, source
- Vanilla: Malcolm Manners, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cinnamon sugar: Ed! ( Photography Gallery ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ginger: Venkatx5, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Wild cinnamon: Dinesh Valke, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Peppermint: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
- Cardamom: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Basil: Castielli, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nutmeg: Herusutimbul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Saffron: Hubertl, CC BY-SA 4.0, source