Cloves Substitute: What to Use When the Jar Is Empty

Baking Resources Editorial · Reviewed by Joan Ramos · Updated October 2026 · 9 min read

The best cloves substitute is ground allspice, used in the same amount: 1 teaspoon of allspice for 1 teaspoon of ground cloves. Allspice tastes a lot like cloves with a little cinnamon and nutmeg mixed in, so your pumpkin pie or gingerbread still gets that warm, slightly sharp bite. If you have whole cloves instead, about 4 whole cloves ground up gives you roughly 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves.

No allspice either? Pumpkin pie spice, a nutmeg and cinnamon mix, or plain nutmeg all work too, each with its own small trade-off. Pick your amount and a swap in the calculator below and it works out the exact measurements for your recipe.

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Cloves substitute calculator

Pick how much ground cloves your recipe calls for, then tap a swap to see the exact amount to use.

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What to use insteadCups, tbsp and tspHalve or double a recipe

The quick answer: the best swaps for ground cloves

Cloves are one of the strongest spices in your cupboard, so most recipes only ask for a pinch to 1 teaspoon. That small amount is good news: whatever you swap in, you only need a little, and the rest of the spices in the recipe help cover the difference. Here are the swaps ranked from closest to furthest, all written for 1 teaspoon of ground cloves.

If you're working through a whole list of missing ingredients, our baking substitutions chart covers the other pantry swaps in one place.

Free toolBaking Substitutions: Exact Ratios for 41 IngredientsWork out my amount →

Why cloves are tricky to replace

Cloves get their flavor from an oil called eugenol. It's what gives cloves that sharp, almost numbing warmth you notice right at the back of your tongue. Very few other spices have much of it, and allspice is the main one, which is why allspice is the closest match by a mile.

The other swaps on the list don't really copy cloves. They fill the same spot in the recipe: something warm and a little bitter that keeps a sweet bake from tasting flat. That's why a cinnamon and nutmeg mix works fine in a spice cake but tastes noticeably different in something like a clove-studded gingerbread, where cloves are the star.

A little goes a long way

Because ground cloves are so strong, don't be tempted to add extra of a milder swap "to make up for it." Doubling the nutmeg, for example, just makes the bake taste like nutmeg. Stick to the amounts in the table, taste the batter or filling if it's safe to (no raw eggs or raw flour), and add a pinch more at the end only if it really needs it.

Whole cloves to ground cloves

If your spice jar holds whole cloves rather than ground, you're in luck, because that's the best swap of all. Whole cloves keep their oil much longer than ground ones, so a freshly ground clove often tastes stronger than old powder from the back of the cupboard. Use this as a rough guide, since cloves vary in size.

The safest method is to grind a few more than you need, then measure the powder with a proper measuring spoon. Our guide on measuring baking ingredients explains why leveling off a teaspoon makes such a difference with strong spices.

Baking guideHow to Measure Baking Ingredients Accurately Every TimeSee how it's done →

How to grind whole cloves at home

You've got three easy options, and none of them takes more than a couple of minutes.

• Spice or coffee grinder: The fastest. Pulse in short bursts for 20 to 30 seconds. Wipe the grinder out with a little dry rice afterward so the next batch of coffee doesn't taste like gingerbread.
• Mortar and pestle: Slower, but it works. Crush the heads off first, then grind the stems. Expect a slightly coarser powder.
• Rolling pin and a zip-top bag: The last resort. You'll get a coarse crush, which is fine in a spice cake but can leave crunchy bits in smooth fillings.

Whichever way you go, shake the powder through a fine strainer. Clove stems can stay woody, and nobody wants a hard splinter in a slice of pumpkin pie.

Can you just drop whole cloves in?

Only in things you strain or pick through later, like a pot of spiced cider or a simmering fruit compote. In batters and doughs, whole cloves stay hard and bitter, and biting into one is not a fun surprise.

Which swap to use in which bake

Pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie

Pumpkin pie spice is the easy pick here because it already has cloves in it, along with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Use the same amount as the cloves on top of the spices the recipe already lists. Allspice works just as well if you want that sharper clove bite to come through.

Gingerbread and molasses cookies

These lean hard on cloves, so reach for allspice first, or a half amount of five-spice. Cloves and dark molasses are best friends, and if your molasses jar is empty too, our molasses substitute guide walks through those swaps. For the bigger picture on how molasses flavors these cookies, see what molasses is and how the types differ.

Baking guideMolasses Substitutes for Baking: 6 Swaps by FlavorGet the swap chart →

Baking guideWhat Is Molasses? Types, Flavor and Baking SwapsTake a look →

Spice cake, carrot cake and quick breads

Here cloves are just one voice in the choir. The nutmeg and cinnamon mix blends in without anyone noticing, and so does apple pie spice.

Fruitcake and holiday breads

Allspice or mace is the way to go, since they hold up against dried fruit and citrus peel. If you're also leaving out nuts this year, here's how to bake a fruitcake without nuts that still has a good chew.

Baking guideFruitcake Without Nuts: Swaps That Keep the TextureWhat can I use? →

Worked example: gingerbread cookies with no cloves

Say your gingerbread cookie recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1 tablespoon of ground ginger and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the cloves jar is empty.

1. Best case: you have allspice. Use 1/2 teaspoon of allspice and keep everything else the same.
2. You have whole cloves: grind about 8 whole cloves, sift, and measure out 1/2 teaspoon.
3. You only have five-spice: use 1/4 teaspoon. That's half the clove amount, because five-spice also brings star anise and fennel.
4. You only have nutmeg and cinnamon: add 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and an extra 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.

The cookies will still taste like gingerbread in every case. The allspice and fresh-ground batches will be the closest to the original, while the nutmeg version comes out a little softer and sweeter. If you're building a house rather than cookies, the dough is usually spiced the same way, and our gingerbread house size guide helps you work out how much dough you need.

Baking guideGingerbread House Size Guide: Panels and ProportionsSee the sizes →

Thanksgiving and Christmas baking without cloves

Cloves are a holiday spice through and through. They show up in pumpkin pie, gingerbread, spiced nuts, fruitcake, spice cookies and that pot of spiced apple cider on the stove. The good news is that most holiday recipes use a mix of spices, so a missing jar of cloves rarely sinks the whole thing.

• Pumpkin pie: allspice or extra pumpkin pie spice, same amount. If you're prebaking the crust, here's how to blind bake a pie crust so the bottom stays crisp under the custard.
• Christmas cookies: allspice for gingerbread and spice cookies; nutmeg and cinnamon for drop cookies. Spiced cookies also freeze well, and our list of Christmas cookies that freeze well helps you bake ahead.
• Spiced cider: drop in a few whole allspice berries or a cinnamon stick instead of whole cloves, then strain.

Baking guideHow to Blind Bake a Pie Crust Without a Soggy BottomLearn the method →

Baking guideChristmas Cookies That Freeze Well and How to Do ItRead the storage guide →

Shopping for the holidays anyway? Buy whole cloves rather than ground. They keep their punch for years and you grind only what each recipe needs.

Clove swaps in frosting, glazes and no-bake treats

Spices behave a little differently when nothing gets baked. In a cake or cookie, heat softens the edges of a spice and blends it with the butter and sugar. In a cream cheese frosting, a powdered sugar glaze or a no-bake pumpkin dip, the spice stays raw, so it tastes sharper and any grit is easier to notice.

• Start with half. For no-bake recipes, add half of the swap amount, stir, wait a few minutes, then taste. Ground spices bloom as they sit in fat.
• Use the finest powder you have. Store-bought ground allspice or nutmeg is smoother than home-ground cloves, so it's the better pick here.
• Keep it cold. Cream cheese frosting and dairy dips belong in the fridge and shouldn't sit out more than 2 hours, spices or not.

A pinch of allspice in a maple glaze or a spiced buttercream gives that same holiday warmth as cloves without the bitterness that can creep in when cloves aren't cooked.

Common mistakes with clove swaps

• Using too much five-spice. At full strength the anise flavor takes over. Use half the clove amount.
• Leaving gritty bits in. Home-ground cloves need a quick sift, especially for smooth fillings like pumpkin or custard.
• Adding cloves on top of pumpkin pie spice without checking. If your recipe already uses pumpkin pie spice, it already has cloves. Adding more can turn the filling bitter.
• Using old spices. Ground spices fade. A three-year-old jar of allspice might need a little extra, so smell it first: if the scent is faint, the flavor will be too.
• Swapping cinnamon alone. Plain cinnamon misses the bite of cloves. Pair it with nutmeg or ginger so the bake doesn't taste flat.

Keeping your spices fresh

Ground cloves and allspice are at their best for about 1 to 2 years. Whole cloves last 3 to 4 years when they're kept dry. Store them in a tightly closed jar away from the stove, since heat and steam pull the oil out faster. A quick sniff test tells you everything: fresh cloves smell strong the second you open the jar.

Baked goods made with any of these swaps keep the same way as the original recipe. For counter, fridge and freezer times, see our guide on how to store baked goods.

Baking guideHow to Store Baked Goods: Counter, Fridge or FreezerSee how long it keeps →

Questions people ask

What is the best substitute for ground cloves?

Ground allspice, used 1 to 1. It has the same warm, slightly sharp flavor because it shares the main flavor oil found in cloves. If you don't have allspice, pumpkin pie spice works in the same amount, or use half nutmeg and half cinnamon for a softer result.

How many whole cloves equal 1 teaspoon of ground cloves?

Roughly 16 whole cloves grind down to about 1 teaspoon of ground cloves, or about 4 whole cloves for 1/4 teaspoon. Cloves vary in size, so the most accurate way is to grind a few extra, sift the powder, and then measure it with a level measuring spoon.

Can I leave cloves out of a recipe?

Usually, yes. When a recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon or less alongside other spices, leaving it out changes the flavor only a little. In gingerbread or spice cookies where cloves are a main flavor, the bake will taste flatter, so it's worth using allspice or another swap instead.

Is allspice the same as cloves?

No. Allspice is a dried berry from a different plant, but it tastes like a mix of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. That clove-like note is why it's the top swap. It is slightly sweeter and milder than cloves, so the finished bake tastes very close but not identical.

Can I use pumpkin pie spice instead of cloves?

Yes, use the same amount. Pumpkin pie spice usually contains cloves along with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, so it brings some clove flavor plus extra warmth. It is milder overall, which works well in pies, muffins and quick breads but tastes softer in gingerbread.

How do I know if my ground cloves are still good?

Open the jar and smell it. Fresh ground cloves smell strong and sharp right away. If you have to sniff hard to notice anything, the oil has faded and the flavor will be weak. Ground cloves are best within about 1 to 2 years of opening.