My Cookbook: Souk to Table 
Easy Homemade Seven Spice Blend
Seven spice is a key middle eastern spice blend that’s used across many classic dishes. It’s made of a versatile mix of seven fragrant spices: allspice, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cloves, and nutmeg. It is an all-purpose seasoning that works perfectly to boost flavour and add warmth to rice dishes, stews and meats. Making your own homemade version is easy and you’ll be using it on everything!
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What is Seven Spice?
Seven spice is the Levant region’s version of baharat. Baharat simply means ‘spices’ so the term is often used interchangeably with seven spice. As the name implies, it consists of seven warm spices blended together. Each household has their own version, and some even include more than seven different spices. They do all generally consist of warm aromatics like allspice, cinnamon and cloves. Variations may include paprika, ginger or fenugreek.
Baharat vs Seven Spice
Across Arab countries, baharat is a term used interchangeable with seven spice; both of them meaning a mix of various spices. Since I’m from Iraq, we use this baharat recipe which is a blend of aromatics used by my family and includes curry powder, which is often used in Iraq. Seven spice here refers to a specific set of ingredients used in many Levant dishes like malfouf, kofta or kibbeh.
Can they be used as a substitute for one another? I would say no. The flavour profile of my specific baharat recipe is a bit more nuanced and fragrant. However, in a pinch, you can simply use allspice as a replacement for seven spice.
How to Make It At Home
The ingredients for this blend are pretty straight forward but lets talk about how to get the best, most fragrant blend.
Whole vs Ground: For maximum flavour, I recommend toasting the spices in their whole form and grinding them in a spice grinder. I have included measurements for the ground version as well because time is not always on our side. You can still make a fantastic blend by just using their ground counterparts but toasting and grinding the whole ones really intensifies its fragrant and warm flavour.
To start, if using whole spices, place all of them except the nutmeg in a dry pan and toast over low heat for 3-5 minutes. They will start to release their aroma. Be careful not to burn them and to stir so that the heat distributes evenly.
Once toasted, add the whole spices to a spice grinder, grate the nutmeg inside as well using a microplane, and grind until you get a powder. This may take a few minutes.
If you are using the ground version of the spices, add them to a medium sized bowl or plate. Mix together until well combined.
Place the spice blend into a tightly sealed jar (try using a funnel, it really helps get it in there). Store in a cool pantry. Make sure to label it!
How to Use Seven Spice
I have loads of recipes using this fragrant seasoning. It pairs so well with meats in classic dishes like kafta, arayes, kibbeh and shish barak. I love it in fun variations like arabic pasta, kofta meatballs and kofta smash tacos. Other recipes like sambousek, malfouf and chicken fatteh make use of it to enhance and flavour the dish with its aromatic blend. Its an easy seasoning to sprinkle on your favourite roasted vegetables or in marinades for grilled meats. The sky’s the limit!
Storage Instructions
Store the blend in a well sealed air tight jar in a cool pantry. Most spice blends keep well for 6 months, after that they start to lose their flavour.
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Easy Homemade Seven Spice Blend
Ingredients
Using Whole Spices
- 1 1/2 teaspoons whole allspice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 1/2 large cinnamon sticks
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 large nutmeg, 1 cm, finely grated
- 3/4 teaspoon black peppercorn
Using Ground Spices
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Using Whole Spices
In a small dry skillet over low heat, add the whole allspice, coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds, cloves, and black peppercorns (all except the nutmeg). Toast, while stirring until fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2 minutes.- In a spice grinder, add the toasted, cooled whole spices and grate the nutmeg inside as well using a microplane. Blend until ground to a powder. You will likely not get a fine powder but a slightly coarse powder.
- Place in an air tight jar (use a funnel, it helps get it all in), label and store in a cool pantry for 6 months.
Using Ground Spices
- Place the measured amount of all the spices in a medium sized bowl or plate and mix until well combined.
- Place in an air tight jar (use a funnel, it helps get it all in), label and store in a cool pantry for 6 months.
This was delicious. I made it to go in your beef kafta kabob recipe (also delicious) and can’t wait to find other places to use it.
Thank you for offering the recipe in whole spice quantities too, that’s often a frustration with other spice blend recipes; I prefer to stock whole spices and DIY my own blends, but it always becomes a guessing game with spice blend recipes that only offer quantities for pre-ground spices.
Hi Lindsay! I’m so glad you enjoyed my mom’s Baharat blend! Making your own from whole spices is definitely the way to go! Thanks for the review and feedback!