Recipes with spices

Rum bananas flambe with brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon in 15 minutes. A simplified take on bananas Foster that's impressive enough for guests but easy enough for a Tuesday.

Indian summer tomato salad dressed with spiced oil bloomed with cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and dried chili, finished with lime juice and fresh cilantro. A bright, aromatic side.

Wheat-free applesauce cake made with ground oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins. A moist, spiced cake with no wheat flour that improves after resting overnight.

Deep dish blueberry pie with a buttery egg yolk crust, rum-spiked filling, and eight cups of berries baked until bubbling. A top-crust-only pie loaded with fruit and lightly spiced with cinnamon.

Blueberry cookies with fresh blueberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon zest, topped with a citrus powdered sugar frosting. Soft, cakey drop cookies.

If you don't know this crisp is actually made with zucchini, you will not notice the difference from an apple crisp.

Sweet onion pickles brined in a golden turmeric-spiced vinegar syrup with mustard seed, celery seed, cloves, and allspice. Crisp, tangy-sweet onions for burgers, charcuterie, and cheese boards.

Baked doughnut puffs with nutmeg, chopped walnuts, and a cinnamon-sugar coating. No deep frying needed. Drop batter into mini muffin pans, bake until golden, then dip in butter and shake in spiced powdered sugar.

Split pea soup with cumin simmered until smooth, topped with pan-fried sausage. A simple 5-ingredient soup that cooks down thick and creamy without any blending needed.

Creamy warm peach pie, perfect during summer peach season.

Kesari bhaat (sweet saffron rice): Indian basmati rice perfumed with saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, and clove, sweetened with jaggery, and finished with almonds and currants. Traditional festival dessert.

Lightened key lime pie made with fat-free condensed milk, gelatin, and whipped skim evaporated milk. Graham crust, tart lime filling, and tiny piped meringues perched on lime slices.

Big-batch Christmas hermit cookies loaded with raisins, currants, chopped nuts, and orange zest, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. A chewy, old-fashioned holiday drop cookie that makes 10 dozen.

Lime chicken strips marinated overnight in limeade concentrate, tequila, lime zest, and cloves, then baked until golden. A tangy, sweet-citrus party appetizer with a margarita-inspired kick.

Sweet zucchini pickles with cinnamon sticks and cloves in a vinegar-sugar syrup. Refrigerator pickles, no canning, perfect for summer's zucchini surplus.

Sour cream coffee cake is a tender, moist brunch cake with a cinnamon-walnut sugar topping layered both through the middle and on top. Sour cream keeps the crumb soft and fine, with a gentle tang.

Grilled spareribs with homemade Creole mustard sauce, a cumin-cayenne dry rub, and a sticky honey glaze. Three layers of Cajun-style flavor build bark, bite, and a sweet-spicy caramelized finish.

Grilled pork shoulder skewers marinated in ginger, garlic, soy, and pineapple juice. Pan-Asian flavor in under an hour of cooking time plus a four-hour flavor soak.

Lester's fruitcake is a heirloom holiday loaf: pounds of candied fruits, figs, dates, raisins, pecans, and walnuts bound in spiced molasses batter. Slow-baked, brandy-soaked, aged a month.

Old-fashioned chocolate sheath cake with cocoa, buttermilk, and a hint of cinnamon, frosted while still hot from the oven. A classic Texas-style sheet cake with a fudgy topping.

Fragrant, tender Caramel Sticky Rolls will entice even the sleepiest.

Cuban-style black beans and rice made from scratch with dried beans, cumin, oregano, garlic, and vinegar. A budget-friendly vegan meal simmered low and slow.

Spiced apple bran muffins with shredded apple, walnuts, bran flakes, brown sugar, cloves, and nutmeg. Baked in 20 minutes for a hearty breakfast.

Oven-roasted chili peanuts with cumin, dried red chilies, and chili powder. Raw peanuts baked twice until golden and coated in smoky, spicy seasoning.

Authentic New Mexican chili with cubed beef chuck, pork, mild and hot ground chilies, amber beer, and a long simmer. Serve beans on the side, Southwest-style.

Apricot bread made with a full pound of dried apricots cooked in warm spices. Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg give these two loaves a fragrant, fruit-studded crumb.

Blueberry crunch cake bakes a buttermilk cornmeal cake under a crown of fresh blueberries with a cinnamon-sugar crackle on top. Lighter than coffee cake, sweeter than cornbread. The Southern morning cake that disappears fast.

Molasses shoo-fly cake is the iconic Pennsylvania Dutch pie: alternating layers of dark molasses custard and spiced brown-sugar crumbs in a flaky pastry shell. Coffee, dunked, no negotiation.

Microwave tamale pie with a spiced bean, corn, and olive filling topped with a cornmeal crust. Vegetarian, no oven needed, and ready in 30 minutes.

Spicy apple raisin muffins made with raisin bran cereal, wheat germ, apple pie spice, and fresh chopped apples. A lighter bake using egg whites and apple juice.

Gingerbread scones spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and molasses. Served warm with nutmeg-orange whipped cream. Holiday breakfast that doubles as dessert.

Pumpkin marble cheesecake on a gingersnap-pecan crust with swirled pumpkin spice and vanilla cream cheese batters. A stunning fall dessert with two-tone visual appeal.

Reduced fat beef and salsa burritos with lean ground beef, spinach, chunky salsa, chili powder, and low-fat cheddar in flour tortillas. A lighter take on classic beef burritos.

Double chocolate zucchini bread with melted unsweetened chocolate, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and cinnamon. Moist, rich, and the best way to sneak vegetables into dessert.

Christmas cinnamon ornaments made from applesauce, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. No-bake scented ornaments air-dried into holiday decorations. Not for eating.

Dutch apple cupcakes topped with cinnamon streusel and drizzled with powdered sugar glaze. Granny Smith chunks and golden raisins fold into a tender oil-based batter for fall-baking nostalgia.

Red wine and crushed peppercorn marinade with allspice berries and garlic. A bold five-ingredient soak for lamb, chicken, or grilled meats with warm spice and tannic depth.

Mashed sweet potatoes blended with roasted bananas, orange juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. A naturally creamy, butter-free holiday side that skips the marshmallow fluff.

Sauerbraten with Coke uses cola in the vinegar marinade for a sweeter, more caramelized take on the classic German pot roast. Marinated 2 to 4 days, braised until fork-tender, and finished with gingersnap gravy.

Hill Country pickled peaches preserved in a sweet vinegar syrup with cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, ginger, and white pepper. A Texas tradition for canning season.

Homemade hot chili powder blend with paprika, turmeric, dried chili peppers, cumin, oregano, and cayenne. More pungent and fresher than store-bought. Keeps for 6 months on the shelf.

Lighter picadillo with lean beef, cinnamon, and cloves. Quick Mexican-spiced ground beef for tacos, burritos, or rice bowls.

Tomato ginger upside-down cake with fresh grated ginger, molasses, brown sugar, and sliced tomatoes baked under a spiced buttermilk batter. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Cream cheese rugelach filled with cinnamon sugar, walnuts, and raisins rolled into flaky crescent pastries. A classic Jewish bakery cookie with a tender, buttery dough.

Favourite Sugar and Spice Cookies with Lemon Frosting recipe

Chewy orange granola cookies loaded with oats, raisins, sunflower seeds, and honey. Flavored with orange juice concentrate, cinnamon, and cloves for a spiced citrus twist.

Raisin cinnamon rolls built on frozen bread dough with cinnamon-sugar, plump raisins, toasted almonds, lemon zest, and a tangy lemon glaze. Make ahead overnight, bake fresh in the morning.

Potato cucumber salad with fresh mango, toasted spice blend, orange juice, ginger, lemon, and mint. A vibrant, low-fat summer salad with Moroccan-inspired warming spices and no mayo.