Best Spices for Desserts and Baking

Finding the best spices for desserts and other sweet treats will make it easier to make delicious dishes with all the ingredients needed to add that special touch. From flavoursome cakes to complex dishes such as macarons or layered mousses, spices take sweet dishes from ordinary to extraordinary with just a few pinches. In this short guide, we share our list of the best spices for desserts, to help you indulge your cravings with tempting treats.

The Best Spices for Desserts

In no particular order, here are our top contenders for the best spices for desserts and baking.

1. Cinnamon. A common addition to any spice collection, cinnamon is an incredibly versatile spice that adds warmth and spice to sweet and savoury dishes. It works very well with ginger, lemon, chocolate, and honey.

1. Cardamom. Cardamom has a more unusual taste. It works well in cakes and various other sweet dishes, pairing well with coffee, pear and vanilla. Try using it for sweet drinks, such as cardamom tea.

1. Cloves. Cloves are sweet and spicy, working very well in cakes, baked dishes such as apple crumble, Chai style desserts, and poached pear or apple. It works well with orange, cinnamon, ginger, and raisins.

1. Nutmeg. With a sharper flavour, nutmeg is best in small doses. It adds lots of warmth to dishes such as banana bread, bread pudding, cake, candied nuts or apple pie.

1. Ginger. Ginger is another versatile spice. It works in many different dishes and pairs well with many different flavours. Use with cinnamon, lemon, chocolate, honey, vanilla, orange, berry, Chai, apple or pear.

1. Star Anise. This unique spice has a strong licorice smell and taste. It is a common addition in Chai blends. It works well in a variety of dishes, including panna cotta, biscotti, chocolate, cake, biscuits, and various others.