Pumpkin Pie Spice

I've seen it in the supermarket for years. Apple pie spice too, which is similar. I generally don't bother with them, since (1) I have the separate spices already and (2) I don't bake pies that much.

A couple of years ago I somehow came into possession of a little bottle of Penzey's Pumpkin Pie Spice (maybe it was one of their free bonus jars with a mail order?) -- it's handy enough for occasional use where I wouldn't bother getting out 4 separate spice jars, e.g. to sprinkle on oatmeal or cocoa, but when it's gone I'm not sure I'll miss it enough to buy another.

At least since the 50s. Check out this old McCormick Tin of the stuff https://www.flickr.com/photos/roadsidepictures/4491498217/

I bet it more economical to by the spice blend than to purchase the spices separately.

ETA: Ooo, I found this article: http://chicagoist.com/2014/10/31/pumpkin_spice_rise_and_fall_of_an_a.php
It did indeed say it originated in the US.

I've been around since the 50s, but I must have been living under a rock. I use spices at different rates and in different blends according to what I'm making (so did my mom and grandmother). I don't think I'd want a pre-made blend—how would I know the ratios they used? How would I know how old it is?

At least since the 50s. Pumpkin was my Mom's favorite pie, although I don't remember her ever making it other than at Thanksgiving and Christmas. She always used the pre mixed stuff. She never used the individual spices, other than cinnamon, so it made sense to have the mix.

MM

I use the pre-mixed because I am a cooking idjit. So yesterday I made pumpkin pie cookies from a mix and topped them with white chocolate mixed with pie spice. Easy peasy. "Real" bakers don't need shortcuts I am sure. But I am just trying to get from start to warm cookie in the easiest way....

We don't use it at our house because of how much egg nog is consumed. Palates vary, and generally the egg nog requires nutmeg and cinnamon be available separate from the other spices anyway. It's somewhat of a convenience thing.

I think that's who it's for: people who don't generally bake much, or often. If you bake using a lot of spices, or have personal preferences in spice-level, or proportions, you've probably got the jars of individual spices on hand.
If the only time you would use the 'pumpkinish' spices is the Fall, for the Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving, Christmas baking, a package of the blend is probably simpler. And, either used up or tossable by January, so no spices getting stale by next Fall.

I didn't realise it was premade! I've always just made my own to taste for the various (many many) pumpkin deserts I bake. I've never thought of adding ginger before though, so maybe I've been missing something ...

I use mace and nutmeg, sometimes a bit of ginger and or cinnamon. It depends on the individual batch of pumpkin / other squash / carrot / sweet potatoes that went into the mix. I don't like cloves and am not much for allspice and pretty much every blend of pumpkin pie spice mix is massively heavy in both of those. It's so overpowering that you could use russet potatoes and if you closed your eyes wouldn't know it wasn't pumpkin. About the only time cloves seemed right was when I made Klingon Blood Pie for a Halloween party. Most were afraid to try it as it did look like a giant clot of blood in a pie shell. It was made from roasted beets. Think Harvard beets with a dash of sour cream. Those who tried it liked it, that is if they liked beets in general.