The recipes are incomplete without the right spices. The spices like red chili powder, turmeric, or thyme might be the regular ones, but there are some rare spices as well. That being said, mace is one of the rare spices that aren’t used every day. Similarly, mace can be pretty expensive. So, if you don’t want to spend much money on a spice, we have the mace substitutes for you!
Mace – What Is It?
Mace is taken out from the Myristica fragrans tree. In particular, mace is the membrane of the tree (it has a web-like structure) that surrounds nutmeg. Generally, mace is sold in the grounded and dried form. Mace is widely used in European, Asian, and Indian cuisines. However, if you think a mace is too expensive or if you cannot find it, we have the substitutes for you in this section!
Mace Substitutes
1) Mace Blades
The harvest of the Myristica fragrans tree results in nutmeg (in the majority percentage) as compared to mace. This is the prime reason that mace is expensive, and for the same reason, people try to use nutmeg. We are outlining mace plates as the substitute for mace because it’s much cheaper to buy it in the original form. The mace blades are actually available in the dried form.
On the contrary, ground mace tends to keep its fragrance and flavor as compared to mace blades, but it’s still fine. If you actually use mace blades for substituting ground mace, use the same amount for this purpose (1:1 ratio). We suggest that you buy the mace blades and ground them into powdered form. Also, if you are worrying about grinding, don’t worry because the mace blades are easy to grind.
For this purpose, you should try using the spice grinder, and one quick whirl will turn mace blades into grounded form (in a few seconds). For adding flavor and fragrance, it’s best that you roast the mace blades before you grind them (let them cool down before grinding). All in all, mace blades go perfectly in steamed recipes, stocks, and rice. However, only use mace blades in the steamed recipes that need longer cooking time.
2) Garam Masala
If you are a fan of Indian or Pakistani cuisine, you would know that garam masala is the widely used blend of spices. That being said, it has become a fine replacement of mace in multiple South Asian and Indian cuisines. The ingredients of garam masala depend on the geographical region since garam masala is a combination of different spices.
Generally, garam masala is made as a combination of cardamom, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper. In addition, some variants have saffron, turmeric, cumin, star anise, fenugreek, and regional spices. All in all, the garam masala is likely to deliver a flavor similar to nutmeg and mace, which makes it a promising alternative.
3) Allspice
Allspice is another substitute that goes perfectly in dishes that needed mace. Allspice is made from the berries (the berries are plucked out from Pimenta diocia). Some people also call this tree the Jamaican pepper tree or pimento. As far as the flavor is concerned, allspice is the combination of pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and juniper berries.
It’s important to outline that allspice is a combination of spices, but the authentic one is made only from the berries (without adding additional spices). As for the availability, allspice is readily available in supermarkets or grocery stores which makes it a fine replacement of mace. Also, the users can use 1:1 ratio for replacing mace with allspice.
4) Cinnamon
If you are still considering different substitutes of mace, cinnamon is one of the fine choices. Personally, we love this substitute because it’s always available in the pantry and can be easily found in grocery stores. The cinnamon is taken out from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum genus tree. Generally, cinnamon is grounded in powdered form, which makes it a fine replacement for mace.
The best thing about cinnamon is that it’s affordable and can be found easily. As far as the flavor is concerned, cinnamon is a strong and intense flavor, so use a small amount. Also, when substituting cinnamon for mace, use half the amount of cinnamon powder.
5) Pumpkin Pie Spice
One might believe that pumpkin pie spice is only restricted to pumpkin pies, but it goes perfectly as a substitute for mace. The most intriguing factor is that this spice doesn’t taste like pumpkin. The pumpkin pie spice is a combination of allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Some variants of pumpkin pie spice also have cloves.
We have already mentioned that it has nutmeg and similar spices, which makes it a suitable replacement for mace in various dishes. Also, use the 1:1 ratio for substituting.
6) Apple Pie Spice
In addition to pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice is a fine replacement for mace. However, it can only replace mace in apple-based desserts. The apple pie spice is a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and cardamon. As far as the flavor is concerned, apple pie spice delivers an intense cinnamon flavor. However, it’s suggested to use half the amount of apple pie spice while replacing mace.
7) Ginger
If you want the easiest substitute for mace, we would vote for ginger. We are pretty sure that you can find it in your kitchen. As for the flavor profile, ginger has a spicier flavor profile with a lesser sweet profile as compared to mace. That being said, it’s used in savory dishes. Even more, ginger can be used in ground, dried, or fresh form.
Ginger can replace mace in vegetable and meaty dishes. On the contrary, ginger doesn’t go well with sweet dishes or desserts. So, when you’ve to substitute mace, use the same amount of ginger in the vegetable-based or meat recipes.
8) Cloves
Clove is the black little spice that actually originates from Indonesia. Cloves tend to have a sweet flavor profile with a pepper-like taste. In case you have the whole cloves, it’s better to grind them into powder form because it’s much easier to replace mace. As far as the substitution is concerned, use half the amount of grounded clove or clove powder!