8 Spices That Will Warm Up Your Winter

On cold, wintry days, you may have found yourself craving “comfort” foods. That’s a natural response to colder temperatures based on evolution, biological and hormonal changes, reduced physical activity, and perhaps a bit of dehydration.

You can beat the chill and fight cravings by incorporating our favorite warming winter spices into complex carbohydrates and healthier fats, such as whole grains, lean meats, fish, eggs, legumes, and yogurt. Our favorite winter spices act like little internal heaters, warming you from the inside, out. While they add toasty warmth to dishes like baked goods, hot beverages, soups, stews and casseroles, they can also have appealing physical and psychological effects. 

Here’s our list of the best winter spices: allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and turmeric. They will fill your kitchen with enticing aromas, have a warming effect on the body, and can provide a deeply satisfying sense of comfort. Read on to learn more about each spice and how you can incorporate them into your winter diet.

One whiff says it all! This warming spice is from a single botanical, not a blend, yet it packs the fresh, comforting aroma and rich flavor of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, with a hint of black pepper. Sweet or savory? Both. It’s a key ingredient in jerk seasonings, pickling spice blends, chili powders, and Middle Eastern dishes. Use it to flavor to hearty stews, sauces, marinades, relishes, preserves, cooked or raw fruit, baked goods, mulled wine, cider, coffee and tea. Try subbing it for part of clove or cinnamon in a recipe. Allspice is rich in antioxidants and eugenol, a natural anti-inflammatory which can also increase blood circulation and help ease flatulence and indigestion (carminative).

A member of the ginger family, cardamom dominated the spice trade industry during the Middle Ages. Pods can be opened and the seeds ground to release the spicy-sweet flavor with citrus notes that are somewhat herbaceous. If you enjoy chai, chances are you’ll love cardamon, for it’s one of chai’s forward flavors. Add ground cardamom to your whole grain breads, pastries, rice dishes and custards. It also adds earthy, exotic breadth and depth to chicken dishes, curries, stews, and other savory recipes. A dash or two in coffee, tea or cocoa entices you to slow down, sip, and savor its soothing warmth. For centuries, traditional medicine has relied on cardamom to aid digestion, relieve indigestion, and reduce bloating.

Turn up the heat, color, and antioxidants in your cooking with cayenne pepper. The warmth you feel begins with its pungent, slightly sweet and smokey aroma. Cayenne’s lively, fresh picante taste packs a definite POW, with a median Scoville rating of 30,000 heat units. Though there are certainly hotter pepper varieties, cayenne has the rather unique quality of imparting heat without adding a different strong flavor to the mix; rather, it enhances other flavors. If you’re new to cayenne use, start with a pinch of the powdered spice into just about any savory dish. Obvious choices include soups, chilis, stews, and hearty meats. Once you find your comfort level, branch out by sprinkling a bit into coffee, hot cocoa and chocolate desserts of any kind. Cayenne contains capsaicin, which can help rev up your metabolism and suppress appetite. Research has shown that compared to 20 other types of hot peppers, cayenne peppers came out on top for the highest level of antioxidants

It’s so warming, it’s also known as the winter spice! Cinnamon is available in several varieties, each with individual qualities based upon the species and origination. Vietnamese cinnamon delivers the strongest flavor kick; chefs across the globe use it to satisfy much of their cooking needs. If you want true cinnamon, Ceylon is your best choice. It has a complex yet nuanced flavor, spicy but delicate. Comfortingly warm, not hot. Fruity, almost apple-cinnamony, floral and nectar-like, but only lightly sweet. Its aroma is equally distinctive. Though known in the USA primarily as an ingredient in baked goods, cinnamon is also used in Middle Eastern chicken and lamb dishes. Sprinkle a bit (no sugar added) on sliced apples, bananas, and other fresh fruit; stir into your pancake or waffle batter, oatmeal or other hot whole grain cereals. Add to your coffee, tea, smoothie, or even plain hot water. Cinnamon contains antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation and blood sugar levels, support heart health, and aid in weight loss.

Color that's deep, dark and rich. Aroma that's pungent and warm. Taste profile that's complex — sweet and yet spicy, perfectly balanced with a hint of bitterness. Actually dried flower buds of a tree in the evergreen family, cloves have been a major player in the spice world since ancient times. This potent spice readily lends its soothing warmth to baked goods, sauces, meat rubs, marinades, and drinks. Popular in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, cloves boast beneficial compounds such as eugenol and flavonoids, and has been relied upon for its antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Cloves may also help in weight loss by suppressing hunger pangs and increasing the metabolism.

The epitome of versatility, ginger has been a favorite spice for over 5,000 years. Available in fresh, ground, dried and crystallized forms, ginger works in both sweet and savory dishes. It can set fire to your taste buds or soothe the irritated tummy. Beloved in gingerbread and other baked goods, ginger is fabulous in stir-fries, deliciously aromatic in overnight oats, and is everyone’s go-to comforter when nothing but ginger ale, ginger tea, or a ginger chew will do. While it helps with digestion and circulation, warming your inner body and extremities, ginger also promotes feelings of satiety, suppressing the appetite. It contains many vitamins and minerals, as well as gingerol, which has anti-fungal properties.

To make your own ginger tea, place 1 tablespoon of fresh grated or dried ginger in a 14-ounce mug. Boil 12 ounces water and pour over the ginger. Steep 10-15 minutes. Strain; add honey if desired. You can also steep 1/4 teaspoon of ginger powder in 8 ounces of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain or not, as you please. Be sure to check out our wonderful array of ginger teas to help warm you and support overall well-being.

Nutmeg is the dried seed of the fruit of an evergreen, but it is also so much more… It’s the warm, slightly sweet and pungent finishing touch to eggnog, custards and fruit salads. It’s the classic heart-and-soul of pumpkin pie. And yes, it is also the subtle yet distinctive earthy flavor that shines through dense flavors in hearty recipes like scalloped potatoes, fish, turkey, venison, Greek entrees and Alfredo dishes. Nutmeg can add depth to sauces, soups, and meat dishes, but please also allow it to elevate your roasted vegetables, like cauliflower, squash, and carrots. It’s especially good in combination with cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Grate your own or buy powdered; a pinch of nutmeg in water on an empty stomach is reputed to help boost metabolism and aid digestion.

Known for its brilliant golden-yellow color and pungent, earthy aroma, there’s been a notable surge in the use of turmeric recently based on its wellness properties. Its flavor resembles both ginger and pepper… its subtle earthiness hints at citrus. Typically a gentle flavor, turmeric can become overpowering and tend toward bitterness if overused; gain a bit of experience with it to avoid the effects of heavy handedness. Indispensable in curry powders and East Indian cooking, turmeric also works well in salad dressings, egg and rice dishes, soups, stews, and in any dish that you want to add a pop of color. (Try it on popcorn!) Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful compound believed to help increase blood circulation (which contributes to the feeling of warmth you enjoy from it) and boost metabolism (a plus, when seeking to manage weight).