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Today I ran into a dilemma.
Somehow my local grocery store was out of Old Bay seasoning.
I’ll spare you the story (because I’m sure you want to make the seasoning yourself and that’s why you came here.
How to make Old Bay seasoning at home
It’s quite easy. You need lots of spices a mini food processor (or a blender with a dry blender cup) and that’s about it.
With these few things you can make a pretty good Old Bay seasoning substitute.
Ingredients in homemade Old Bay seasoning
Old Bay boasts that it has 18 spices in it. While I was never going to figure it out, I did get pretty darn close with 11.
Celery Salt, Spices (Including Red Pepper and Black Pepper), and Paprika.
I didn’t quite get 18 spices, but my blend uses the following spices:
- Celery Salt
- Cayenne
- Black Pepper
- Paprika
- Bay leaves
- Ginger
- Allspice
- Ground mustard seed
- Ground Nutmeg
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
Is Old Bay seasoning gluten-free?
Old Bay seasoning (and this homemade version) are both thankfully gluten free!
What can you use it on?
Old Bay has so many uses. The most obvious is seafood. You can also use it on burgers, in bloody mary’s, grilled fruit, and more.
It has tons of uses, and once you’re able to make your own, the possibilities are endless.
Get the full recipe below. It’s easy enough to make your own spice mixes at home (and you know what’s in them)!
Make sure you pin the recipe in case you’re ever in a pinch!
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Homemade Old Bay seasoning
- Total Time: 2 minutes
- Yield: 1/4 cup 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
An easy version of homemade Old Bay seasoning!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Celery Salt
- 1 tablespoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground mustard seed
- 1/8 teaspoon Ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon Allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 3 Bay leaves
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine all spices into a mini food processor
- Grind ingredients (Dry) until they have all come together to form a toasty red color.
- Transfer to an airtight glass container
- Keep spices blend for up to one month.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Category: Spices
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: Cajun
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 66
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 10.2 mg
- Fat: 2.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.4 g
- Fiber: 4.8 g
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
14 Responses
Mila, you have changed the game! I had all the ingredients to make this in my pantry and now I have Old Bay. Thank you!
This homemade old bay seasoning was perfect for a shrimp dish I made.
This Old Bay remake took me back to my days attending the Baltimore International Culinary College! I miss the food, but not the stress and your old bay spice conjured up those GOOD memories!
Being from Maryland, I am a HUGE fan of old bay! I’ve never made it from scratch and I am so happy that now I can! Thanks for the recipe!
Always wanted to know how to make this! Thanks for the recipe!
I never even realized I could make Old Bay seasoning myself! This recipe is genius and tastes like the real thing!
I always prefer to make my own spice blends because I find the store bought ones are usually loaded with so much more unnecessary salt. This is one I have been looking for for a long time. I was so happy I found it and definitely added all the flavor I needed for my seafood boil.
I made this for some shrimp foil packets and it was such a hit! I love how easy it was to make, too!
I came across this recipe because I was in the middle of cooking and realized I had no more Old Bay Seasoning! You’re recipe came to my rescue! It taste just like the store brand. I won’t be buying anymore from the store!!
I use this seasoning on everything! I love me a good cajun based seasoning recipe. Thank you!
I was in the middle my vegan crab cake recipe before I realized I was out of old bay. Your recipe saved the day and now I can make my own.
I love the idea of making your own seasoning blending! I’ve always wondered what makes up Old Bay and this is so helpful. I have all of the ingredients in my pantry and can use this on so many dishes.
I had no clue how easy it is to make Old Bay seasoning! It was soooo good and I used it for vegan tofu “crab” cakes recipe for date night. I think my fiance was impressed. 😉 Thank you for the recipe. Will definitely make it again.
I loved this recipe. Monday night’s salmon was a hit!