You can use allspice instead of cloves at a ratio of 1:1 (cloves are stronger — use half). Allspice can replace cloves at a 1:1 ratio, but cloves are stronger, so use half the amount: cloves are one of the most potent spices in the kitchen, and a full swap of allspice for cloves leaves the dish under-spiced. Allspice gives the warm, sweet part of cloves without the medicinal punch.

All amounts in this guide are approximate. Taste as you go, adjust to your dish, and verify with a kitchen scale where weighing matters, because a spoonful can vary with how full it is and how finely the ingredient is ground.

The ratio, in a table

The table below scales the swap from the smallest amount to a full batch. The rule never changes: 1:1 (cloves are stronger — use half).

Cloves called for Allspice to use Notes
1/4 tsp cloves 1/4 tsp allspice Start here for a first try
1/2 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cloves 1 tsp allspice The most common amount
1 tbsp cloves 1 tbsp allspice
2 tbsp cloves 2 tbsp allspice Taste before adding more

Worked examples

A ham glaze with no cloves

A ham glaze recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves, but the clove jar is empty. Use 1/4 teaspoon of allspice instead, which is half the amount, mixed into the glaze with brown sugar and mustard. The glaze turns warm and sweet, with a rounded spice flavour that suits the ham, though it loses the sharp, medicinal punch that cloves give. It is still a good glaze, and the ham comes out glossy and fragrant.

A spiced apple cake

A spiced apple cake recipe asks for 1/4 teaspoon of cloves in the batter. Swap in 1/8 teaspoon of allspice, which is half the amount, sifted into the flour the same way. The cake turns warm and rounded, with a gentle spice that suits the apples. Cloves would have given it a sharp, almost medicinal edge, while allspice gives it a softer warmth, and the cake tastes friendlier for it.

A mulled wine for a winter evening

A mulled wine recipe calls for 4 whole cloves simmered in the wine, but the cloves are gone. Use 2 whole allspice berries instead, which is half the number, simmered the same way. The wine turns warm and spicy, with a rounded flavour that suits the orange and cinnamon. It loses the sharp punch that cloves give a mulled wine, but it gains a gentler warmth, and the wine still tastes like Christmas.

What changes in the result

The flavour turns warmer, rounder and less sharp, because cloves are intensely pungent and almost medicinal, while allspice is a gentler, sweeter spice. A dish made with allspice tastes friendlier and less assertive than the same dish made with cloves, which can dominate if you use too much. The colour lightens slightly, and the aroma turns sweeter. The texture does not change. The dish loses the sharp edge that cloves give, which matters most in a ham glaze or a mulled wine, where cloves are the star, and matters least in a spiced cake, where cloves are a background note.

When not to substitute

Do not swap a hot spice for a sweet one (or the reverse) without tasting — the dish changes completely. If the recipe depends on cloves for its defining flavour or structure, do not make the swap at all. Buy the missing ingredient instead, because a substitution that changes the dish into something else is not a substitution worth making.

Where it works best, and where it does not

Allspice shines as a cloves substitute in spiced cakes, apple dishes, ham glazes and mulled wine, where its warmth is welcome and the loss of cloves' sharpness is small. It is at its best in sweet baking, where allspice belongs anyway. It fails in pickles, in Indian cooking and in any dish where cloves are the defining spice, because the dish loses its identity without them. For those dishes, there is no good substitute for cloves, and it is worth buying them.

How to use it well

Use half the amount of allspice, because cloves are about twice as strong: 1/2 teaspoon of allspice for every 1 teaspoon of cloves, or 1 whole allspice berry for every 2 whole cloves. Add it at the same point as the cloves, and taste before serving, because allspice is sweeter and the dish may need a pinch of black pepper to restore some of the bite. If the recipe uses whole cloves studded into a ham or an onion, use whole allspice berries instead, and fish them out before serving, just as you would the cloves.

A quick note on measuring: ground allspice and ground cloves have nearly the same density, so a level teaspoon of one weighs about the same as a level teaspoon of the other, and the 1:1 swap needs no arithmetic. The difference is flavour, not weight: allspice brings nutmeg and cinnamon notes alongside the clove note, so in a recipe where cloves are the star, use slightly less allspice and taste as you go.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use allspice instead of cloves?

Yes, but use half the amount: 1/2 teaspoon of allspice for every 1 teaspoon of cloves. Cloves are much stronger than allspice, so a full 1:1 swap leaves the dish under-spiced. The swap works in spiced cakes, ham glazes and mulled wine, but not in pickles or Indian dishes where cloves are the star.

How much allspice replaces cloves?

Half the clove amount. A recipe calling for 1/2 teaspoon of cloves needs 1/4 teaspoon of allspice, and a recipe calling for 4 whole cloves needs 2 whole allspice berries. Cloves are about twice as strong as allspice, so the half rule is the one to remember.

Does allspice taste like cloves?

Partly. Allspice tastes like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves together, so it has the warm, sweet part of cloves without the sharp, medicinal punch. In a cake the clove note comes through, which is why the swap works, but in a dish where cloves are the star, the difference is obvious, because allspice is gentler.

Can I use allspice instead of cloves in a ham glaze?

Yes, and it works well. Use half the amount, and add a pinch of black pepper to restore some of the bite that cloves would have given. The glaze will taste warm and sweet, with a rounded spice flavour that suits the ham. It will not have the sharp punch of a clove glaze, but it will still be a good glaze, and the ham will come out glossy and fragrant.

What is the best substitute for cloves?

Allspice is the best all-round substitute, because it has the warm, sweet part of cloves. For a cake, a mix of allspice and a pinch of cinnamon comes closer. For a savoury dish, a mix of allspice and black pepper. But in a pickle or an Indian curry, there is no real substitute for cloves, because their sharp, medicinal flavour is unique.

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