How much sugar is in this blend?

Panela cane sugar makes up 4% of the blend by weight. The sugar is there to add caramel depth and round out the spices, not to sweeten aggressively. You'll still taste the cinnamon, vanilla, and other aromatics as the primary flavors.

Can I use this in savory cooking?

The blend is designed for sweet applications like baking, fruit dishes, oatmeal, and drinks. The small amount of sugar and the vanilla make it less suited to savory recipes, though it could work in glazes or sauces where a hint of sweetness is welcome.

What does fermented white peppercorn taste like in this?

Fermented white peppercorns add a subtle warm, earthy note rather than sharp heat. In this blend they provide background complexity that enhances the other spices without making the mix taste peppery.

How is this different from typical pumpkin spice blends?

This blend includes real vanilla, smoked star anise, fennel, and fermented peppercorns for more layered flavor. It also uses only 4% sugar and features single-origin spices like royal cinnamon and Pemba cloves, giving it more depth than mass-market spice mixes.

(Not So) Sweet Seasoning

#1 in Food & Drink

The 3-second version

Contains real Nyanza vanilla and panela cane sugar for caramel depth
Royal cinnamon, cloves, smoked star anise, fennel, and fermented peppercorns
Works in baked goods, on fruit, in oatmeal, and dissolved into drinks
Contains 4% sugar (panela)
Best used within a year for peak aroma
May be too complex for very simple recipes

Why it's on GiftsFeed

Warm spice blend with vanilla and caramel notes for baking and drinks

Most spice blends lean on generic cinnamon and a heavy hand with sugar, which makes them one-note and cloyingly sweet. This one uses royal cinnamon and real vanilla as the backbone, then layers in smoked star anise, fennel, and fermented pepper for complexity you won't get from a supermarket tin. The panela sugar is there for caramel undertones, not to dominate—just 4% by weight. That restraint means you can use it in savory-leaning applications or double the amount in a recipe without tipping into candy territory. If you bake or make spiced drinks often enough that you go through a jar, the difference in depth is worth it.

Good gift when

People who bake regularly and want more nuanced spice blends
Anyone tired of one-dimensional cinnamon-sugar mixes
Home baristas who make lattes and chais from scratch
Cooks who appreciate single-origin spices and restrained sweetness

Skip it if Those who prefer unsweetened spice blends or want to control sugar separately may find even the small amount of panela limiting. If you rarely bake or make spiced drinks, a larger collection of individual spices offers more flexibility.

Specs

Size: 2.6 oz glass jar
Ingredients: Panela cane sugar (4%), royal cinnamon, Nyanza vanilla, Pemba cloves, smoked star anise, Lucknow fennel, fermented white peppercorns

What's included

2.6 oz glass jar

If you're giving it

No sizing to guess
Arrives ready to give

Glass jar presents well; suitable for home cooks and bakers.

The details

This spice blend brings together royal cinnamon, cloves, smoked star anise, and real vanilla, rounded out with a small amount of panela cane sugar for depth without overpowering sweetness. The result is a warming, caramel-noted seasoning that works in both sweet preparations and hot beverages.

Stir it into cake or muffin batter, dust it over fruit before baking a crumble, or sprinkle it on buttered toast. It also dissolves well into lattes, chais, and other creamy drinks where you want layered spice character without reaching for the usual suspects.

The blend includes Lucknow fennel and fermented white peppercorns alongside the more familiar aromatics, giving it complexity that unfolds as you taste. The panela sugar—unrefined cane sugar with molasses intact—contributes caramel richness without making the blend taste like dessert on its own.

Use it anywhere you'd consider cinnamon-forward spice mixes, but want something with more going on. It's versatile enough for morning oatmeal, afternoon baking projects, and evening drinks, all from a single jar.

Burlap & Barrel

(Not So) Sweet Seasoning

Cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and real vanilla with a touch of panela sugar

$11.99at burlapandbarrel.com

Quantity

Buy from Burlap & Barrel

Ships and sold by Burlap & Barrel. About this merchant

The 3-second version

Contains real Nyanza vanilla and panela cane sugar for caramel depth
Royal cinnamon, cloves, smoked star anise, fennel, and fermented peppercorns
Works in baked goods, on fruit, in oatmeal, and dissolved into drinks
Contains 4% sugar (panela)
Best used within a year for peak aroma
May be too complex for very simple recipes

Questions

How much sugar is in this blend?: Panela cane sugar makes up 4% of the blend by weight. The sugar is there to add caramel depth and round out the spices, not to sweeten aggressively. You'll still taste the cinnamon, vanilla, and other aromatics as the primary flavors.
Can I use this in savory cooking?: The blend is designed for sweet applications like baking, fruit dishes, oatmeal, and drinks. The small amount of sugar and the vanilla make it less suited to savory recipes, though it could work in glazes or sauces where a hint of sweetness is welcome.
What does fermented white peppercorn taste like in this?: Fermented white peppercorns add a subtle warm, earthy note rather than sharp heat. In this blend they provide background complexity that enhances the other spices without making the mix taste peppery.
How is this different from typical pumpkin spice blends?: This blend includes real vanilla, smoked star anise, fennel, and fermented peppercorns for more layered flavor. It also uses only 4% sugar and features single-origin spices like royal cinnamon and Pemba cloves, giving it more depth than mass-market spice mixes.