Homemade Old Bay Seasoning

Multiple layers of complex flavors have made this iconic American spice blend a household favorite for generations. Old Bay Seasoning is fabulous as an all-purpose seasoning blend and is sure to win a permanent place at your dinner table!

Prep time: PT5M

Total time: PT5M

Rating

4.99 stars (92 reviews)

Keywords

Old Bay Seasoning

Ingredients

3/4 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed ((see note))
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
5 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/16 teaspoon ground cloves

Cuisine

American

Steps

Place all of the ingredients in a coffee or spice grinder or small blender and grind until it's a smooth powder. Transfer the spice blend to an airtight jar and store in a dark, cool place.For optimal flavor use within 3 months.Makes about 1/4 cup.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 teaspoon
Calories: 6 kcal
Carbohydrates: 1 g
Protein: 1 g
Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 438 mg
Sugar: 1 g

Reviews

지영 on 2026-02-23 (5 stars):
Thank you for sharing valuable information. By the way, do you happen to have a recipe in weight (g)?
Christina Beard on 2026-01-10 (5 stars):
This was even better than hoped, excellent blend with just the right ratios. My new go-to.
Susan on 2025-12-25 (5 stars):
This made the best steamed shrimp for cocktails I've ever had. I usually use Old Bay, but I was out and I'm not sorry about that:-) This will be my goto from now on. Thanks for making our Christmas even better this year. Happy Holidays!
Paul Busman on 2025-10-30 (5 stars):
We live in Maryland, and Old Bay is like a sacramental ingredient. However, my wife needs to minimize sodium, so I searched for an Old Bay clone and substituted salt substitute. Apart from the saltiness, this recipe is a very good substitute for the real thing. I multiplied the ingredients 4x to make a bigger batch and kept in an airtight container the flavor held up very well. Time for another batch!!
lazyme on 2025-09-17 (5 stars):
This is a simple and flavorful spice mix. I used this as a rub on grilled salmon and everyone liked it a lot. Thanks for sharing this nice keeper.
Phyllis on 2025-09-09 (4 stars):
Made a huge batch as directed. The cardamom was strong and overtaking; seemed off from original. Mace was surprising and complemented the bay leaves. I felt it need a little more celery seed/salt. Otherwise, great! Thank you for sharing
Samantha Butler on 2025-02-27 (5 stars):
Splendid blend. I didn't have mace so just doubled up on the nutmeg and didn't have white pepper either so just left it out. The old bay seasoning was still superb. I'll gather up those two ingredients for next time. Thank you for another great recipe.
Sal Novak on 2025-02-14 (5 stars):
This is a really great blend. I've tried a few other recipes but the ratios were just "off" somehow, like something was missing or a particular flavor was too overpowering. This one is the goldilocks of all the copycat recipes: JUST RIGHT. Make it, you won't be disappointed.
DeGe on 2025-01-18 (5 stars):
Turned out amazing! really like Old Bay but better.