Dried and milled ginger root. Drying converts much of the pungent gingerol into zingerone and shogaols, which is why it tastes warm and sweet rather than sharp and fiery.
What it does in a recipe: A warm baking spice and a dry-rub component - chemically a different ingredient from fresh ginger, not simply a concentrated version of it. Pick the swap that covers that job - the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Ginger is roughly a quarter of the blend, so twice the volume gets you about half the ginger plus the cinnamon and nutmeg that usually accompany it in a recipe anyway.
Trade-offHeavily cinnamon-led. Works in a pumpkin loaf, wrong in anything meant to taste specifically of ginger.
Allergen checkBecause this is a blend rather than a single spice, its non-spice ingredients depend on the brand and may include wheat derivatives. Look at the label if you bake gluten-free, and check with the manufacturer where an allergy is severe.
Ground cardamom
In a pinch
1 tsp ground ginger = 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Cardamom is ginger's close botanical relative and shares some of its warm, resinous character, but it is much more aromatic and needs halving.
Trade-offDistinctly floral and eucalyptus-like. It changes the identity of a spiced cake rather than filling a gap in it.
Ground and fresh ginger are not interchangeable by taste even when the quantities are right. Recipes that want both usually mean both.
At a glance
Ground ginger in summary
Ground ginger at a glance: category, its job in a recipe, the diets it suits, the diets its substitutes can satisfy, and how many substitutes there are.
Can I use fresh grated ginger instead of ground ginger?
1/4 tsp ground ginger = 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger. Fresh root is mostly water and carries gingerol rather than the shogaols that drying produces, so it takes a much larger volume to register at all. Sharp, hot and citrusy rather than warm and sweet. In a stir-fry this is an improvement; in a gingerbread it is a different biscuit.
Can I use ground allspice instead of ground ginger?
1 tsp ground ginger = 3/4 tsp ground allspice. Both occupy the warm-baking-spice register, and allspice's rounded clove and cinnamon notes fill the space ginger leaves without adding heat. None of ginger's pungency or its slight bite at the back of the throat. The result is warm but flat by comparison.
Can I use pumpkin pie spice instead of ground ginger?
1 tsp ground ginger = 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. Ginger is roughly a quarter of the blend, so twice the volume gets you about half the ginger plus the cinnamon and nutmeg that usually accompany it in a recipe anyway. Heavily cinnamon-led. Works in a pumpkin loaf, wrong in anything meant to taste specifically of ginger.
Can I use ground cardamom instead of ground ginger?
1 tsp ground ginger = 1/2 tsp ground cardamom. Cardamom is ginger's close botanical relative and shares some of its warm, resinous character, but it is much more aromatic and needs halving. Distinctly floral and eucalyptus-like. It changes the identity of a spiced cake rather than filling a gap in it.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter - confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.