This Copycat Old Bay Seasoning Mix is made with lots of different savory spices with hints of warmth and a little spicy kick. Use it on seafood, on potatoes or corn on the cob – it’s perfect for many summer classics!

close up photo of spoon in bowl with copycat old bay seasoning

I love knowing how to make my own spice mixes – I first started with my gingerbread spice mix way back in time, because it was always so difficult to find it readily mixed at the store. Being able to whip up your own spice mixes can be so convenient if you can’t locate something, or if you just want to know exactly what’s going into your food!

I do have a hard time finding Old Bay Seasoning locally, so it’s something I do often make myself. It’s so great for all kinds of summer foods – and while it does have a lot of individual spices, it’s still incredibly easy to make!

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for copycat old bay seasoning with text labels — Ingredients for copycat Old Bay Seasoning: Ground bay leaves, celery salt, ground celery seeds, ground paprika, ground mustard, black pepper, white pepper, nutmeg, mace, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, ginger, cardamom and chili flakes.

Ingredient notes

Ground bay: If you can’t find ground bay leaves at the store (I looked in 5 stores and couldn’t locate them anywhere), use 10-15 whole dried bay leaves and grind them to a powder using a small food processor or high-powered blender.
Paprika: Feel free to use smoked paprika for a smokey hint.
Substitutes: I know, this is quite a bunch of different spices here. Bay, mustard, paprika, celery seed and pepper are the main flavors to me – if you can add these, you’ve got a good base. The cinnamon/allspice/nutmeg/mace/cloves/ginger/cardamom spices can easily be substituted with 2-3 teaspoons homemade or store-bought pumpkin pie spice or gingerbread spice mix for a similar flavor profile.
Heat: Feel free to adjust the chili flakes and cayenne pepper to your taste. As written, the mix has a mild kick (my 6 year old loves food seasoned with it, my 4 year old can’t handle it yet; my husband thinks I could increase the chili flakes x10000 😉).

How to make a copycat Old Bay Seasoning Mix

This really is a non-recipe – you just need the ingredients, really. Combine everything in a small bowl and you’re good to go!

homemade old bay seasoning mix in small white bowl with a fork

Recipe tips

I like using a small fork to mash up any lumps in the individual spices and to fully combine the mix. You can also use a small whisk, if you have one.
This makes a generous amount of spice mix for several uses (unless you’re making a large batch of shrimp boil, in which case you would probably need to double or triple the recipe). Feel free to cut it in half or less if you only need to use it once.

Storage tips

Store the spice mix in a clean, dry, tightly closed jar. I prefer keeping spices in a kitchen cabinet, where they are protected from heat and sunlight. Use the mix within 6 months.

Ideas for using

Use the spice mix for seafood dishes like a seafood boil, or use it in garlic butter with grilled shrimp. I have also used it in Sausage Foil Packets before and it was delicious!
It’s delicious to use on baked potatoes or to season potato wedges, roasted baby potatoes or roasted fingerling potatoes.
The seasoning mix also works great combined with butter for corn on the cob – I love air fried corn on the cob or grilled corn in foil!

bowl with copycat old bay seasoning mix surrounded by raw shrimp, smoked sausage and corn on the cob