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Home » Vegan Lebanese Recipes

Lebanese 7 Spices (Baharat)

Published: Apr 21, 2021 by Janelle Hama

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Lebanese 7 Spice (sabaa baharat) is a pantry ‘must-have’ spice blend. It is widely used in Lebanese cooking, found in many dishes. It is aromatic with a hint of bitterness and sweetness.

Baharat up close
Freshly made Lebanese 7 Spice

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Jump to:
  • 😋Why you’ll love this recipe
  • ✔️What You’ll Need
  • 🥘Ingredient Notes
  • 🔪Step by step guide
  • 🍳Variations
  • 💡Recipes using Lebanese 7 Spices
  • 💭Pro Tips
  • ❓FAQ
  • 🥘Related recipes
  • Lebanese 7 Spices (Baharat)

Baharat is an essential Middle Eastern pantry staple. It’s the most used spice blend in my cooking.

Baharat is pronounced as ‘bah-ha-raht’, which is the English word for ‘spices’.

Lebanese seven spices are also known as ‘sabaa’ baharat’ which translates to 7 spices from Arabic into English.

Lebanese 7 spices really add volumes of flavor to any recipe. It is used in soups, stews, braising, rice, salads, kibbeh, and more.

😋Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Homemade - It’s the freshest way to enjoy spices
  • Easy to create and store
  • Handy to have on hand 

✔️What You’ll Need

Lebanese 7 Spices ingredients laid out on a plate

🥘Ingredient Notes

I’ve listed the ground spices in alphabetical order, these should be used in equal parts to make Lebanese seven spice. 

You can purchase quality organic spices through Thrive Market* (below links) or via Amazon* (recipe card links).

  • Allspice* (بهارحلو - Filful Franjy 7iloo) - also known as Jamaica pepper, pimento, pimento or myrtle pepper. Allspice is a brown berry from the Pimenta dioica. It was given its name ‘allspice’ as it resembled the flavouring of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. 
  • Black pepper* (فلفل اسود - Falful aswad) - made from a dried peppercorn fruit of a flowering vine, this is a common spice used across with world.
  • Cinnamon* (قرفة -Kirrfeh)- used in both savoury and sweet dishes, cinnamon is made from the bark of various cinnamon trees.
  • Clove* (كبشقرنفل - Karinful) - dried flower buds, can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes.
  • Coriander* (كزبرة - Kizbra)- Whole dried coriander seeds are ground up to create this spice. Fun fact - in Australia we call the entire cilantro plant coriander.
  • Cumin* (كمون - Kamoon) - a dried fruit seed pod, widely used throughout the Middle East and Asia.
  • Nutmeg* (جوزةالطيب - Jawzat altayib) - either seed or ground spice of several species of Myristica. Can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes.

🔪Step by step guide

Step 1 - In a bowl, combine all ground spices.

Step 2 - Store in an airtight jar in the pantry, ready for anytime usage. I like to use recycled jars as per the photo below.

baharat in a recycled jar held by a female hand

🍳Variations

Lebanese seven spices blend can differ between regions of Lebanon or even families. Other used spices are fenugreek, cardamon, ginger to name a few.

There are other Middle Eastern 7 spices (which contain different spices to make the blend) out there such as;

Arabic 7 spice

Egyptian 7 spice

Syrian 7 spice

Iraqi 7 spice

Beirut 7 spice - this is a new one I recently came across in a Lebanese grocer in Sydney, it’s a bright orange-ish color, and tastes fabulous - it contained paprika. 

mixed lebanese 7 spice in a plate

💡Recipes using Lebanese 7 Spices

  • Freekeh soup - A vegan Lebanese ancient grain soup
  • Molokhia - my favourite comfort food of jute mallow leaves
  • Bamia - wholesome stewed okra
  • Lebanese Kibbeh - the ultimate potato and bulgur on a bed of onion and sultanas.
  • Malfouf - stuffed cabbage leaves
  • Ejjeh - a vegan herb omelette
  • Lebanese rice - the best vegetable and nut rice ever
  • Fasoulia - a hearty red kidney bean stew
  • Moghrabieh - aromatic pearl couscous with chickpeas
  • Batinjan Mahshi - eggplant stuffed with a veggie and pine nut rice
  • Air fryer corn ribs - simple rub on each corn riblet a little bit of baharat
  • Ghallaba - a Lebanese veggie saute

💭Pro Tips

Use, where possible, whole spices and grind them up yourself using a spice mill*. This will result in a fresher baharat blend which will last longer.

If you can’t obtain whole spices, using ground spices is fine.

If purchasing baharat from the supermarket, be sure to check the ingredients.

I recently came across one which contains so many unnecessary ingredients such as natural flavors, color additives, and acidity regulators.

❓FAQ

Is allspice the same as 7 spice?

No, allspice is a single berry with a combination of flavors akin to cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. I often tell people to use ground allspice in place of Lebanese 7 spice when it isn’t available.

Is baharat hot?

No, baharat (Lebanese 7 spices) is not a hot spice blend. It is a fragrant blend that's slightly bitter and sweet. However, as there many different baharat blends across the Middle East, there are some that may be hot with the addition of ginger, chili, paprika, and peppercorns.

🥘Related recipes

Another Middle Eastern spice blend that's always in my pantry is my easy shawarma spice mix.

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Did you enjoy learning how to make Lebanese 7 spices I would love to hear from you, leave me a comment below and give me a rating if you made this spice blend. This will help me sustain Plant Based Folk. 

Alternatively, did you happen to take a photo? Tag me @plantbasedfolk on Instagram to be featured via stories.

Janelle x

baharat spices in a white plate

Lebanese 7 Spices (Baharat)

Lebanese 7 Spice (sabaa baharat) is a pantry ‘must-have’ spice blend. It is widely used within Lebanese cooking, found in many dishes. It is aromatic with a hint of bitterness and sweetness.
Print Pin Rate Save Recipe Saved Recipe
Course: Condiment, spices
Cuisine: Lebanese, Middle Eastern
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 jar
Author: Janelle Hama

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Ground Allspice
  • 1 tablespoon Ground Black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon Ground Cloves
  • 1 tablespoon Ground Coriander
  • 1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
  • 1 tbsp Ground Nutmeg
Metric - US Customary
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • In a bowl, combine all ground spices.
    mixing baharat
  • Store in an airtight jar in the pantry.
    lebanese 7 spices in a jar

Notes

Yield approx. 40g = 1 jar
 
💡Recipes using Lebanese 7 Spices
  • Molokhia - my favourite comfort food of jute mallow leaves
  • Bamia - wholesome stewed okra
  • Lebanese Kibbeh - the ultimate potato and bulgur on a bed of onion and sultanas.
  • Malfouf - stuffed cabbage leaves
  • Ejjeh - a vegan herb omelette
  • Lebanese rice - the best vegetable and nut rice ever
  • Fasoulia - a hearty red kidney bean stew
  • Moghrabieh - aromatic pearl couscous with chickpeas
  • Batinjan Mahshi - eggplant stuffed with a veggie and pine nut rice
 
*Shop for your healthy organic groceries at Thrive Market*. 
 
💭Pro Tips
  • Use, where possible, whole spices and grind them up yourself using a spice grinder. This will result in an aromatic fresh baharat.
  • If you can’t obtain whole spices, using ground spices is fine.
  • If purchasing baharat from the supermarket, be sure to check the ingredients. I recently came across one which contain so many unnecessary ingredients such as natural flavours, colour additives and acidity regulators.
 
 
 
 
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.

Equipment

Bowl
spice jar
spice mill

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 525mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 229IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 347mg | Iron: 8mg

N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.

Tried this recipe?Mention @Plantbasedfolk or tag #plantbasedfolk

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Alice

    May 31, 2022 at 4:44 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for explaining the assortment of spices

    Reply
  2. Addie

    February 20, 2022 at 3:28 pm

    5 stars
    So easy and flavorful!

    Reply
  3. nancy

    February 18, 2022 at 6:35 am

    5 stars
    ohh this spice blend sounds really delicious! i can't wait to try cooking with is

    Reply
  4. julie

    February 17, 2022 at 3:40 pm

    5 stars
    I adore dried spices, and never thought to make something like this. Love this thank you!

    Reply
  5. Minou

    May 26, 2021 at 7:05 am

    I just made zucchini dolma with meat and rice with store bought 7 spices from a well-known brand. I think the taste of clove was pungent and the tastes of the other spices just faded due to this strong taste.I just felt the taste of clove. Unfortunately my husband doesn't like cloves at all. I had the dolma with plain yoghurt.
    Should 7 spices really taste like that? I think I'll try your recipe and take just a little cloves in it. Maybe it helps to half it? But really, is it normal that there is such a strong taste of clove in it?

    Reply
    • Janelle

      May 26, 2021 at 4:37 pm

      Unfortunately, 7 spices are not all created equally or the same. There are several variants. I always prefer homemade baharat because you can control spices' measurement or even take out the ones you do not desire.

      I say give it a go and adjust to suit your tastebuds. You'll have the best results.

      J 🙂

      Reply
  6. Angel

    April 26, 2021 at 9:46 am

    5 stars
    Used Baharat in molokhia. Please keep sharing

    Reply
    • Janelle

      April 26, 2021 at 9:48 am

      So fresh right!?

      Reply

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Heya, I'm Janelle! I've been a messy but delicious cook for a couple of decades now.

In the last few years, I've converted to a vegan diet and have fallen in love with the flavors that can be created from plants.

I specialize in vegan Lebanese food and I'm excited to share these amazing recipes with you.

Let's cook together!

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