It’s the time of year where you can justify putting warming spices in everything. Cinnamon in coffee? Yep. Pumpkin spices in smoothie? Yep. Cloves in virtually everything? YEP. Our spotlight ingredient is cloves, so here are 7 tasty clove recipe ideas (both sweet and savory) to start you off.

Cloves are really the powerhouse of your spice cabinet. They’re potent and complex with a distinct flavor. And that flavor? It comes from a compound called eugenol, meaning it pairs well with other ingredients that also contain eugenol (including cinnamon, vanilla, basil, and red wine to name a few).

Dutch Poached Pears: Simmer cloves, cinnamon, red wine, and pears for just 20 minutes to create these gorgeous, flavor-packed pears.

Vegan Chorizo Tacos: Break out of the sweets-only box by throwing whole cloves into a homemade adobo sauce to top these mushroom chorizo tacos!

Under the Mistletoe Punch: Or use cloves, cinnamon, and all spice to create a simple syrup that can be used in virtually any holiday cocktail this season.

Apple Butter: It’s like grown-up apple sauce and it’s a little jar of pure yum.

Blueberry Gluhwein: We simmered pears in spiced wine, but wine not just drink the spiced wine? That’s the German way of thinking!

Chai Sweet Potato Cupcakes: Chai spices in cupcake form? AND with hidden veggies? Yes. All day yes.

Moroccan Spiced Carrot Hummus: Roast some carrots, throw in a food processor with the makings for hummus and a blend of Moroccan spices. Boom, healthy hummus!

Stay tuned next week for more clove recipe ideas coming your way (to include a certain cookie butter that I am SO excited about) (hint: ever tried Trader Joe’s cookie butter?)