Lately, I have been adding my homemade Creole seasoning to almost all my dishes to make them pop. I add it to steamed vegetables, tofu, and even snacks. Is your dish tasting bland? Just add some of my amazing Cajun Creole seasonings to it and experience the difference. 

Creole or Cajun cooking, like my Vegan Gumbo, Black-Eyed Peas Salad, Black-Eyed Pea Stew, and Skillet Cornbread are some of my favorite recipes.

Creole or Cajun seasoning is the perfect homemade all-purpose seasoning blend to add flavor to your recipes. Easy to mix in minutes with simple ingredients, and it is actually better than storebought spice blends. 

Reasons To Make Your Own Creole Seasoning Blend

  1. Tastes better than store-bought.
  2. Does not contain preservatives or additives.
  3. Does not contain MSG (monosodium glutamate).
  4. It is customizable, you don’t want salt, then just leave it out!
  5.  
Creole seasoning mix in a glass bowl on brown wooden background with each spice.

What Is Creole Seasoning?

Creole and Cajun seasonings have separate histories and came from different cultures. Over time, both of them are very similar and quite difficult to separate.

The word Creole comes from the Spanish word ‘criollo’ from the world ‘Criar’ which means to create. The Spaniards used this word to distinguish their children from the natives. Criollo was considered to be an honor. 

In time the name was adopted by the French to ‘Creole’ and the term was also passed to their animals and plants. That is where the expressions creole chicken, creole figs etc. come from. 

What Is The Difference Between Creole Cooking And Cajun Cooking?

Creole cooking was mostly done in the city of New Orleans, it was influenced by the population of settlers who came to French colonial Louisianna, mostly in New Orlean.

Creole cuisine came from the melting of cultures of Louisianna, Spanish, French, Native Americans, Caribbean, German, West African, and Portuguese.

Creole cooking is more rounded with lots of herbs while Cajun flavors are bold and spicy. 

Cajun cooking was introduced by a group of Cajun Acadians who settled in the city of Backwaters and Swamps. They originally came from France to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. 

The Acadians were booted out by the British, they relocated to the swamps of Southern Louisiana where Cajun cuisine was born. Cajun seasoning is spicier than Creole seasonings. 

At first Cajun cuisine was seen as peasants’ food but nowadays they are interchangeable.

Is Creole Seasoning The Same As Cajun Seasoning?

Traditionally Creole seasoning is based on the use of herbs like oregano, parsley, basil, bay, thyme. 

Cajun seasoning includes many forms of peppers, bell pepper, cayenne,  black pepper, white pepper. Nowadays both Creole and Cajun have ingredients that are similar. 

To summarize, Creole seasoning focuses on the herbs in the blend, Cajun seasoning focuses on the peppers in the blend. 

Creole Seasoning Ingredients

  • Paprika
  • Smoked Paprika
  • Onion Powder
  • Garlic Powder
  • Thyme
  • Oregano
  • Basil
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Salt

How Make Creole Seasoning?

To make Creole seasoning, combine paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, basil, cayenne pepper, and salt in a small bowl and mix. Store in an airtight container.

Other Homemade Seasoning Blends

  1. Easy Curry Powder
  2. Homemade Shawarma Seasoning
  3. Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
  4. Homemade Chili Powder
  5. Chicken-Style Seasoning
Creole/Cajun seasoning blend with simple homemade ingredients in glass jars on burlap on a wooden background

If you enjoyed this post and would love to see more, join me on  InstagramFacebook & Twitter!

Get discounted copies of my cookbook here.

Also please leave a star rating ;-)

Need some encouragement on your Healthier Steps journey?

Join our Facebook groups, sharing lots of delicious vegan and gluten-free recipes, health tips, etc., from our members. Please join us and invite your friends to Gluten-Free and Vegan For Beginners and Vegan Recipes With Love.

Categories

Nutrition

(Per portion)
  • Energy: 20 kcal / 84 kJ
  • Carbs: 4 g

Cook Time

  • Preparation: 5 min
  • Ready in: 5 min
  • For: 10 Servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Combine paprika, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, basil, cayenne pepper, and salt in a small bowl.
  2. Mix evenly then store in an airtight container.
Recipe author's Gravatar image

Michelle Blackwood, RN

Hi, I’m Michelle, I’m the voice, content creator and photographer behind Healthier Steps. I share vegan and gluten-free recipes because of past health issues. My goal is to help you make healthier choices and show you how healthy eating is easy and delicious.