What Spices Are AIP Compliant? A Complete Spice List

On the AIP elimination phase, leafy herbs and most aromatics, roots, bark, and berries are compliant; nightshade peppers (chili powder, paprika, cayenne) and most seed spices (cumin, coriander, fennel, mustard) are not. Black pepper is a gray area. Here, "compliant" means an ingredient fits the AIP framework, not that it is safe or healthful for you specifically, so always check against your own protocol.

The short version: most leafy herbs and many aromatics, roots, bark, and berries are AIP compliant, while nightshade peppers and most seed spices are not. If you are asking what spices are AIP compliant, the quickest test is the part of the plant it comes from.

One thing to be clear about first. On this page, "compliant" means a spice fits the ingredient framework of the autoimmune protocol elimination phase. It is not a promise that a spice is safe, healthful, or right for you specifically. Tolerances and protocols vary, so treat the lists below as a starting point and check anything uncertain against your own plan. For the bigger picture, the AIP seasoning guide covers how to build flavor once you know what is in.

What makes a spice AIP compliant

The autoimmune protocol is a structured elimination diet that people use while managing autoimmune conditions. During the elimination phase, two groups of spices come out of the rack.

The first is nightshades. Peppers belong to the nightshade family (Solanaceae), so chili powder, paprika, cayenne, and red pepper flakes are all out. The second is seed spices. Spices that are the seed of a plant, like cumin and coriander, are usually held during elimination too.

Why those two groups? The protocol treats them as common triggers worth setting aside during elimination, so you can add them back one at a time later and judge each on its own. That is a structural choice about how the diet is run, not a claim that the spices are harmful for everyone.

That leaves a lot in. Spices made from leaves, flowers, bark, roots, and berries are generally fine. So the working rule is simple: leaf, flower, bark, root, and berry tend to be compliant; seed and nightshade tend not to be. A cautious cook should not need a detective board and red string to season dinner, and once you have the rule, you mostly do not.

Spices and herbs that are AIP compliant

These are the everyday spices and herbs that fit the elimination phase. Individual tolerance still applies, but as ingredients these are the usual yes list.

Leafy herbs

• Basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and sage
• Parsley, cilantro, dill weed (the leaf, not the seed), and chives
• Bay leaf, tarragon, mint, and lemongrass

Aromatics and roots

• Garlic and onion (powder or fresh), plus chive and leek
• Ginger, turmeric, and galangal
• Horseradish (the root itself; check prepared jars for additives)

Bark, bud, and berry

• Cinnamon (bark) and cloves (a flower bud)
• Allspice and juniper (both berries)
• Saffron (a flower stigma)
• Mace is the aril around the nutmeg seed; some protocols allow it and some hold it, so treat it as a check-your-protocol item

Salt

• Sea salt and other pure salts are compliant. They are not a spice in the botanical sense, but they are the backbone of seasoning, so they belong on the yes list.

Turmeric and ginger appear here as culinary spices only. They are compliant ingredients; that is a different thing from a health claim, and this page makes none.

Spices that are not AIP compliant

These are the groups to leave out during elimination. Most fall into two buckets, plus a few strays.

Nightshades

• Chili powder, paprika (sweet, hot, and smoked), cayenne, and crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes
• Most "chili" and "taco" blends, which are built on these

For what to use instead across all your cooking, see the nightshade-free seasoning guide, or the AIP spice substitution chart for a swap-by-swap quick reference.

Seed spices

• Cumin, coriander seed, fennel seed, mustard seed, and caraway
• Fenugreek, nutmeg, cardamom, anise, celery seed, dill seed, and poppy seed
• Sesame is a seed too, and a major allergen, so it is out

For the full rundown on this group and how to cook around it, see seed-spice-free cooking.

Other items that surprise people

• Soy sauce is not compliant, because soy is a legume (and most soy sauce also contains wheat). Coconut aminos is the usual stand-in.
• Curry powder, garam masala, and most pre-made "all-purpose" blends contain seed spices and sometimes chili, so they are not automatically compliant.
• Fish sauce and other prepared sauces vary widely; many add soy, sugar, or other excluded ingredients, so read each label rather than assuming.

The spices people ask about most

A handful of spices generate almost all the questions. Here are the plain answers, with the reason.

• Black pepper: a gray area. It is not a nightshade; peppercorns come from an unrelated plant. But many protocols hold it during strict elimination, so mark it optional and protocol-dependent rather than a flat yes.
• Paprika: no. It is ground pepper, a nightshade. Turmeric covers the color it gave.
• Allspice: generally yes. It is a single dried berry, not a seed and not a nightshade, despite the name.
• Soy sauce: no. Soy is a legume and the sauce usually contains wheat. Use coconut aminos.
• Curry powder: no, as sold. It is a seed-spice blend. A turmeric-and-ginger base gets you close without the seeds.
• Cinnamon: yes. It is bark, and it is one of the warm spices that replaces nightshade warmth.
• Cumin: no. It is a seed spice, commonly reintroduced later, but out during elimination.
• Nutmeg: no during strict elimination. It is a seed.
• Garlic and onion: yes. They are the backbone of most compliant blends, in powder or fresh form.
• Ginger: yes. It is a root and one of the main ways to rebuild warmth without peppers.
• Cardamom and fennel: no during elimination. Both are seeds.
• Mustard: no. Mustard seed and prepared mustard are seed-based.
• Vanilla and saffron: usually yes. Pure vanilla and saffron threads are compliant; check an extract for additives you are avoiding.

Building an AIP-compliant spice rack

You do not need every compliant spice at once. A small core covers most weeknight cooking, and you can grow from there.

Start with the foundation: garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt. Those three season almost anything. Add a few leafy herbs next, since they carry most savory dishes: oregano, thyme, rosemary, and basil cover Italian, roast, and everyday directions.

Then add warmth, which is the job nightshades used to do. Ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, and turmeric give you color and warm depth for taco-style and curry-style cooking without peppers or seeds. A jar of dried parsley and one of bay leaf round things out.

That is about ten jars, and it covers far more than ten dinners. Build the rest of the rack around what you actually cook, not around filling a spice aisle you will not use.

How to read a label for compliance

The lists are the easy part. The hard part is a jar that hides a non-compliant spice under a vague term.

Umbrella words like "spices" and "natural flavors" are allowed on ingredient lists under FDA labeling rules without naming what is inside. For an AIP cook, that ambiguity is the whole problem, because a single word can hide paprika or cumin. Ambiguity is not a seasoning.

Two habits cover most of it. Read the full ingredient list, not the front of the jar, and favor blends that name every ingredient. The usual hidden culprits are paprika or chili powder in savory blends, cumin in anything taco- or curry-adjacent, and soy or wheat in sauces, so those are the words to scan for first. When you would rather not vet each jar, the AIP-friendly spice blends collection lists every ingredient, which is the point of a clear label. Either way, the label is the final word, so check it against your own protocol before the marketing on the front. If you are weighing whether to buy or mix your own, AIP spice blends vs homemade seasoning lays out the trade-offs.

When in doubt, check your protocol

AIP is not one fixed list for everyone. The elimination phase is stricter than the reintroduction phase, and people add spices back at their own pace based on how they respond.

So if a spice is not on these lists, or you are unsure, treat that as a "check your own plan" moment rather than a yes. Black pepper, mace, and the seed spices you are testing during reintroduction are personal decisions, ideally made with whoever guides your protocol.

Many people find black pepper and seed spices among the earlier, easier reintroductions, while staying off nightshades longer, but that order is individual and not a rule. The practical method is the same either way: add one spice back at a time, give it a few days, and keep notes, so a reaction points to a clear cause instead of a guess. Compliance is the floor here, not the finish line, and the goal is food you can trust and still want to eat.