Homemade Celery Salt (and 10+ Ways to Use It)

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Do you enjoy celery salt but would prefer to just have plain celery salt without all the junky ingredients that are in many of the store-bought brands? This easy recipe for homemade celery salt is just what you need.

Homemade Celery Salt in a jar

I love making my own homemade seasoning blends like taco seasoning, curry powder, vegetable broth, chili powder, cinnamon sugar, chat masala, and even DORITO® seasoning.

But why would one want to make homemade celery salt, you ask?  And how do you use it?

Well, before you just move on from this post thinking, “What’s so great about celery salt?”

Don’t.

I’m sure you’ll find something you’ll like.

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Reasons to Make Your Own Celery Salt

1.  Control over your ingredients
2.  Save money (remember, Homemade Seasoning Blends always cost a TON less than buying them pre-blended)
3.  You just can’t get enough of “Make Your Own” stuff
4.  You are craving my Special Seasoning Popcorn (you know, the totally mouthwatering stuff) and you don’t have any celery salt in the house :-).
5.  Your resulting blend is super fresh.
6.  You buy fewer things.
No need to buy the whole spice and the blend.

Now, about #1.

What?  You mean there’s more in celery salt than just celery and salt?  Well, yes and no.

Of course, unless you are buying specialty celery salt, then the salt in your celery salt could have any of the following in it:

Possible Ingredients in Store-Bought Celery Salt

Here are things that might find their way into store-bought versions of celery salt.

  • sugar
  • sodium silicoaluminate (ugh – aluminum??)
  • dextrose (why is there sugar in salt??)
  • sodium bicarbonate

Not things I really wanted in my celery salt.

So aside from all of the other reasons to have a DIY version of this spice blend (thought I do love saving money and making things myself), that’s enough for me right there.

jar of celery salt

How to Use Celery Salt

Following are some great ways to use this homemade celery salt, with the last one being the BEST of all.

Salt Alternative – Use as a seasoning anywhere you might use salt (just not in baked goods :-)!)  Think – baked potatoes, vegetables, sausage, dips, soups, etc.  It’s especially good for dishes like cold salads (egg, potato, pasta, etc.)

Hot Dog Seasoning – In some areas of the U.S. it is used as a hot dog topping. I’ve read it is a must on Chicago Hot Dogs. I recommend and use only antibiotic, no nitrate hot dogs. Azure Standard is one great place to get those.

Celery Substitute – Have a recipe that calls for celery but don’t have any?  Save a trip to the store and use celery salt.  Just make sure to cut back on the amount of salt you add to the recipe.  Substituting this way saves tons of time and money.

In Beverages  Celery Salt is typically used in Bloody Marys (I’ve never had one personally, however) and it’s a great seasoning to add to vegetable juices.

On Pork – Celery salt is used to crisp up the rind when roasting.

On Cole Slaw – Celery Salt is THE go to spice for Southern Cole Slaw

With Quail’s Eggs – Celery salt is apparently the perfect pairing for Hard Boiled Quail’s Eggs. I’ve never had them, have you?

On Salads – celery salt is particularly good on potato salad, both regular or keto potato salad.

On Stews

In Old Bay Seasoning – it’s the primary ingredient in this popular seasoning, so if you’re making a completely DIY version, you will need a lot of this.

Popcorn Topping – Celery Salt is the main ingredient in this Surprisingly Good Popcorn Seasoning | All Purpose Seasoning.  It’s loaded with celery salt.  You’ll love it. Guaranteed!

Bet you had no idea there were so many ways to use celery salt.  I sure had fun digging up these ideas and will be using it more as a result.

Oh, in case you are wondering where to buy spices, I mainly recommend Frontier Brand but Starwest Botanicals is also a great option.

What You Will Need

  • Celery Seed (or fresh or dried celery leaves)
  • Salt (I recommend Real Salt or Himalayan Salt)
  • Grinder

More Homemade Pantry Staples:

What Spice Grinder is Best?

There are loads of spice grinders on the market. Many people use a coffee grinder for grinding spices. It’s really best to use a grinder that has a washable grinding cup.

This is the grinder I currently have and mostly I love it. The only thing I don’t like is that the interior of the base gets dirty and is hard to clean. But this grinder has lasted for a very long time for us and it’s still kicking.

I Recommend
KitchenAid Coffee and Spice Grinder

KitchenAid Coffee and Spice Grinder

This coffee grinder is what I use for pretty much all my spice grinding needs. I love that it has 2 washable grinding bowls and a clear cover so you can see what's going on inside. It's lasted for many years with no sign of stopping.

This is the grinder I had before. It was much easier to clean than the current one, but it didn’t last long. Maybe a fluke, but it was disappointing, to say the least, when it died.

Recipe Notes and Substitutions

  • Kosher Salt: You can also use kosher (coarse) salt. Just use twice as much salt and grind it together with your celery seed.
  • Shelf Life: Celery Seed has a super-long shelf life – so you can go ahead and buy it in bulk. Whole spices typically have very long shelf lives, while ground ones lose their potency and freshness more quickly.
  • AIP: For an AIP version (or simply another option) of this recipe, use celery leaves instead of celery seed. The proportions are up to you, but one option is about 1 tablespoon of sea salt to 6 tablespoons of celery powder.

Homemade Celery Salt–2 Ways (and how to use it)

Here's how to make celery salt and how to use this surprisingly delicious seasoning blend!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dressings, Seasonings, etc.
Cuisine: AIP, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo, THM:S, Vegan, whole30
Keyword: homemade celery salt
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put celery seed in grinder. See notes above about grinder options.
  • Grind celery seed to desired consistency.
  • Mix with salt.
  • Store in a closed jar in a cool, dark place.

Notes

  • Kosher Salt: You can also use kosher (coarse) salt. Just use twice as much salt and grind it together with your celery seed.
  • Shelf Life: Celery Seed has a super-long shelf life – so you can go ahead and buy it in bulk. Whole spices typically have very long shelf lives, while ground ones lose their potency and freshness more quickly.
  • AIP: For an AIP version (or simply another option) of this recipe, use celery leaves instead of celery seed. The proportions are up to you, but one option is about 1 tablespoon of sea salt to 6 tablespoons of celery powder.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

What is your favorite way to use celery salt?

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88 Comments

  1. I dehydrate all my own fresh celery so I have a ton of diced celery and celery leaves. If I grind up the the dehydrated diced celery is that equal to celery powder?