Dessert

Dessert rubs take the same spice-blend thinking behind a good brisket rub — sugar, warm spice and salt held in balance — and point it at fruit, pastry and baked treats instead of meat. It's one of the newer corners of the rub world, built by borrowing the techniques a savoury blend already relies on rather than inventing anything new.

Start with Emus Rub's Apple Pie Rub — the genuine dessert rub on this shelf right now. It's an Australian-made blend that's sweet and moreish rather than hot, equally at home in the oven or on the grill. Rub it over pork loin or pork ribs for a hit of sweetness, or toss it straight through hot doughnuts, apple pie or warm cinnamon rolls.

What sets it apart is the dual purpose baked into the one jar: most rubs pick a lane, savoury or sweet, but this one is built to work both sides of the meal, on the protein and on the dessert board. It's a tight shelf by design right now — one genuine dessert rub earning its place here rather than a range padded out for the sake of it, and worth stocking for exactly that reason. Sweet, smoky, and still built for the fire.

Explore more: our honey and jam collections.