Pumpkin Oatmeal
Cozy pumpkin oatmeal lightly spiced with cinnamon is a fall-festive way to start the day. It’s a quick breakfast recipe you can make in about 10 minutes!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Recipe
Whenever I share a pumpkin recipe, I can just feel the side-eye because, for as many people who love all the pumpkin things this time of year, there are an equal amount of people who don’t. So, for the people who don’t (oh, hi, my dear friend, Bridget!), I deeply apologize. But for everyone else: come along with me, won’t you? It’s pumpkin season!
And this pumpkin oatmeal is a quick and easy way to get your fix first thing in the morning. It’s hearty, warming, and ready in about 10 minutes. So let’s put on those Ugg boots, cozy sweaters, and fingerless wooly gloves. It’s fall breakfast time.
Ingredients
- Water
- Old-fashioned oats
- Brown sugar
- Pumpkin puree
- Ground cinnamon
- Whole milk
Oats: I prefer old-fashioned oats (aka rolled oats) because they cook pretty fast and have a heartier texture compared to quick oats. Of course, you can use quick oats – they’ll just cook faster, and the oatmeal won’t be as hearty. If you want it really hearty, use steel-cut oats, but keep in mind they will take about twice as long to cook.
Sugar: You can use the same amount of maple syrup in place of the brown sugar. Or do half of each.
Pumpkin puree: This recipe is for one serving, so you don’t need a lot of pumpkin. It’s a great way to use up leftover pumpkin puree from the holidays or just store the leftovers in the fridge. Pumpkin puree keeps for up to a week in the fridge.
Spices: I like a little cinnamon, but you can use the same amount of pumpkin pie spice (a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger).
Milk: Whole milk makes it extra creamy, but I’ve also made it with 2%, almond milk, and oat milk. Pretty much any kind of milk or dairy-free milk will work. Adding a splash of cream at the end is not a bad idea either.
How to Make It
Bring the water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the oatmeal, stir, and lower the heat to medium.
Cook and stir the oatmeal for about five minutes, and once most of the water is absorbed, stir in the pumpkin, sugar, and cinnamon.
Add the milk and stir for about a minute to warm it up in the oatmeal, and now it’s ready to serve!
Recipe Tips
- Mix-Ins: Consider this oatmeal your fall canvas and dress it up however you like. Mix in some dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, or almonds. Some toasted pumpkin seeds would also be good and very on-brand for the season. A spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter mixed in works well, too.
- Microwave: You can cook the oatmeal in the microwave (it will take about two minutes), add in the other ingredients, and heat it up again (about 30 seconds to a minute), but I hope you try the stove method. I think oatmeal cooked on the stove has a better texture and consistency, so if you have the extra minutes, it’s worth the time.
- Make-ahead: If you want to make a bigger batch (and use up the whole can of pumpkin), you can do that. It will take an extra 5 minutes to cook the oatmeal for each additional serving, so be aware. You can store the cooked pumpkin oatmeal in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days. It will thicken up in the fridge, so add a splash of milk when you warm it up.
Happy pumpkin season,
More Homemade Oatmeal Recipes
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PrintPumpkin Oatmeal
Cozy pumpkin oatmeal lightly spiced with cinnamon is a fall-festive way to start the day. It’s a quick breakfast recipe you can make in about 10 minutes!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1 pinch of ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Bring the water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the oatmeal and lower the heat to medium. Cook and stir the oatmeal for about five minutes. It’s ready when most of the water has been absorbed and the oatmeal is creamy.
- Stir in the pumpkin, sugar, and cinnamon. Add the milk, stir, and transfer the oatmeal to a bowl.
Notes
Milk: Whole milk makes it extra creamy, but I’ve also made with with 2% milk, almond milk, and oat milk. Sometimes, I add a splash of half and half or cream at the end to make it extra creamy.
Add your favorite mix-ins to dress it up! Chopped nuts, dried cranberries, raisins, or seeds like pumpkin seeds or chia seeds are all great.
You can make a big batch and store it in the fridge for easy breakfasts – it will keep well for several days. I like to portion it out into individual containers and warm them up in the microwave. The oatmeal does thicken up when it’s cold, so add a splash of milk to thin it when you warm it up.
Nutrition
- Calories: 251
- Sugar: 11.3g
- Sodium: 26.9mg
- Fat: 1.1g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 46.1g
- Fiber: 6.8g
- Protein: 7.2g
- Cholesterol: 3.1mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.