Name: Pumpkin Oatmeal
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats ((57 grams)); 1/4 cup pumpkin puree ((66 grams)); 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ((or more to taste)); 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup ((17 to 37 grams)); 1 cup water or milk ((8 ounces)); pinch of salt

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This Pumpkin Oatmeal is the perfect way to use up any leftover pumpkin puree that you might have on hand. It tastes like pumpkin pie in a bowl!

What are the Benefits of Eating Pumpkin?

Here’s why you might want to eat more pumpkin:

It’s a good source of beta carotene, which your body can turn into Vitamin A. This vitamin may help to strengthen the immune system and fight infections.
In one meta-analysis, researchers found that people with higher intakes of beta carotene and vitamin A may have a lower risk of age-related cataracts, which is a common cause of blindness.
Pumpkin is high in carotenoids, which are thought to act as antioxidants in the body. Carotene intake has been associated with a lower risk of breast cancer, stomach cancer, and pancreatic cancer.
It’s also a great source of potassium, which has been linked with a lower risk of stroke and may also help to lower blood pressure levels.

If you roast your own pumpkin, don’t forget to save the seeds. Roasted pumpkin seeds are delicious, and contain plenty of nutrients, too!

How to Make the Best Pumpkin Oatmeal

This recipe is super-easy and ready in less than 10 minutes for a fast breakfast. All you have to do is combine the ingredients in a saucepan, and bring it to a boil, stirring often.

If you don’t have a store-bought spice blend, you can make your own pumpkin pie spice to keep on hand.

Pro Tip: Always add a pinch of salt to your oatmeal. If you think it tastes bland, that’s probably what it’s missing!

For creamier oats, you can cook them in almond milk, oat milk, or hemp milk, or you can simply use water. I find that oats become gluey if you cook them in dairy milk, so I prefer the non-dairy alternatives, but feel free to experiment with it!

Once the oatmeal mixture is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the oatmeal has thickened, about 5 minutes. If you use quick-cooking oats, it will be done even faster than that. Make sure you stir often, so the oats don’t start to stick to the bottom of the pot.

Want to use steel cut oats? Try my Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats tutorial, and add in the pumpkin & seasonings after the oatmeal is cooked.

Prefer overnight oats? To make overnight oats, use only half the liquid called for in the recipe below, mix it all together in a jar with a lid, then store it in the fridge to thicken overnight. No cooking required!

How to Make Oatmeal Not Chewy

If you prefer a creamy bowl of oatmeal, I recommend adding the water and oats to the pan together, then bringing the mixture to a boil. This will help the oats become more tender, and create an overall creamy texture.

For oatmeal with more “tooth” or chew to it, bring the water to a boil first, then add in the oats and lower the heat to a simmer. The oats won’t get quite as creamy this way, leaving you with more texture to chew.

How to Serve Pumpkin Oatmeal

Pumpkin oatmeal is a super-easy holiday breakfast or brunch option. You can make a huge batch (hover over the servings in the recipe card below to increase the ingredients amounts) then serve it as a “breakfast bar” with all of your favorite toppings laid out.

Here are some oatmeal topping ideas:

Dried cranberries
Raisins
Pecans
Walnuts
Pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
Maple syrup
Almond milk, oat milk, or hemp milk
Leftover cranberry sauce (seriously good on this!)
Sliced banana

Keep the oatmeal warm in a slow cooker if you need to leave it out for a while, and add a splash of water or milk and give it a stir if it starts to look too thick.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

5 from 6 votes

Pumpkin Oatmeal is a healthy breakfast, loaded with fiber and nutrients. Try setting out toppings and make your own breakfast bar for an easy holiday brunch!

prep5 mins cook5 mins total10 mins

Servings:1

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Ingredients

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (57 grams)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree (66 grams)
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or more to taste)
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup (17 to 37 grams)
1 cup water or milk (8 ounces)
pinch of salt

Instructions

Combine the oats, pumpkin, spice, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, water or milk, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and stir often so the oats don't stick to the bottom of the pan. It will take roughly 5 minutes to thicken.
Season to taste, adding more maple syrup, if desired. Serve with your favorite toppings, and extra milk, if you'd like a looser oatmeal texture. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for the whole batch, calculated with only 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and water for cooking. This information is just an estimate, and not a guarantee.

If you use quick-cooking oats, the oatmeal will be ready in less than 5 minutes. This recipe is very adaptable, so feel free to use what you have on hand!

Don't have pumpkin pie spice on hand? Check out my homemade pumpkin pie spice blend so you can make your own.

Nutrition

Author: Megan Gilmore

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: vegan

Keyword: pumpkin oatmeal

If you try this Pumpkin Oatmeal recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience.

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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite holiday breakfast? My Vegan French Toast, Sweet Potato Hash, and Vegan Bread Pudding are also big hits!