Pumpkin oats

 One of the many wonders of fall is the abundance of pumpkins.  I prefer to buy canned pumpkin to avoid a messy clean up, but if you are adventurous you can buy a whole pumpkin and roast the seeds for a snack.

Pumpkin is an awesome source of  vitamin A and dietary fiber, and is fairly low in calories.  To whip  up a bowl of oats reminiscent of your favorite pumpkin pie, simply combine the desired amount of pumpkin with your usual oatmeal ingredients, add some natural sweetener, a little pumpkin pie spice (or ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves), and boo!- er, voila! - you have yourself a kickin' bowl of oatmeal. If you're really daring you can add a dollop of whipped cream on top.

A few ingredients I picked up for fall oatmeal recipes

Can you guess which is coffee and which is oatmeal?

Sorry oats. Coffee one-upped you this morning.

Pumpkin oats

 Pumpkin Oatmeal

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup water
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I like Almond Breeze, unsweetened vanilla)
1 T banana
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
Dash pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, or a combo of any/all of these
Splash of vanilla extract




1. Combine oats, water, non-dairy milk, banana, and pumpkin in a saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat.
2. Let simmer for 15 minutes to make a voluptuous bowl of oatmeal (longer than the recommended cooking time), whipping with a spoon often.
3. Remove from heat, stir in spices and vanilla, and cover with a lid and let rest for a few minutes to allow the oats to absorb the liquid.
4. Stir in any additional toppings- walnuts, pecans, flaked coconut, or toasted raw oats go well with this recipe- and enjoy!


Similar to pumpkin oatmeal is pumpkin porridge, a Korean dish made with pumpkin puree, pine nuts, rice balls, and azuki beans. Perhaps I will alter this dish by adding some oats in the mix? What do you think?

What are your favorite ways to use pumpkin? Do you prefer to use canned or the whole pumpkin?