Name: Pumpkin Spice Steel Cut Oatmeal
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 1/2 cups steel cut oats; 3 Tablespoons brown sugar; 1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree; 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon sour cream or greek yogurt; Maple syrup; Pepitas; Your favorite milk; Butter; Cinnamon; Brown sugar; Toasted pecans

Hearty steel-cut oats toasted in browned butter get the full pumpkin spice treatment with real pumpkin puree and less sugar than your average PS treat. Pumpkin Spice Steel Cut Oatmeal can feed a brunch bunch, or be stored in the refrigerator for a week of healthy breakfasts.

A white bowl of pumpkin spice steel cut oatmeal with milk, butter, cinnamon and pepitas beside a milk cup on a white cloth napkin.

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Two vital seasonal truths in my world right now: 1) Though we have left fall behind, I’m not yet finished with the pumpkin. 2) I know it’s a new year and blah blah blah, it’s TOO COLD for smoothie bowls. I need my breakfast to warm me up right now, thanks.

One of my absolute favorite things to make for breakfast is steel-cut oats, and there are so many options. In fact, here’s one for Banana Nut Steel Cut Oatmeal, and another for Apple Cinnamon Porridge in case this one doesn’t tickle your fancy.

Never made them? Nervous? Let me break it down for you:

How to cook steel cut oatmeal

Toast the oats in some butter or coconut oil over medium heat for a few minutes.
Add about 3 cups boiling water for every 1 cup oats.
Cook on low for about half an hour.
Add any flavorings and toppings you want.
That’s IT.

The rest is playing with flavors, which is my spe-ci-al-i-ty.

Close up of a spoon scooping pumpkin spice steel cut oatmeal with milk, butter, cinnamon and pepitas in a white bowl on a white cloth napkin.

Steel-cut oats have to cook longer, but they do have advantages over rolled oats. They retain more of their nutrients because they’re less processed. They take longer for you to digest, keeping you full longer. They’re also chewier, roastier and nuttier—all things I’ll take over “faster” 99 percent of the time.

Besides, you can just make these ahead and reheat them. I’d rather make one big batch of hearty, flavorful steel-cut oatmeal at the beginning of the week than spend 10 minutes making decent quick oats every morning anyway.

Pumpkin spice steel cut oats being stirred in a dutch oven

These steel-cut oats are so easy to put together, and most of the cook time only requires stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn’t burn. Also know it’s okay if some oats do stick. I typically get a thin layer of them on the bottom of my dutch oven.

I can usually get any stuck oats off pretty easily with a soak and a plastic scraper. If that doesn’t work you can put the empty pan back on the stove with some water and bring it to a boil to soften it up. I use a 5.5 qt enameled cast-iron dutch oven from the Food Network . (Update, it’s no longer available, but here’s a comparable one from Lodge.

You don’t have to use a dutch oven, but I love mine for things that cook low and slow.

A closeup of a white bowl of pumpkin spice steel cut oatmeal with milk, butter, cinnamon and pepitas, from the side, on a white cloth napkin.

Pumpkins aren’t just for fall

Pumpkins are top of mind for fall when they come into season, but don’t forget about them the moment you take your jack-o-lantern off your doorstep. (You remembered to do that, right? It’s okay, this is a safe space.)

Surprise! Pumpkins are still in season in the winter.

Maple syrup being poured into a white bowl of pumpkin spice steel cut oatmeal with butter, cinnamon and pepitas beside a milk cup on a white cloth napkin.

Anyway, maybe it’s the seasonality, but pumpkin feels like a special treat for me. There are plenty of reasons to use real pumpkin in your breakfast well past November. First, it’s delicious with said pumpkin spices. Second, you can easily store cans of it in your pantry. Third,pumpkin is a great source of vitamin A, beta-carotene, and vitamin C.

Milk being poured into a white bowl of pumpkin spice steel cut oatmeal with butter, cinnamon and pepitas on a white cloth napkin.

This Pumpkin Spice Steel Cut Oatmeal recipe is a great way to use leftover pumpkin puree if you’re anything like me and put it in the fridge with the best of intentions, but no solid plan. Wasted pumpkin is a sad sight (and a bad smell).

How to customize your oatmeal

You can top these with whatever you want, but I really love a pat of butter, pepitas (extra protein, extra crunch), maple syrup and a splash of milk. I put some suggestions down in the recipe itself.

Usually I prefer my oatmeal a little lumpy with milk poured over. Of course, I know lots of people like creamier oats. If that’s you, no problema! Just add more water or milk. You can add another cup in the beginning, or you could stir it in at the end if you decide it’s too thick for you.

A closeup of a white bowl of pumpkin spice steel cut oatmeal with milk, butter, cinnamon and pepitas on a white cloth napkin.

I wavered a little on whether to call this recipe “pumpkin steel-cut oatmeal” or “pumpkin spice steel-cut oatmeal.” Isn’t that stupid? I’m not even talking search engine optimization—I’m talking about all the crap women (and men brave enough to admit it) get for loving pumpkin spice.

My thoughts? Pumpkin spice is delicious and a little over-hyped. Yes, both can be true.