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

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. Though 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 out there. In fact, here’s another recipe for apple-cinnamon steel-cut oats 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 oats:

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

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

Steel-cut oats have a lot of advantages over your typical rolled oats, some of them health-related. They retain more of their nutrients through being less processed. They take longer for you to digest, keeping you full longer. You know what else? They’re 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 much rather make one big batch of hearty, flavorful steel-cut oatmeal at the beginning of the week than spend 5 minutes making decent quick oats every morning anyway.

P.S. I actually do like rolled oats… meal planning my breakfasts with blueberry rolled oats I could microwave every morning kept me sane at my last full-time job, plus they’re great for pancakes and cookies. But steel-cut oats? Pumpkin ones? Those are the approachable but aspirational mornings I’m generally going for.

They also keep me full for more than 15 minutes without seconds, which is honestly pretty impressive.

As for the pumpkin, surprise! Pumpkins are still in season for the winter!

We tend to attach pumpkins to fall, which is when they come into season, but the favorite among squashes really shouldn’t disappear the moment you take your jack-o-lantern off your doorstep. (You did remember to do that, right? It’s okay, this is a safe space.)

I wavered a little on whether to call this recipe “pumpkin steel-cut oats” or “pumpkin spice steel-cut oats”. Isn’t that stupid? Well in terms of search engine optimization it’s not, but I’m not even talking about that. 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.

I shamelessly love a good pumpkin spice latte, especially homemade or one from Starbucks (gasp!). Pumpkin pie? Definitely. Pumpkin spice bread? Yeah! Pumpkin spice bagel? Double yeah. Pumpkin spice muffin? Why not?

I don’t tend to like PSLs from many other places because the syrup often tastes nothing like pumpkin, but ultra-sugary fireballs (the candy, not the drink). Specifically fireballs that have already had most of the coating worn off.

Other DOA pumpkin spice items for me include: gum, store-bought coffee creamers (actually those get a big no from me in general) and yogurt. No thank you, please.

Anyway, maybe it’s the seasonality, but pumpkin just 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 freezer. Third, lots of recipes call for a cup of pumpkin, and most cans come with 2.5 cups.

And hey, pumpkin is a great source of vitamin A, beta-carotene, and vitamin C.

This pumpkin spice steel-cut oats 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).

These steel-cut oats are so easy to put together, and most of the cook time only requires stirring every so often 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 plastic scraper, but you can also put the empty pan back on the stove with some water and bring it to a boil to soften it up. The dutch oven pictured above is a 5.5 qt enameled cast-iron dutch oven from the Food Network. You don’t have to use a dutch oven, but I like them for things that cook slowly like this. I also use mine almost daily anyway, so…

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.

Sometimes if I’m reaaaaally hungry I’ll make creamier just so the water the oats absorb will make me feel full faster—and sometimes I just do it because I’m in a creamy oatmeal mood. It’s a thing, just go with it.

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.

If you like this recipe, you may want to sign up for my email list for more. Everyone who signs up gets a freebie guide to getting organized in the kitchen, which is one of the biggest commonalities I see when people say they’re not good at cooking—and one of the easiest things to fix!

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Pumpkin Spice Steel-Cut Oatmeal

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• Author: Leannda Cavalier
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings (3/4 cup each)
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Boiling
• Cuisine: American

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Description

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

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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

Possible topping suggestions:

• Maple syrup
• Pepitas
• Your favorite milk
• Butter
• Cinnamon
• Brown sugar
• Toasted pecans

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Instructions

1. Bring 4 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan.
2. Meanwhile, warm a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Cut the butter into pieces,* and when the pot is warm, melt them. Allow the butter to keep cooking, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn brown and smell nutty. Do not allow it to burn—once the dairy solids start turning brown, they’ll burn quick if you don’t watch them.
3. Add the oats, and stir continually until they start to look dry and no browned butter is left on the bottom of the pot, about three minutes.
4. Add the boiling water and stir, bringing the mixture to a low simmer. Allow to simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the oats from burning on the bottom of the pot.
5. Add the remaining ingredients and cook another five minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Serve warm with your favorite toppings. The photos for this recipe feature maple syrup, butter, pepitas, milk and cinnamon on top (and it was DELICIOUS). Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

• * The reason for cutting up the butter is to brown it more evenly. If you throw it all in in one big hunk, the bottom might already be burning by the time the top melts. Cutting into even pieces helps foolproof this process.
• Nutrition information does not include toppings.

Keywords: Steel-Cut Oats, Oatmeal, Porridge, Pumpkin Spice, Pumpkin Spice Steel-Cut Oatmeal

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