Vegan pumpkin spice oatmeal

Rich and creamy vegan pumpkin oatmeal seasoned with warming pumpkin spice is the cozy, healthy breakfast you need!

This recipe is adapted from my first cookbook, Bowls. The vegan pumpkin oatmeal in the book serves one person. Here, I've tweaked the process to be even easier than before and upped it to four servings, so you can feed a crowd.

Or make it once, and have breakfast sorted for days!

Jump To:

• Recipe notes
• What's the best kind of oat to use?
• What to do with the leftover pumpkin puree
• What to do with the leftover coconut milk
• How to store and reheat
• Pumpkin oatmeal recipe

Recipe notes

One of my favorite features of this pumpkin oatmeal recipe is that it's as simple to make as plain oatmeal. You don't need to chop or do any other prep work beyond measuring a few ingredients.

To make this oatmeal, start by boiling your water. Then, add rolled oats, dried cranberries, canned pumpkin, coconut milk, and pumpkin spice.

For the coconut milk, I recommend the canned sort -- light or full fat is fine. Coconut milk from a carton won't give you the creaminess or coconut flavor that canned will.

Pumpkin spice is just a blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. When I originally wrote this recipe, I had you adding each spice individually. Now, pre-mixed pumpkin spice is readily available at grocery stores.

If you do want to make your own pumpkin spice mix, Taste of Home has the measurements for you.

Once you have all of your ingredients in the pan, stir frequently. Frequent stirring will help the pumpkin dissolve into the mixture and keep the oats from clumping.

What's the best kind of oat to use?

I recommend using rolled oats for this recipe.

Quick oats cook too quickly, and your other flavors won't have a chance to meld at all in the pan.

Steel cut oats, on the other hand, take too long to cook. They also use more water than rolled oats do. Your pumpkin oatmeal will be a mess if you substitute steel cut oats without adjusting the rest of the recipe to accommodate. If you want a steel cut oats recipe, try my Instant Pot apple steel cut oats instead!

What to do with the leftover pumpkin puree

This recipe does not use an entire can of pumpkin. You've got some options here!

Your first option is to freeze the leftovers. Pumpkin freezes well, and you can either thaw it overnight in the fridge or quickly in the microwave when you need it.

I also love adding pumpkin to soups and stews. Add that leftover pumpkin to a batch of chili or soup to thicken it up and add some good, fall flavor!

Or, use that leftover pumpkin to make my pumpkin spice almond butter. So good on toast or biscuits!

What to do with the leftover coconut milk

Like the pumpkin, this recipe doesn't use a whole can of coconut milk. You'll have about ¾ of a cup remaining. Here are some ideas to use it up:

• Drizzle onto cooked oatmeal. I love the contrast of cool, creamy coconut milk against these warm, rich oats.
• Add to soups or stews for a bit of creaminess.
• Use it in your smoothies for a decadent coconut twist.
• Freeze it for later. You can freeze it all in one freezer-safe container or pour it into an ice cube tray. I like the cube method, because you can pop a cube into your smoothies when you're feeling fancy.

How to store and reheat

Store your leftovers in an airtight container.

I like to divide up any leftovers into individual, microwave-safe lidded bowls. That way, I can grab a pumpkin spice oatmeal and pop it into the microwave for breakfast in a flash.

You can freeze this recipe in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, either let it defrost overnight or thaw in the microwave. Things may separate oddly when you thaw, but don't worry! Just stir it all together again before you eat.