Basic Pumpkin Oatmeal | Jessica Cording Nutrition

I totally don’t care if I’m jumping the gun on this—or if loving pumpkin makes me “basic” or not—it’s delicious and nutritious. Packed with fiber, antioxidants vitamin A and vitamin C, plus potassium, it’s a gosh-darn seasonal superfood. I’m ready, let’s do this pumpkin spice thing. I’ve been adding this to my coffee ground lately. F-ing heavenly.

I know I’ve posted about pumpkin oatmeal before, so today I’m getting into the finally-fall spirit by sharing my go-to recipe. If you don’t have pumpkin handy, you can use pureed butternut or kabocha squash. Enjoy!

I usually use rolled oats because I find them more versatile, but feel free to use instant or steel cut—just note that the cooking times will vary (and steel-cut is tricky, though not impossible, in the microwave). Most packages of rolled and instant list 1/2 a cup as a serving (1/4 cup for steel cut), but I prefer to use 1/3 cup (3 tablespoons if you were using steel cut), as it’s closer to the one-ounce USDA serving and leaves a little extra room for a tablespoon of ground flax for an extra boost of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. I am all about variety, so I’d say that more flavors, more texture, and more nutrients for the same number of calories is a win-win situation.

Basic Pumpkin Oatmeal

Ingredients:

⅓ cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon ground flax
¼ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup liquid egg whites or 1 egg (optional)
2/3-1 cup water

On the stovetop

Bring water to a boil. Lower heat and add the oats, spices, flax, and pumpkin.
Cook until liquid is almost fully absorbed.
If using, add egg white or egg and stir in vigorously until mixture begins to look fluffy (about 2 minutes). Cover pot and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

To serve, top with your favorite nut butter and a garnish of pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of maple syrup.

In the microwave

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix egg/whites, water, oats, spices, flax, and pumpkin.
Microwave on high in 30-second intervals until cooked through, stirring between to prevent clumping.

Are you a fan of pumpkin spice?