This Pumpkin Chai Steel Cut Oatmeal is easy to make with only five simple ingredients. It’s gluten-free, vegan, and bursting with the warm, spicy flavors of fall!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Pumpkin time.
Chai spice time.
Warm, soul-satisfying breakfast time.
I’ve written before about how June likes to wake up at the mere suggestion of dawn, and how the early morning hours are my new favorite time in the kitchen. It’s just the two of us, me with my giant mug of coffee, her with her latest toy obsession (currently: rainbow stacking cups).
It’s still dark out, but sometimes the lights are on next door (our neighbors have little kids too), and I know it won’t be long before I hear Owen’s feet thumping down the stairs.
Last week, on just such a morning, I decided to make steel cut oatmeal the good old-fashioned way. Not raw overnight oatmeal. Not slow cooker oatmeal. Stir-in-a-pot-with-a-wooden-spoon-oatmeal. The process is almost a mindfulness exercise.
I had an open can of pumpkin puree in the fridge, so I added a big spoonful, and then on a whim I threw a chai tea bag into the mix. And let me tell you, the combination was magical. The sweet, earthy pumpkin is a natural match for those warm, spicy chai flavors.
Could there be anything more comforting on a chilly fall morning? It was so good, I can’t stop making it. I have to buy more steel cut oats on my next trip to the grocery store, because we already blew through the entire bag.
There are just so many ways to enjoy this oatmeal!
Alex has been drizzling it with maple syrup, sprinkling it with toasted almonds, and packing it in a thermos to take to work. I’ve been adding a big scoop to a bowl of plain Greek yogurt and topping it with crunchy granola and dried cranberries. And Owen… well, Owen has been stirring in chocolate chips 🙂
Even so, it’s still SO healthy. Gluten-free, vegan, and loaded with calcium and fiber.
Don’t you just want to dive right in? ↓↓↓
If you love pumpkin, check out these other recipes!
Pumpkin Granola
Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Soup
One Bowl Skinny Pumpkin Bread
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Pumpkin Chai Steel Cut Oatmeal
This Pumpkin Chai Steel Cut Oatmeal is so easy to make, and bursting with the warm, spicy-sweet flavors of fall. Added bonus? It's gluten-free and vegan!
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain, unsweetened almond milk
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 chai tea bags regular or decaf
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil or butter, if not vegan
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- toppings of choice, like maple syrup, toasted coconut, pumpkin seeds, granola, dried fruit, or toasted nuts!
Instructions
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Bring the almond milk and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags, and let stand for 5 minutes.
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Meanwhile, melt the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the oats and cook, stirring, until toasted and nutty, 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
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Remove and discard the tea bags. Bring the almond milk mixture back to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the pumpkin and salt. Stir in the oats. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the oatmeal is thick and chewy-tender, 25-30 minutes. Serve with toppings of choice!
Recipe Notes
To make this in a slow cooker: After step two, combine everything in a slow cooker and cook on low 4 hours. (You can do this overnight, and then just leave it on warm until you wake up.)
To make ahead and reheat: You can make this ahead and then reheat it in a small saucepan with an extra splash of almond milk or water.
