Call me basic, but pumpkin spice is the best thing about October.

Here in Memphis, it always feels like the summer will never end. It’s sweltering, humid, and buggy for months. And even after five years of living here, I still hate it with every fiber of my being.

Every year, I feel an indescribable sense of elation when that first cold snap hits. And so, naturally, all the flavors that come with fall – pumpkin, maple syrup, pecans, butternut squash, cranberries, mashed potatoes, banana bread; I could go on and on – bring me a ridiculous level of joy.

If you’re like me and love any pumpkin-spiced thing you can get your hands on this time of year, you’re going to LOVE this instant pot pumpkin spice oatmeal recipe.

Prepare to have your mind blown

Before Elana gave me this recipe to try, I’d never considered making my oatmeal in the Instant Pot. After all, it’s pretty easy and fast to make on the stove or in the microwave (and I usually do overnight oats, which improves the texture in my opinion by about 100x).

But as it turns out, using the Instant Pot makes oatmeal even easier, especially in the mornings when I’m usually rushing around and don’t like to spend more than a few minutes in the kitchen. You simply:

Add oats, water, and vegan milk to the pressure cooker.
Cook on the manual setting for 4 minutes and let it release the pressure naturally. The whole process takes about 25 minutes, so it’s the perfect opportunity to finish getting ready for your day.
Add pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and spices.
Top with your favorite toppings and DIG IN.

It couldn’t be easier!

Another lovely thing about this recipe: Elana introduced me to steel-cut oats.

I’d always bought old-fashioned oats at the grocery store, because (1) habit, and (2) it comes in a bigger container, so it seems like a more economical choice. But let me tell you, I may never go back now that I’ve experienced steel-cut oats!

They have much more texture than traditional oatmeal, and I was pleased to discover that they keep that defined texture after cooking. If you’re the kind of person (like me) who can’t stand overly mushy oatmeal, I’d suggest trying steel-cut oats!

Elana’s maple pumpkin spice oatmeal is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and free of refined sugar. She used oat milk in place of cow’s milk, which keeps the creaminess of dairy without any of the drawbacks.

She also used maple syrup as the only sweetener – which is the best flavor match for this recipe anyway, in my humble opinion!

One note: you may want to play with the spice levels. I’m personally not a huge fan of allspice, for example, so I dial that back a bit from the way the recipe is written.

This Instant Pot pumpkin spice oatmeal will become your best friend – trust me.

This recipe:

Is beyond easy to make,
Makes a big enough batch to share (though you may not want to…😉 ), and
Is healthy enough to eat every day this season!

Oh, and don’t sleep on the toppings. Seriously, adding pecans and chopped apple will take this meal to crazy good heights.

Give the recipe a shot and let us know how it goes! Rate and comment below, and feel free to tag us on Instagram @plum_savory.

Cheers to sweater weather,
Nicole