Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal is a super easy Fall inspired breakfast made from scratch with rolled oats. Put your Instant Pot to work! This quick breakfast is easy to make and perfect for busy mornings!
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My latest kick is rolled oats in the Instant Pot. Sometimes there are recipes I get hooked on and I make them over and over again for months, then all of a sudden I’m on to something else! 

Well, it’s currently cozy rolled oats season in my Instant Pot. I was making this Instant Pot Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal and realized I had some leftover pumpkin puree in the fridge. This warm Fall breakfast was born!

Why are you obsessed with rolled oats in your instant pot?

If you haven’t made rolled oats for breakfast in your Instant Pot yet, why, oh why not? As a lover of oatmeal, the only reason I didn’t do this sooner is because I didn’t think of it. But the rolled oats to liquid ratio is right there in the instruction manual!

Here’s why I love making rolled oats for breakfast in my Instant Pot:

• I loved oatmeal packets as a kid, and this takes me back! But, maybe slightly healthier?
• It’s incredibly easy to make – just dump the ingredients in, stir, and set the cook time
• It’s made with pantry staples, meaning you may have everything you need at home already!
• Using the Instant Pot means you can make this recipe anywhere, and you don’t have to babysit the stovetop
• Takes about 20 minutes total – a minute or two to dump everything in, then about 15 minutes to come to pressure, cook 2 minutes and a 5 minute natural pressure release
• This version is great for using up small amounts of leftover pumpkin puree!

What’s in this Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal?

• rolled oats – For this recipe, I used Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats. I have not tested this recipe with quick cooking oats but I do think it would take the same amount of cooking time. For steel cut oats, pressure cook for 6 minutes with a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release. For more steel cut oats recipes, try Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats or Chocolate Banana Steel Cut Oats.
• unsweetened almond milk & water – I prefer to use a combination of water and unsweetened almond milk for my oatmeal. I like the slight creaminess the almond milk brings, but you can definitely just use water if you prefer.
• real maple syrup – This helps provide a lovely maple flavor and the sweetness we all love in our oatmeal.
• pumpkin puree – Add a maximum amount of 1/4 cup pumpkin puree to your IP when making these oats. If you have a tablespoon or two more or less, that’s okay too.
• pumpkin pie spice & cinnamon – Flava flav! You can change this up to, depending on your preferred spice level. I love pumpkin pie spice with a little extra cinnamon.
• salt – Necessary to balance out all that sugar!

What kind of oats should I use in this recipe?

This recipe was specifically tested with rolled oats only, because that’s what I had in my pantry.

However, the recipe is based on the Instant Pot manual cook times for quick cooking oats, so I think the cook time for quick cooking oats would be the same. If you give it a try, let me know!

• rolled oats (or old-fashioned oats): This is what I used while testing this recipe. The consistency reminds me of the oatmeal packets I ate growing up, and these take less time to cook than steel cut oats.
• quick cooking oats (or instant oats): These are just rolled oats but a little more cut up and processed so they cook a little quicker. I believe that they will take the same amount or one less minute of time to cook in the Instant Pot, but I haven’t tested it yet! 
• steel cut oats: These oats are less processed than rolled oats or quick cooking oats, so they take more time to cook. If you’d like to make this recipe with steel cuts oats, try 6 minutes of high pressure cook time. I have not tested this.

If you want to know more details about the differences in these three kinds of oats, check out this very helpful article from The Kitchn on the differences in oats!

How can I make this recipe with steel cut oats?

If you’d like to make this recipe with steel cuts oats, try 6 minutes of high pressure cook time, followed by a 10 minute natural pressure release. I have not tested this cook time with this recipe specifically. 

This is based on my experience with making other recipes with steel cut oats in my Instant Pot. For more steel cut oats recipes, try Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats or Chocolate Banana Steel Cut Oats.

How do you make this Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal?

This recipe is very simple to make and can be cooked while you get ready for work in the morning! Thank you Instant Pot!

Add all the ingredients to your Instant Pot. Stir it to mix and put the lid on. The easiest kind of Instant Pot recipe!

Cook on High Pressure or Manual for 2 minutes, followed by a 5 minute natural pressure release. Quick release the vent after the 5 minutes and remove the lid when it’s safe.

It might look weird right when you take the lid off, but just give it some time! Stir the oatmeal to fully combine the oats and remaining liquid until it looks good.

Serve with some almond milk, maple syrup, chopped pecans or even some pumpkin seeds on top. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

What Instant Pot do you use?

For all of my Instant Pot recipes, I previously used my Instant Pot Duo Plus 6 Qt (affiliate link!). I recently upgraded to a 6-quart Duo Evo Plus for the sous vide function. 

I have not tested this recipe in a mini or 8-quart Instant Pot. 

Can I meal prep this oatmeal?

Absolutely! Make a double or triple batch of the recipe and reheat on the stove or in the microwave as needed. It will last up to 5 days in a sealed container in the microwave.

I have not tested freezing this recipe.

More Instant Pot recipes from Project Meal Plan:

• Instant Pot Cheddar Veggie Egg Bites
• Instant Pot Shredded Sesame Chicken
• Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Meal Prep

If you made this Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal, I want to see how it turned out! Tag me in your post so I can see your creation, or use #projectmealplan to share! I’d love to see what you made!