The arrival of cool fall weather means a few different things to me. One, it means an end to the dreadfully hot Phoenix summers, and two, it means that I can once again eat things like hot oatmeal for breakfast without sweating over the bowl!

Fall obviously makes people think of pumpkin. I love me some pumpkin pie, and while pumpkin pie leftovers make a great breakfast this time of year, oatmeal is a much more sensible choice. I found a way to get the best parts of pumpkin pie into my breakfast by combining all those flavors with some rib-sticking oatmeal! Have you ever tried pairing cranberries with pumpkin? It’s a really brilliant combination here, in a crunchy topping filled with sweet-tart dried cranberries. Pile it on, it makes this oatmeal really damn good.

pumpkin pie oatmeal with
cranberry crunch

(serves 2)

pumpkin pie oatmeal:

1 c (91 g) rolled oats

1 3/4 c (410 g) water

1/4 tsp (1 g) kosher salt

1 c (232 g) canned pumpkin

1/2 c (107 g) dark brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp (4 g) cinnamon

1/4 tsp (1 g) nutmeg

1/2 tsp (2 g) cloves

1 tsp (5 g) vanilla extract

1/2 c (57 g) milk

cranberry crunch topping:

1/4 c (27 g) rolled oats

1/4 c (33 g) flour

1/4 c (56 g) granulated sugar

1/8 tsp (1 g) kosher salt

1/4 tsp (1 g) cinnamon

1/2 tsp (2 g) vanilla extract

2 T (1 oz) cold butter, chopped

1/3 c (51 g) dried cranberries

Start by making the cranberry crunch! In a medium bowl, mix oats, flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix in the cold butter by hand until the whole mixture is crumbly, and scatter it evenly on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake the oat crunch at 375 for a total of 12 minutes, stirring the mixture halfway though so it doesn’t over-brown. Take out the pan and let the oat crunch cool a little. Dump it into a bowl and mix in the dried cranberries, and set it aside while you make the oatmeal.

In a small sauce pan, combine the oats, water and salt over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes. It should be starting to get thick by this point. Stir in the pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla and milk. Let the oatmeal cook a little longer so that it’s all fully heated, and portion it into bowls. Top each serving with a hefty serving of the delicious cranberry crunch. Serve!

Hopefully you can enjoy this oatmeal while bundled up in some cozy pajamas, watching crispy leaves scatter across the ground outside your kitchen window. It’s really the best breakfast to accompany fall. Try it and I think you’ll agree!