Pumpkin, Brown Sugar, and Fig Oatmeal

Typically, when I want a brown sugar flavor, I just use a drop of molasses. However, I recently bought brown sugar to make (a veganized version of) Allison’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. Since I have it, I’ve been playing around with it in my oatmeal.

What you’ll need: 

• 3/4 cup milk of choice, or water
• 1/3 cup quick cook steel cut oats
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon OR pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• fresh figs, for topping

How to make it: 

1. Bring milk (I use 1/2 c original almond milk and 1/4 c water) to a low boil, add oats, and reduce heat to a simmer. (If you’d like to add flax or chia seeds, do so now. I recommend flax.)
2. Wait a minute or two, and then add pumpkin puree. Stir.
3. Once more of the liquid has dissolved, add brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir.
4. If desired, add a handful of raisins or dried cranberries.
5. When you’re pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Add a splash of your milk of choice, sliced or diced figs, and any other additional toppings. I recommend pecans or walnuts.

Just an FYI:

This works well with a variety of nut butters.

I have always cut my figs into cubes or quarters. I’ve never particularly enjoyed how that looked. Does anyone else find figs rather unattractive? To try something new, I sliced mine into rounds. I think I liked that better, and it also made it better to eat. Each bite is more focused on the juicy inside, not the outer skin.

I would have loved to drizzle this with maple syrup, but alas, I was out.