Pumpkin Cream of Wheat

Enjoy a delicious bowl of Pumpkin Spice Cream of Wheat loaded with your favorite toppings, ready in under 10 minutes! This is not your grandma's plain old cream of wheat, but a totally reinvented Fall-inspired absolutely deliciously spiced pumpkin cream of wheat. 

If you're thinking "hot cereal for breakfast doesn't sound good at all," I am here to prove you wrong!

Pumpkin cream of wheat - a tasty healthy kid-friendly breakfast

We LOVE a quick breakfast recipe that has a little hidden veggies in it, so I am super excited to share this Pumpkin Spice Cream of Wheat (aka Pumpkin Spice Farina) recipe with you!! This pumpkin breakfast has ½ cup pumpkin puree in it, which certainly helps us reach our daily vegetable goals. But more importantly, it is simply DELICIOUS and my 4 year old LOVES it.

It has a warming wonderful flavor that immediately brings a feeling of coziness to our plate. And it is absolutely amazing loaded with lots of tasty toppings, such as sliced apples, crushed pecans, a drizzle of maple syrup, chocolate chips, or whatever you like.

Related recipe: Chocolate Cream of Wheat

Related recipe: Pumpkin French Toast

Ingredients and tips for making pumpkin farina

1 cup milk: You can use any kind - cow's milk (full fat, 1%, 2%, skim), or plant milk. If using sweetened plant milk, you might want to consider reducing the maple syrup

¾ - 1 cup water: Depending on how thick or thin you like your cream of wheat! You need water because if you try to heat milk by itself, it will burn a little at the bottom and you'll get a white residue stuck to your pot. 

½ cup pumpkin puree: Use more or less depending on how much you like pumpkin! You can always stir in pumpkin puree at the very end, so if you're unsure with how much pumpkin you want, add a little less at first.

1 tablespoon salted butter: If you only have unsalted butter, use that and add a pinch of salt. When making this for my toddler, I sometimes add more butter (2-3 tablespoons) just to get more calories in him. Of course, you can skip the butter if you want to reduce the calories a little. 

2-3 tablespoons maple syrup: Any sweetener will work great - honey, sugar, brown sugar, or agave. Use more or less to taste! If serving cream of wheat with syrup on top, you might want to consider using less here!

½ teaspoon pumpkin spice: Again, adjust to taste! I sometimes use ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice + ¼ teaspoon cinnamon just because I LOVE cinnamon but don't like too much pumpkin spice.

2/3 cup cream of wheat (aka farina, or quick-cooking hot cereal)

Optional ingredients: ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, collagen protein, ¼ - ½ cup raisins, and toppings for your cream of wheat bowls (keep reading below for topping ideas!)

More breakfast pumpkin recipes: Pumpkin Frittata

Make it a high protein cream of wheat:

If you want a high protein breakfast and don't need a vegetarian breakfast, you can stir in 2-4 tablespoons of collagen peptides into the milk+ water mixture. I LOVE using this stuff because it has absolutely no flavor, meaning you can easily add protein to most of your baking recipes and breakfast recipes! I use it in my Pumpkin Protein Pancakes and my Chocolate Protein Pancakes recipes to add a little protein to my breakfast. 

Related recipe: Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cottage Cheese - healthy high-protein pumpkin breakfast or dessert!

Equipment needed:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Small/medium saucepan or pot
• Whisk (silicone-coated whisk if you don't want to scratch your pot!)

Related recipe: 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

Instructions:

Step 1: In a 2-3 quart saucepan, combine the milk, water, butter, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and pumpkin spice (and vanilla, if using). Whisk together and bring to a gentle simmer.

Step 2: Add the cream of wheat and whisk immediately to prevent clumps. 

Step 3: Continue to cook for 3-5 minutes, whisking often to prevent clumps and to ensure even cooking. Cook until the cream of wheat is thickened to your liking. If it gets too thick, whisk in a little milk or water until you reach your desired consistency. 

Safety tip: Cream of wheat sputters and splashes once it gets thick and is really hot, and it REALLY hurts if it gets on you. Because of this, I like to turn off the heat / move the saucepan away from the heat. Typically, the liquid is hot enough to cook the cream of wheat through completely. If it needs a little more heat, just turn the heat back on for a little bit until the cream of wheat cooks through. Watch out for any splatters!!

Step 4: Divide the cream of wheat between 2 bowls (or 3-4, if serving kids). Serve as is, or with your favorite toppings (see ideas below!)

Related recipe: Savory Oatmeal Bowls

How to make cream of wheat without lumps

The key to making cream of wheat without lumps is to whisk the mixture immediately as you start adding the cream of wheat to the simmering cooking liquid, and to keep whisking until it is fully cooked. You will want to use a silicone whisk if you are using a non-stick pot or saucepan, so that you don't accidentally scratch it as you're whisking.

Of course, if you like a few lumps in the cream of wheat for texture, just don't stir as much as you add the cream of wheat to the pot and it will clump up a little.

Related recipe: Pumpkin Spice Whipped Coffee

Toppings for pumpkin spice cream of wheat bowls:

I love to load up my pumpkin cream of wheat with lots of tasty toppings, such as:

• Chocolate chips (or sprinkles)
• Sliced or chopped apples
• Chopped pecans or walnuts (or candied pecans!)
• Sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin spice seasoning
• Chocolate sauce
• Maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar
• Raisins or candied pecans
• Sliced bananas

Related recipe: Pumpkin Spice French Toast

Tip for serving cream of wheat to kids

Cream of wheat is cooked at boiling temperature and stays hot for a long time if served in a bowl. It's hot like lava. It is easy for kids to accidentally burn themselves if the center of the bowl is still too hot to eat. Because of this, I like to spread the cream of wheat out on a plate in a thin layer so it cools quicker. 

As a bonus, kids can load up lots more toppings if the cream of wheat is on a larger plate. 🙂

Related recipe: Breakfast Grits with Caramelized Peaches

Storing and reheating leftover cream of wheat

Cream of wheat is best served fresh because it continues to thicken as it cools. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge for up to 1-2 days.

To reheat cream of wheat and still have it taste like it's freshly made, I recommend stirring in a small splash of milk and reheating in the microwave or saucepan, and stirring carefully to combine. 

But remember that cream of wheat is so quick to prepare that you might as well make it fresh every time, if you have an extra few minutes!

Related recipe: Buckwheat Breakfast Bowls

Time-saving tip

If you want to make cream of wheat on a busy morning, you can prepare all the ingredients beforehand. Just whisk together all the liquid ingredients in a large jar or directly in the saucepan (do NOT add the farina!), cover, and refrigerate. In the morning, heat up the liquid until it simmers, whisk in the farina, and you will have pumpkin spice farina in about 5 minutes without having to worry about measuring cups and spoons first thing in the morning. 

Is this cream of wheat recipe healthy?

This cream of wheat recipe is definitely healthier than the typical cream of wheat recipe, thanks to the nutrient-rich and fiber-rich pumpkin puree added to it and the antioxidant-loaded pumpkin spice mixture. In addition, this recipe uses maple syrup, which is a great alternative to sugar.

To make this recipe even healthier, you can use whole grain cream of wheat, reduce the maple syrup, and increase the amount of pumpkin used. 

If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!

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