You Can't Go Wrong

• Cinnamon's aroma and flavor offer a no-brainer option for oatmeal -- its presence in cinnamon rolls and commercial, instant oatmeal attest to its suitability. Sprinkle cinnamon liberally on your oatmeal, and then branch out and add other spices that pair well with it. Mimic the spice blend in pumpkin pie as your guide, adding mostly cinnamon, with half as much allspice and nutmeg and just a dash of ground cloves.

Think Cookies and Quick Breads

• The spices that work well in cookies of all types also work well in oatmeal. While it's not as prevalent in the U.S. as in other countries, cardamom, the so-called queen of spices, is a good place to start. Like cinnamon, cardamom has a warm, earthy flavor with hints of citrus. Other spices that give baked goods rich, warm or spicy flavors include mace, ginger and anise, a licorice-flavored spice.

Blending With the World

• Spice blends offer a depth of flavor for your oatmeal, and some spices themselves taste as though they are blends. Chinese five-spice powder, for example, includes cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise and peppercorns, while Indian garam masala contains pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamom, mace and nutmeg. Grains of paradise comes from the seeds of an African plant and tastes like a blend of ginger, cardamom, coriander, citrus and nutmeg.

Go For It

• If you like your food hot and spicy, there's no reason why you shouldn't enjoy those flavors in your oatmeal as well as in your burritos or chili. To give oatmeal flavorful overtones in addition to the heat of chili powder, add a dash of smoked paprika or a Cajun seasoning blend, which typically contains garlic, onion, mustard and celery powder as well as black pepper. Or for only a mildly spicy kick, add sumac, a Middle Eastern spice with hints of citrus.