Now that fall is in full swing, my pumpkin spice cravings are in full force. This Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal is my homage to the season. It is an easy, 1-bowl, make-ahead breakfast that is filled with fiber, packed with vitamin A and is free of refined sugar. Serve it warm with a splash of cream to welcome sweater weather in style.
Since we've officially made it to the month where pumpkin spice everything is totally warranted, I decided to try to turn Joe's favorite pie into a healthy morning treat. Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal is about to become your favorite fall breakfast.
Table of Contents
What is Baked Oatmeal?
Earlier in the quarantine, I discovered the revelation that is baked oatmeal. If you haven't tried it yet, get on this train. Baked oatmeal has the consistency of rich bread pudding, but it's made with healthy whole grain oats. It's seriously so good that we have been eating it for dessert.
The basic ingredients are simple - oats, eggs, milk, baking powder and whatever flavoring you're craving. I've seen recipes for banana, chocolate, and even spinach-tomato baked oats.
The problem is, most of the non-savory recipes out there use quite a bit of added sugar, either in the form of brown sugar, maple syrup or honey. Some also call for butter, which, while delicious, detracts from the healthiness of oatmeal for breakfast. I have created a baked oatmeal recipe that is gluten free, low calorie, high fiber and completely refined sugar free.
Ingredients for Healthy Pumpkin Baked Oats
This recipe is super simple and comes together with just about 5 minutes of prep. Grab yourself a medium mixing bowl, a whisk, a spatula, and an 8 x 8 baking tin.
TIP: Don't have an 8 x 8? Don't fret! A 9" round cake pan has almost the same dimensions. And if you go up an inch, that'll work too. Just reduce the baking time by about 5 minutes.
Next up, round up your ingredients. Please note that this recipe calls for pumpkin purée, NOT pumpkin pie mix. Pumpkin pie mix has all kinds of sugar and other things added to it. To keep this healthy, be sure you're using strictly pumpkin.
TIP: If you're feeling ambitious, feel free to roast and purée your own pumpkin instead of using the canned stuff!
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal
This is one of the easiest recipes around. You don't even need to get the hand mixer out! First up, you'll whisk together your eggs, pumpkin and sweetener until smooth. Next you'll add in your spices, leavening, vanilla and milk. Finally, stir in the oats, ensuring they are well combined.
TIP: Serving this for brunch tomorrow? You can stop at this step and refrigerate overnight to bake it off in the morning so your guests can benefit from the heavenly smells.
Next up, you'll spray your pan with oil to make sure the baked oats come out easily after baking. Dump the oat mix into the pan, give it a little shake to ensure that it's level, and pop it in the oven. 45 minutes later, your house will smell like fall and breakfast for the week will be done. It's literally that easy!
TIP: This can easily be made vegan by swapping flax eggs for the real eggs!
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I'm allergic to nuts?
No worries! You can easily substitute any other milk for the almond milk. Coconut, oat, soy or even dairy would work just fine! I just happened to use almond milk because it had the lowest calorie content and we're kinda dieting right now.
What if I'm vegan?
No problem! Substitute two flax eggs by mixing 2 tablespoon Flax Meal + 6 tablespoon Water. Mix, wait five minutes to thicken, and use in place of eggs. Easy!
What if I don't have monkfruit?
If you're not a fan of or don't have monkfruit sweetener, you can easily substitute Swerve, stevia, or your favorite sugar alternative. I personally think monkfruit is the best, but our tastebuds are all different.
And if you're not worried about added sugars, granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar could all be substituted as well.
Can I make the baked oatmeal ahead of time?
Heck yes! That's the beauty of this recipe. It will keep in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to three months.
And, if you just want to get the prep out of the way, feel free to mix the ingredients and refrigerate them unbaked the night before you plan on serving them.
What is the best way to serve this?
Take it from me, this Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal tastes best nice and warm. If you're serving a crowd, heat up the whole tray in the oven at 250F until warmed through. Otherwise, pop individual servings in microwave safe bowls and zap for a minute.
I've been drizzling mine with some heavy cream, but you could opt for coconut cream or any other kind of milk you like. If you're feeling particularly decadent, you could also top it with some whipped cream and a bit of cinnamon sugar.
What other substitutions or additions can I make?
If you're looking for a bit more texture, feel free to add in nuts or dried fruit as toppings or before baking.
Don't like pumpkin? Switch it out for sweet potato or butternut squash!
What are you waiting for??
This healthy and easy Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal is currently our favorite breakfast and late night snack. You can eat a big ol' wedge for less than 150 calories, and the fiber will keep you full until lunchtime. Trust me, do yourself a favor and make a batch of pumpkin baked oatmeal ASAP. You will not regret it.
Want more breakfast inspiration? Check out these other easy, healthy recipes:
- Vegan Banana Blueberry Muffins
- Banana Protein Blender Pancakes
- Beautiful Breakfast Parfait
- Chocolate Banana Quesadillas
If you made this recipe, please rate and review it below to let me know how it turned out! And if you want more recipe inspiration on your feed, feel free to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest or Facebook.
Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 C Pumpkin Purée not pumpkin pie mix
- ½ C Monkfruit Sweetener
- 2 Eggs or sub flax eggs for vegan
- 3 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 ½ C Unsweetened Almond Milk or milk of choice
- 2 ½ C Old Fashioned Oats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sweetener and eggs. Whisk until smooth.
- Add almond milk, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, salt and baking powder. Whisk until smooth.
- Using a silicone spatula, fold in oats until combined.
- Bake at 375F for about 45 minutes, until oats are set and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Eat warm from the oven with a drizzle of heavy cream, coconut cream or your milk of choice!
Notes
- This recipe will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator or up to three months in the freezer
- Serve warm with cream or milk, or top with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar for dessert
- To make this vegan, substitute 2 flax eggs for the eggs. Mix 2 tablespoon Flax Meal with 6 tablespoon water and let sit to thicken for 5 minutes before using.
- Feel free to add dried cranberries and toasted pecans for more texture
- Sweet potato or butternut squash purée can be substituted for pumpkin.
- We've been eating this in 1/16 slices and have been perfectly satisfied, but the nutritional information is for 1/9 slices in case you're hungry.
Megan says
I recently tried monk fruit sweetener and it was good! It’s nice to see recipes using a natural sweetener!
Donna says
We loved baked oatmeal on a cold morning, and this is such a great way to use up some leftover pumpkin puree!
Chelsea says
This recipe looks delish!! I love that I can feel good about enjoying something sweet for breakfast!
Thanks for all the questions you answer about substitutions to use, etc. Can't wait to try this recipe!