Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
228
Published Sep 14, 2023, Updated Sep 21, 2023
This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
This pumpkin baked oatmeal is made with oats, pumpkin, maple syrup and warm spices. It’s vegan, gluten-free, easy to make and the perfect cozy fall breakfast.
It’s pumpkin season!!! Who’s excited?! I am such a pumpkin fan I actually enjoy pumpkin recipes year round. Yes, grocery stores sell pumpkin puree all year long… not just in the fall. Perfect for those of us who don’t limit our pumpkin consumption to a few months a year.
Anyhow, I’m sure you’ve noticed, but there’s a baked oatmeal theme around here lately and each month I release a new seasonal baked oatmeal recipe. Last month was apple cinnamon baked oatmeal (which is delish, btw) and now it’s time to break out the pumpkin and make this pumpkin baked oatmeal!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for fall: It’s loaded with fall flavors thanks to the pumpkin and warm spices making it the ultimate cozy fall breakfast.
- Healthy: It’s loaded with fiber, vitamins and protein and is low in sugar making it a healthy and filling option for breakfast. It’s also dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free and can easily be made nut-free.
- Easy to make: All you need is one bowl, one baking dish and about 10 minutes to prep!
- Perfect for meal prep: Baked oatmeal stores well in the fridge or freezer. Make a batch during your weekend meal prep and have breakfast ready to go for the week.
Ingredients Needed
- rolled oats – the base of the oatmeal, providing fiber and a hearty texture. Oats are often cross-contaminated, so grab certified gluten-free oats if needed. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free oats.
- unsweetened almond milk – I like using unsweetened almond milk, but any non-dairy milk will work. You can make your own following my homemade almond milk recipe.
- canned pumpkin – the star of the show! You can use canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree. If using store-bought, just make sure the ingredient list is only “pumpkin” – you don’t want to accidentally buy pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugars.
- pure maple syrup – this is used to sweeten the oatmeal bake and for drizzling on top, if you’d like. Just be sure to use pure maple syrup, not the artificial kind labeled “pancake syrup” and made from corn syrup… NOT the same!
- ground flaxseed – adds additional fiber and acts as a binding agent so no need for an egg.
- coconut oil – to add moisture to the baked oatmeal. I’ve purchased several different brands of coconut oil before, but Nutiva organic extra virgin coconut oil is my favorite.
- baking powder – helps the oatmeal rise and become fluffy during baking.
- pumpkin pie spice – a must for this pumpkin baked oatmeal! You can easily make your own pumpkin pie spice at home with a combo of cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves and nutmeg or use a store-bought blend.
- cinnamon – for more warm spice!
- salt – just a pinch to bring all the flavors together.
- vanilla extract – an excellent flavor enhancer for this baked oatmeal.
- pecans or walnuts – the perfect way to add some healthy fats and a little crunch.
How to Make
If you’ve made a baked oatmeal before, you know how easy it is. There are 4 main steps: prep, mix, pour and bake!
1. Prep: Prep the baking dish. Spray with cooking spray or spread a light layer of coconut oil over the dish.
2. Mix: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oats, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. Add in the almond milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, flaxseeds, melted coconut oil and vanilla. Stir well to combine and then gently fold in the nuts.
3. Pour: Pour the oatmeal mixture into your prepared baking dish and scatter a few extra nuts on top.
4. Bake: Last step! Bake at 375ºF for a total time of 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden and the center is set. Serve warm with a little extra maple syrup, almond milk or nut butter on top.
Substitutions & Notes
Rolled oats – Rolled oats work best for baked oatmeal and I don’t recommend swapping them for quick oats or steel-cut oats as the liquid ratio and cook time will differ. If you’re looking for a baked oatmeal recipe that’s made with steel-cut oats I suggest checking out this baked steel cut oatmeal recipe instead. You can easily customize this recipe and swap the banana with pumpkin instead.
Milk – I like using unsweetened almond milk because it’s low in calories, but you can use any milk you like, such as cow’s milk, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk or coconut milk.
Maple syrup – Any liquid sweetener like honey, agave or monk fruit maple syrup will work instead of maple syrup.
Coconut oil – Any neutral oil like avocado oil or olive oil will work as a substitute. I’ve also made baked oatmeal without coconut oil and it turned out just fine!
Ground flaxseed – If you don’t have flaxseed on hand, chia seeds can serve as an alternative binding agent or you can use 1 egg if you don’t need this recipe to be vegan.
Pumpkin – Pumpkin is the star ingredient in this baked oatmeal, but you could also use sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree instead of the pumpkin puree if you’d like. I also have this sweet potato baked oatmeal recipe that you could try instead.
Nuts – Feel free to swap the pecans or walnuts with another nut of choice like almonds. Or if you need this recipe to be nut-free skip them all together or use a different mix-in like chocolate chips, dried cranberries, pepitas or raisins.
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
Pumpkin pie spice is a main ingredient in this baked pumpkin oatmeal and super easy to make at home with just a handful of spices you probably already have in your pantry.
I have a full blog post with how to make homemade pumpkin pie spice, but you basically just need to stir together 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cloves and 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg in a small bowl.
Some pumpkin pie spice blends have allspice and ground cardamom as well. If you want to add these to this recipe, simply add 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/8 teaspoon cardamom to the mixture.
Can You Make Baked Oatmeal Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can make baked oatmeal ahead of time. There are a couple options that work really well:
Option 1: Bake and Then Reheat Before Serving
- Prepare baked oatmeal as the recipe suggests. Once baked, let the oatmeal cool, cover the baking dish and place in the fridge. You can do this 1-2 days in advance.
- When ready to serve, take oatmeal dish from fridge, cover with foil and reheat in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes. For individual portions, set toaster oven to 350°F and bake for 5-10 minutes or reheat in the microwave for 1 minute.
Option 2: Prep as Much as You Can Without Baking
- Mix together your dry ingredients in a bowl, cover and let sit out on the counter until morning.
- Mix together all the wet ingredients in another bowl, cover and store in the fridge until morning.
- In the morning, simply mix the wet and dry ingredients together, pour oatmeal mixture into your prepared baking dish and bake as recipe suggests.
How to Serve Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
- Enjoy a delicious breakfast with some nut butter (my fave is almond butter and peanut butter) and maple syrup drizzled on top. Paired with a glass of pumpkin cream cold brew and you’ve got the perfect fall morning.
- Pair a slice with 2 hard boiled eggs or a dollop of Greek yogurt for a protein boost.
- Enjoy this baked oatmeal with a protein shake or protein smoothie for a more filling breakfast.
- Serve it up for a holiday brunch alongside my spinach quiche, fruit salad and apple cider mimosas.
- Serve it for dessert and make it a tad more indulgent with a scoop of whip cream or ice cream. Or make a simple glaze with powdered sugar, almond milk and vanilla extract and drizzle it on top.
Storing & Reheating
This baked pumpkin oatmeal recipe is perfect for meal prep because it stores beautifully. I like to make a baked oatmeal on Sunday to enjoy for breakfasts throughout the week. Every morning I can just open the fridge, pop the baked oatmeal in the microwave or toaster oven to reheat and boom! I’ve got a breakfast that I’m excited about. Here’s how to store and reheat leftover baked oatmeal:
- In the fridge: Allow the baked oatmeal to cool, then cover the baking dish with a lid or plastic wrap or transfer individual portions to an airtight container. It’ll stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- In the freezer: You can also freeze baked oatmeal for up to 3 months. To do this, let the oatmeal cool completely, then cut into portions and store in freezer-safe containers or bags.
- To reheat the entire pan of baked oatmeal: Cover with foil and reheat in the oven at 350ºF for about 20 minutes or until warm.
- To reheat individual portions: Set oven or toaster oven to 350ºF and bake for 5-10 minutes. You can also reheat in the microwave for 1 minute. Once warm, add your toppings and enjoy!
More Baked Oatmeal Recipes
- Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
- Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal
- Peach Baked Oatmeal
- Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
- Maple Pecan Baked Oatmeal
- Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
- One Pan Baked Oatmeal
- Pear Baked Oatmeal
- Coffee Baked Oatmeal
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Healthy Pumpkin Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- Pumpkin Protein Balls
- Healthy Pumpkin Bars
- Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Brownies
- Best Pumpkin Oatmeal
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars
Be sure to check out all of my pumpkin recipes as well as the full collection of baked oatmeal recipes here on EBF.
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
- 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped and divided
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. Stir to combine.
- Add in the milk, pumpkin, maple syrup, flaxseed, coconut oil and vanilla. Stir well to combine and gently add in 1/4 cup pecans or walnuts.
- Carefully pour oatmeal mixture into the prepared baking dish. Scatter the remaining pecans/walnuts across the top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top golden and center is set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Portion and serve. Drizzle each portion with maple syrup if you want it a bit sweeter.
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat the whole baked oatmeal, cover with foil and reheat in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes. For individual portions, set oven (or toaster oven) to 350°F and bake for 5-10 minutes or reheat in the microwave for 1 minute.
Video
Notes
- Rolled oats – Rolled oats work best for baked oatmeal and I don’t recommend swapping them for quick oats or steel-cut oats as the liquid ratio and cook time will differ. If you’re looking for a baked oatmeal recipe that’s made with steel-cut oats I suggest checking out this baked steel cut oatmeal recipe instead. You can easily customize this recipe and swap the banana with pumpkin instead.
- Milk – I like using unsweetened almond milk because it’s low in calories, but you can use any milk you like, such as cow’s milk, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk or coconut milk.
- Maple syrup – Any liquid sweetener like honey, agave or monk fruit maple syrup will work instead of maple syrup.
- Coconut oil – Any neutral oil like avocado oil or olive oil will work as a substitute. I’ve also made baked oatmeal without coconut oil and it turned out just fine!
- Ground flaxseed – If you don’t have flaxseed on hand, chia seeds can serve as an alternative binding agent or you can use 1 egg if you don’t need this recipe to be vegan.
- Pumpkin – Pumpkin is the star ingredient in this baked oatmeal, but you could also use sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree instead of the pumpkin puree if you’d like. I also have this sweet potato baked oatmeal recipe that you could try instead.
- Nuts – Feel free to swap the pecans or walnuts with another nut of choice like almonds. Or if you need this recipe to be nut-free skip them all together or use a different mix-in like chocolate chips, dried cranberries, pepitas or raisins.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Mine came out very soft after 35 minutes–definitely not bar-form. What could I have done wrong? Thank you.
Hi Kimi – Oh no! I am sorry to hear these came out a bit too soft. Did you change anything about the recipe?
Is there a simply written recipe that I can take just 1 or 2 screenshots of to get everything? Thanks!
Hi Kim – If you select the “print” button on the top of the recipe card, it’ll give you the whole recipe on one page that you can easily screenshot or print. Hope that helps!
A little bland, maybe add a little more pumpkin or sweetener? I used an egg vs ground flaxseed and it crumbled so it didn’t bond at all. I’ve made other baked oatmeal’s that don’t fall apart upon Serving.
Hi Isabel – I am sorry that you found this recipe to be bland, that is definitely not the case for most who give this recipe a try. Did you change anything about this recipe that could have made it crumble? What was the texture of the batter before baking?
Delicious!! A warm and cozy breakfast on a cold fall morning!
I am SO glad you’re loving this recipe, Julie. Thank you for your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
Can I add protein powder and how would I adjust recipe to do this?
Sure! I would recommend adding a bit more liquid to make sure it isn’t too dry. Hope you enjoy!