Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal is a warm, filling, wholesome breakfast featuring maple syrup, toasted pecans, cinnamon, and warm spices. It can be made dairy-free, it's perfect for making ahead of time, and it's quick to reheat on busy mornings!
Well, I've held off as long as I can. Today, I share my first pumpkin recipe of the fall season! That's right, friends...it's finally time to bring you a brand spankin' new creation: Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal with Maple & Pecans!
Why Make Baked Oatmeal?
If you've never tried baked oatmeal before, you're in for quite a treat! Oatmeal is a regular school day breakfast at our house, but sometimes I like to change things up a bit and bake it in a dish instead of cooking it in a pot.
Not only is it downright delicious -- with a texture that's simultaneously creamy, chewy, and almost custard-like -- but it can also be baked ahead of time and quickly reheated in individual portions on busy mornings.
Our standby baked oatmeal recipe around here is Coconut Almond Baked Oatmeal. But as I was preparing to whip up a batch of said oatmeal last weekend, I took one look at the Homemade Pumpkin Puree in my refrigerator and decided to go another direction with it.
Ingredients
So...I adapted my tried and true baked oatmeal recipe to incorporate pumpkin (obviously), Pumpkin Pie Spice, and toasted pecans instead of almonds.
I omitted the coconut and tweaked the amount of milk a bit to compensate for the extra moisture from the pumpkin, but I left most of the other ingredients alone.
This Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal is naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup, which I've always thought is a nice complement to the flavor of pumpkin.
It also includes a couple of eggs and a bit of coconut oil. The coconut oil can't be tasted but makes the oatmeal even more nourishing.
Also, you can make this recipe dairy-free by using almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk), or you can go with regular milk instead if dairy isn't an issue. It turns out equally yummy both ways!
Serving Suggestions
When made as directed, this Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal is lightly sweet. But if you prefer it even sweeter, you can always serve it with an additional drizzle of maple syrup or a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.
I also frequently serve my baked oatmeal with a splash of warm milk (or, if I'm feeling really decadent, cream!) on top.
Mmm, mmmm, MMMMM!
This recipe can be easily doubled to fit in a 9x13-inch baking dish...just increase the baking time a bit and keep an eye on it. And while this is an easy everyday breakfast or brunch, it's also special enough to serve to company.
My kids loved this breakfast with a capital L. And quite frankly, so did I!
It's comforting, it's filling, and it's wholesome. I'm not sure I can think of a better way to start my mornings, from here right on through Thanksgiving.
Because after that, of course, it's time to move onto Gingerbread Pancakes and Overnight Eggnog French Toast! 😉
But let's not get ahead of ourselves quite yet. For the next few months, I'm going to enjoy every single moment of Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Granola and All-Natural Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer that I can. And apparently, I'm not the only one who feels this way. 🙂
More Easy Pumpkin Breakfasts
- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Waffles {Dairy-Free}
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Homemade Pumpkin Butter
- Healthy Pumpkin Breakfast Bars
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- ยฝ cup pecans, chopped (plus additional for garnish, if desired)
- 1 cup Homemade Pumpkin Puree, OR canned pumpkin puree (about half of a 15-ounce can -- but NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 3/4 cup almond milk, OR whole/2% milk, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Lightly grease or spray with nonstick cooking spray an 8-inch square baking dish.
- Spread chopped pecans on an ungreased baking sheet and toast for 4 to 6 minutes or until fragrant and light golden brown. Cool on baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin, milk, eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Blend in oats, toasted pecans, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt; stir until mixture is well-combined.
- Spread oatmeal into prepared baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until set and light golden brown on top. Allow to cool in the baking dish for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with optional garnishes: warm milk drizzled over the top, additional toasted pecans, maple syrup, or fresh fruit.
Notes
- The reason the milk and eggs should be at room temperate is because if they are cold, they will cause the coconut oil to resolidify. To quickly warm everything up, I usually just put the whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes and zap the milk in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Reheat oatmeal by placing an individual serving on a plate, drizzling with a little milk, and then heating in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Post originally published on September 4, 2014.
Shannon
Is the measurement for the coconut oil before its melted or after? Thanks!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Great question, Shannon! Yes, the coconut oil should be measured after it's melted. I usually put my solidified coconut oil into a glass measuring cup, getting as close as I can to the amount I need, and then I zap it in the microwave for a few seconds. Then, if necessary, I add an additional spoonful of solidified oil at a time until the level comes up to the correct line on the measuring cup. The heat from the already-melted coconut oil usually melts those scoops without needing to microwave it again. ๐ Hope that makes sense, and hope you enjoy the recipe!
Sherwood
I'm in love with pumpkin and on a mission to try all the pumpkin things! Then I promised another food blogger I'd finally try baked oatmeal. So this was a natural choice! SO GOOD! It's light in flavor and texture and just plain delightful. I think baked oatmeal might become a staple for me to make. It's a great way to make something really healthy (oats) easily and deliciously available! I love the addition of toasted pecans for the health and texture bump! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
I agree on everything you said about baked oatmeal, Sherwood, and I'm so glad that you enjoyed this recipe for your first try! I have lots of variations of baked oatmeal on my site, and it's hard for me to pick a favorite. ๐ Thanks for taking the time to comment and hope your week is off to a great start!
Niki
I made a vegan version of this last night and it was fantastic! For each egg just substitute 1 tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 2.5 tbsp water, let sit for 5 minutes. It was super easy and now I have breakfast all week!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Well how clever are you, Niki?! Glad you were able to convert this to a vegan recipe, and yay for make-ahead breakfasts! ๐
Laura
This recipe looks so good and since I have most of the ingredients I think we might try it tomorrow! Quick question, I have pumpkin pie spice I would like to use in place of the individual spices, any suggestions on how much I should use? Thanks!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Hi Laura! I'm so sorry for my delayed reply...we just moved this past weekend, and I've gotten behind in answering my comments. ๐ I'd probably just add up the spice amounts in the recipe and use the total to substitute pumpkin pie spice. So 3 1/4 teaspoons would be about a tablespoon, although y ou could start with 2 teaspoons if you wanted to be more conservative. Hope this was a hit if you already had a chance to make it! ๐
Katie
Hi there,
Do you think slices of this would freeze well? I'm going on a trip and don't want the rest of this delicious baked oatmeal to go to waste!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
So sorry for my delayed reply, Katie! I haven't tried freezing this yet (primarily because we never have leftovers -- ha), but I don't see why it wouldn't work. You might need to top with a splash of milk before reheating so that it doesn't dry out, but I'm guessing it would still taste fine. Hope it works/worked out, and that your trip is/was great! ๐
Mona
Katie, I've made various baked oatmeal recipes and have frozen in single servings for my lunch many times, with no problem!
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Pumpkin baked oatmeal is so GOOD and when you add apples it is even better. Thanks for the recipe. Everyone like it!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
So glad you enjoyed it, Courtney! And what a great idea to add apples...I'll have to try that next time! ๐
Jen
The recipe calls for 1/2 a teaspoon of ginger. Is that fresh ginger or ground ginger powder? The recipe looks delicious and I can't wait to try it!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Sorry for any confusion, Jen...I was referring to ground ginger powder. ๐ Thanks for pointing that out to me...I'll go back and clarify the recipe now. Hope you enjoy this when you try it!
Monica salafia
Recipe Review:
This was fantastic! Made it exactly the same way. The prep was very simple, and I baked it for 25 minutes at 350, took it out and let it rest. It was moist and held its shape. The pecans were an extra crunch to an already perfect bite.
Next time I'll try adding some cranberries a flax meal just for a different variation.
Highly recommended!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Thanks so much for your review, Monica...I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed this baked oatmeal! The cranberries and flax seed sound like a yummy twist...I'll have to try that sometime as well. Hope your December is off to a great start!
Heather
I've made this twice now (doubled the recipe both times so I could have it for breakfast several days). The second time I added dried cranberries and it was, possibly, even better than the original. My boyfriend also, loves it and actually prefers it reheated with a little almond milk and syrup! Thanks for such and easy, healthy addition to my collection of on-the-go breakfast recipes!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
I'm so glad y'all are enjoying this, Heather! I always love hearing how people change up the recipe a bit...adding dried cranberries sounds delicious! Thanks for taking the time to comment and I hope that you have a happy Friday! ๐
heather
We had this for breakfast this morning, and it was fabulous! (I did adjust the spices a little since I'm allergic to nutmeg.)
Samantha at Five Heart Home
I'm so happy that y'all enjoyed this, Heather! I'm sure it was yummy even without the nutmeg. Thanks for coming back to let me know that it was a hit...have a great week!
Stacy @Stacy Makes Cents
I just loved the toasted pecans in this! Plus, they made my kitchen smell yummy. ๐ My 5 year old loved this - so thank you very much. I usually add baking powder, so this was a bit more dense than we are used to. The flavor is very good! I served it with maple syrup on top.
Samantha at Five Heart Home
I'm glad this was such a hit, Stacy! I think that toasting pecans makes them taste even better, and we love this baked oatmeal with maple syrup on top, too! ๐ Also, you can always add baking powder if you want to give this recipe a little rise (maybe 3/4 teaspoon or so?). Thanks for stopping back by to let me know that your family enjoyed it. Happy (almost) Halloween!
Lauren
This sounds delicious! I have all the ingredients except the coconut oil. I've made other variations of baked oatmeal before without it. Do you think the recipe will be ok if I do not use the coconut oil? Thank you!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Hi Lauren! I've only ever made baked oatmeal recipes that include coconut oil, but I have no doubt that it can be made without. This recipe might be just fine omitting it, or you may want to add a splash of extra milk to compensate for this missing coconut oil so that it doesn't end up too dry. I would just mix everything together and see what the consistency is like. ๐ Good luck, and I hope you enjoy!
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Wow! Total yumminess!
My husband is enamored! He says I can make serve this recipe for breakfast every Sunday before we go to church!
Thanks for sharing!
Blessings!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
I'm so happy to hear that this oatmeal is a hit at your house, Yolanda! It's very popular with my family as well. ๐ Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know that y'all enjoy it. Hope you're having a great week!
Sandy
Curious if anybody has tried quick cooking steel cut oats in baked oatmeal instead? Excited to try this one, it's all I have on hand so thought I'd ask before trying and wasting it! Thanks in advance.
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Hi Sandy! That's a great question! Unfortunately, I haven't tried making baked oatmeal before using quick cooking steel-cut oats, so I'm not sure how it would turn out. In fact, I didn't even realize that steel-cut oats were available in a quick cooking variety...that's good to know! Sorry I can't be of more help, but I hope this recipe works with your oats if you end up trying it. ๐
Monica @ Mocha and Moccasins
This looks delicious! I can only imagine how amazing your kitchen smelled after baking this. I love how you made it vegan, too ๐
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Thank you, Monica! This oatmeal definitely makes the house smell all pumpkin-y and delicious! ๐ It does contain eggs so it's not quite vegan, but the recipe would probably still work without them (though the texture may be drier) if you need to leave them out. ๐ Hope you have a wonderful week...thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
Janet
I have never tried baked oatmeal before so I will definitely try this recipe out. Thanks and happy Friday!! Pinned ๐
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Thanks so much for the pin, Janet! Baked oatmeal is pretty tasty...I hope you enjoy this version of it. ๐ Have a great week!