Nourishing Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

Easy Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal makes the best portable healthy breakfast that freezes great! Kids love this, and it's a good source of protein and fiber for a filling breakfast. Made in 1 bowl, I can't get enough of this scrumptious fall baked oatmeal recipe. Gluten-free and dairy-free.

I'm kind of the self-proclaimed oatmeal queen. We have Overnight Steel Cut Oats for breakfast like, daily. Now that fall is in the air, all I want is everything pumpkin.

This easy baked oatmeal recipe comes together in in a jiffy and you only need one bowl. Bliss! It's so divine warm with a mug of coffee. My toddler is a huge fan, too.

If you love this recipe, promise me you'll try my Chocolate Chip Zucchini Baked Oatmeal and Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal. Oatmeal forever!

Ingredients

• Old-fashioned oats: The hearty whole grain base of our baked oatmeal, also known as rolled oats. Don't miss all my healthy oat recipes!
• Pumpkin: Straight up canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix. Delicious and nutritious!
• Milk: Necessary liquid for volume. Any milk, like cow's, almond, oat, or coconut milk work.
• Eggs: Eggs add fluff, fat, protein, and help with rising. Swap flax eggs to make it vegan.
• Peanut butter: I love swapping traditional butter with nut butter for a dose of healthy fats and protein. You can use any nut or seed butter, or you can replace it with 2 tbsp melted butter.
• Honey or maple syrup: I've only tested this recipe with a my favorite unrefined liquid sweetener, but equal amounts of coconut sugar or brown sugar should also work.
• Pumpkin pie spice: I buy pumpkin pie spice every fall to keep it easy, but you can also make your own with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. A pinch of allspice is great, too!
• Baking powder: For rise and fluff!
• Salt: So important to enhance the flavor.
• Chocolate chips: Pumpkin and chocolate chips are a match made in heaven. Seriously the best combo! You could use walnuts or pecans if you aren't obsessed with chocolate like me, but you'll want to increase the sweetener to ⅓ cup to account for the loss of sugar.

How to make (step-by-step)

Dietary swaps

• To make this vegan, simply swap flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax mixed with 6 tbsp water, set aside to gel) for the eggs and use non-dairy milk.
• To make this gluten-free, simply use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
• For a nut-free version, use sunflower seed butter (it may turn green from a harmless chemical reaction). You can also use 2 tbsp melted butter in place of peanut butter.

Health benefits of pumpkin

This Registered Dietitian loves that pumpkin is a nutrition powerhouse! We're pairing it with 100% whole grain oats for an amazing hearty breakfast.

• Vitamin A: It's is an excellent bioavailable source of vitamin A, which supports eye health. Half a cup packs 120% of the daily value!
• Fiber: It's chock full of soluble fiber to help stabilize blood glucose levels and help you feel fuller longer. Half a cup boasts 7 grams of fiber.
• Antioxidants: Pumpkin is packed with antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals in the body and delay onset of disease.

Can I use quick oats?

Unfortunately rolled oats, or old fashioned oats, are best suited for the texture of this recipe. Don't use instant or steel cut oats.

How to make homemade pumpkin pie spice

No pumpkin pie spice? No problem. Make your own with 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp ginger, and ¼ tsp cloves.

Can you make baked oatmeal ahead?

Yes! A couple options here:

• You can store cooled oatmeal in the fridge and reheat in the oven 1-2 days later at 350F for about 15 minutes.
• You can also store mixed wet and dry ingredients separately (covered) for up to 3 days in the fridge and then combine and bake per the recipe prior to serving.

How to store

• Store cooled leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• You can freeze individual portions wrapped in plastic wrap or freeze the whole pan tightly wrapped. It will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
• To reheat, you can thaw overnight in the fridge or microwave it for 1-2 minutes, until warmed.

What to make with leftover pumpkin

• Healthy Pumpkin Bars
• No Bake Pumpkin Cookies
• Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
• Fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

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