Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
Jump into fall with this Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal. Easy to make, delicious and full of warm flavors. Easily gluten free and dairy-free, this is a perfect healthy breakfast or a great recipe to make as part of meal prep.
It is officially September and so it is time to bring on all the pumpkin recipes! Brace yourselves, TNNers! This Maine girl gets real excited about all things fall.
Baked oatmeal is one of my favorite easy breakfasts to either make as part of meal prep or to throw together to bake while I get myself and the family ready for the day. It seriously takes only 10 minutes to throw together (if that!) and then into the oven it goes.
I love to make a batch of baked oatmeal during the weekend so that we always have something healthy to grab for breakfast in the morning…regardless of how many times we have hit the snooze button. This Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal is tasty, perfectly sweet, flavorful, and full of fueling good-for-you-ingredients. And, perhaps most importantly, it got my 10-year-old’s stamp of approval….so you know the kids are going to love this one, too!
This recipe is….
Vegetarian and nut free. It can also easily gluten free, easily egg-free, easily dairy-free.
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Why this Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal is out of this world good…
- Easy to make. One bowl. Minutes to mix and into the oven it goes. It can bake while you get ready in the morning or make it ahead of time.
- Satisfying & filling. Loaded with fiber from oats, protein from eggs and your favorite milk, this oatmeal really sticks with you until lunch!
- It is a wonderful part of meal prep. This Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal is good in the fridge for up to 4 days and can be enjoyed a slice at a time. Reheat in the microwave or air fryer. Or pop the whole tray of baked oatmeal into the oven covered with foil to warm up.
- A great way to add pumpkin to breakfast. Orange pumpkin is full of tons of nutrients and is the taste of fall! Adding some to baked oatmeal makes a healthy breakfast even better in all the ways.
- Super flavorful. Warm fall spices, delicious pumpkin, naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup. Add some of your favorite pumpkin-friendly toppings to bring the flavor next level.
- It’s great for feeding a crowd. This baked oatmeal recipe serves nine!
- Naturally gluten free. Just be sure to use certified gluten free oats!
- Adaptable. This can easily be egg-free, dairy-free, vegan or with whatever you have on hand (see suggested adaptations below).
Homemade pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin pie spice is the blend of spices that are commonly used together to give pumpkin pie that warm fall flavor that many of us have come to love and look for in pumpkin recipes.
Pumpkin pie spice can usually be found with all the other spices in your local grocery store. If you can’t find it or just want to make your own, pumpkin pie spice can easily be made with spices you likely already have at home.
Here is my personal blend for homemade pumpkin pie spice:
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine in a jar with a lid. Secure the lid on top, shake to mix everything up and then enjoy in this recipe. Plus, you will have leftovers to enjoy in your next pumpkin creation!
Suggested adaptations
- Make this Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal egg-free by replacing the two eggs in this recipe with two “flax eggs”. Make flax eggs by combining 2 tablespoons ground flax with 5 tablespoons water. Mix, let sit for 5 minutes to gel, and then add to the recipe when you would normally add the eggs.
- Replace the pumpkin with butternut squash puree or cooked and mashed sweet potato.
- Make this recipe dairy-free by using your favorite plant-based milk. I like unsweetened almond milk.
- This baked oatmeal can easily be gluten free when you use certified gluten free rolled oats.
- Add some toppings or mix-ins! Chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, pecans, raisins, or dried cranberries would all be a lovely addition to this pumpkin oatmeal.
How to store this baked oatmeal recipe
Making it as part of meal prep? Let this Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal cool completely before covering and storing in the fridge. Enjoy it as an easy reheat-and-eat breakfast for up to 4 days.
More pumpkin recipes that you’ll love…
- Healthy Carrot Pumpkin Muffins
- Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bread
- Breakfast Pumpkin Soufflé
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies (with pumpkin)
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Instant Pot Paleo Pumpkin Chili
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Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- olive oil or avocado oil , for greasing
- 2 cups rolled oats, use certified gluten free if needed
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 1/4 cup milk of choice, this works great with almond milk if dairy-free needed
- 2 large eggs, can sub flax eggs to make egg-free
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
- chocolate chips, nuts, raisins or topping of choice., optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking dish with oil.
- In a medium bowl, combine oats, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine.
- Add pumpkin puree, milk, eggs, vanilla, and maple syrup/honey to bowl. Stir to combine.
- Spread into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Oatmeal is done baking when it is puffed up on the edges, set in the middle and top is golden.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing. It will be soft at first but will firm up as it cools. Enjoy warm topped with yogurt, a splash of milk, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, fruit, whipped cream or simply on its own. Let cool completely and store in fridge for up to 4 days.
Another fabulous recipe from you!! 🙂 We had this yesterday morning for breakfast and it was a huge hit. Our boys both asked for seconds! Thank you for such awesome, easy to make, veggie-loaded recipes to feed our family.
I am so glad this veggie-loaded recipe (and others!) are a a success with your family!
So tasty! What a perfect breakfast heading into the fall.
Oops not sure why it didn’t post as a 5 star
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Lindsay!
This is the fall breakfast of my dreams! It was so easy to make, it’s great for meal prep and it is SO delicious! Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
I am SO glad you enjoyed it so much! It totally tastes like fall!
OMG this recipe is awesome!one of the best things i ever ate (no i’m not joking, no i’m not exaggerating!). if you are a pumpkin lover kinda person please make this!it won’t disappoint you!words of my 2 years old son while eating this: “it’s so yummy, i love it” ❤️
I am so dazzled you enjoyed this so much! And I love hearing that your son was digging it too! Such a win!
I used the flax substitute and it came out great. Thanks for that tip! Although next time I will only use 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. It was a little too intense for me. I will definitely make it again.
So glad it worked out for you, Sally! And pumpkin spice is so funny like that. People either love that intense taste or feel like a little goes a long way! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback!
I baked for 35 minutes and let it cool for more than 5 minutes to cut it into rectangles for serving. The consistency was cooked oatmeal; mushy and not firm. I had to spoon it out and into a bowl. I was hoping I could have it as a bar and eat on the go. The taste is fine, but not the ending result.
When warm, it is going to be soft. As I noted in the recipe, it will firm up as it cools. Also, did you make any changes to the recipe? If you make it again, let it cool a little longer and it will be easier to cut into bars and take on the go. But it is not a bar recipe, so it will be soft and will likely crumble if eaten as such. Perhaps look for a recipe that is an oatmeal bar recipe.
It was a bit underdone for me as well, tho I think my oven runs a bit cool, and my purée was homemade (maybe a bit wetter than storebought). So I’ll probably reduce to 1 cup of milk in future, or maybe add a little flour.
Made it twice now and it’s delicious! Will be making it again tomorrow. I like to put dark chocolate chips on top right before I stick it in the oven. Perfect recipe!
I am so glad you enjoyed this, Laura!
Oh my gosh this is sooooo good! I used flax seed eggs and mini chocolate chips on top and reduced the maple syrup to 1/4th. Best breakfast!
I love when you love a recipe!
I made this sugar free by adding half SF maple syrup and half brown Swerve. Threw in walnuts. Oh yummy!!
Yum indeed! Love the walnuts!
A great soft, moist pumpkiny choc chip taste, I made it half the batch and with Scottish oatmeal which is finer so it was perfect!
Oh yum! I bet it was great with Scottish oatmeal! I am so glad you enjoyed it, Janaya. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review 💚
Thanks for the recipe. I had cooked pumpkin that I intended to make ravioli with but didn’t have the time I ended up baking for 40 minutes and it is still very moist and I’m not sure if I should have baked more. I also noticed you have chocolate chips in the picture and was wondering if you stirred into the batter of sprinkled on top.
My 6 year old thought it looked *not* yummy-but ended up eating seconds!
Hi Sarah! I am glad you and your son enjoyed the oatmeal! I just sprinkled the chocolate chips on top to make it extra fun, but you could absolutely stir them into the batter if you want the chips throughout. How wet was your pumpkin in this? I know that sometimes my homemade pumpkin puree can be much wetter than the canned pumpkin you buy in a store. Perhaps that is why it was still moist after 40 minutes of baking? Also, I find that it firms up nicely as it cools, but can be soft fresh out of the oven.
Hello, thanks for sharing the recipe. Am planning to make it egg-free. I had a question on the nutrition information. Why is the Cholesterol – 41mg? Is it due to the egg? Please advise. TIA.
The nutritional info is an estimation and I am not a dietician, just a lady getting creative in her kitchen! Eggs have about 187mg of cholesterol each, so yes, my guess is that the 41mg is likely from the eggs in the oatmeal.
SO GOOD. My husband and I are trying to not eat all of the ‘baby food’ but this is tough. My 15 month old twins absolutely love it. To clarify like others, this is BAKED OATMEAL, not a granola bar. I did have to bake it for almost 40 minutes because a toothpick inserted right into the center was very mushy until then. The sides were set and baked by 35 minutes and didn’t burn with the 5 extra minutes. I did add a small handful of oats because the batter looked really, really wet. I’m not sure how much of a difference this made. I also used a sweet Indian spice mix because I didn’t have pumpkin pie spice. No chocolate toppings because of my young children. Using honey, it was perfectly sweet but also savory and filling. I’m definitely going to try variations on this bake using other fruits and maybe some veggies (I see you already have some other recipes as well!). Thanks for the inspiration!
Yay, I am so glad you enjoyed it. And yes, totally not a granola bar but working on something similar for those who are looking for that option!
As for the longer baking time, I often find that ovens don’t always bake true to temp. I ran into that with many ovens in my time and found having an internal thermometer ($9 on Amazon) was a great way to know what temperature my oven was truly cooking at and it if needed to be calibrated. Also, its totally possible that your pumpkin puree was thinner than mine. But either way, I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Thinking about making this this weekend but I’d like to double it for post-partum freezer prep… has anyone frozen this?
I find this freezes well. Let it cool completely and then slice it into portions and freeze them individually.
What is rolled oatmeal? I use either old fashioned oatmeal or quick oatmeal? What is best?
Either of those oats will work! I just would not make this recipe with instant or steel cut oats
Will this recipe work without the baking powder?
Yes, it just won’t puff up as much.
Could you do muffins with this recipe?
I have’t personally baked this in a muffin tin, but I know others have. They typically baked it for 15-20 minutes, I believe. It would be more like an individually portioned out baked oatmeal verse a muffin. If you’d like to do a true oatmeal muffin, try this recipe and replace the butternut squash with pumpkin!
https://thenaturalnurturer.com/butternut-squash-banana-blender-blender-muffins/
Hello! Doing this for a mom’s group in the morning. Wondering if I could put it all together tonight, refrigerate tonight and cook it in the morning?
Thanks! Looks yummy 😋
I haven’t tried that but it should work fine!
Possible to bake in my air fryer?
If so, how long?
I’ve never tried and don’t feel like it would work.
This is SOOOOOO freaking good. I used coconut milk, and added a few dashes of ground allspice, ground cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The perfect fall breakfast that the kids will LOVE!
I bet the coconut milk was amazing! So glad you enjoyed it, Heidi. Thanks for taking the time to share!
Super yummy thanks for sharing! We will definitely make this again. A nice healthy treat for breakfast.
So glad you enjoyed it, Kara! Thanks for taking the time to share
Could I use a 9×13 pan?
I feel like that would spread the mixture too thin and the oatmeal would be dry or burned. Perhaps double the recipe for a pan that size or baked them as individual servings in a muffin tin!
That’s a great point Lol thank you so much for the reply! Appreciate your time!!
I just made this and absolutely love it! I’m on. Weight watchers and the almond milk and syrup are the only points in this. I used real Maple Syrup and it amazing! Thank you for sharing this as I will have breakfast all week if I don’t put it away soon I’ll blow my WW!
So glad you enjoyed!
This turned out to be terrible. It didn’t shape and crumbled when took out of the pan. What a waste of ingredients.
Hi Kobarodge. Thanks for the honest feedback. This is baked oatmeal and not a granola bar, so it will be softer. With that said, it should still be sliceable and be easy to portion out after you let it cool for a few minutes to let it firm up. Were you hoping for a bar that you could slice and take with you on-the-go. If so, try the recipe below instead.https://thenaturalnurturer.com/peanut-butter-pumpkin-oatmeal-bars/
This sounds delicious! How would you go about adding some protein powder to increase the protein in this recipe? Not sure if that thickens it or changes cooking time!
I have found that a lot of protein powder gets clumpy when it hits liquid and needs a good whisking to dissolve properly. So, I’d probably suggest whisking it well with the eggs and milk to make sure there aren’t any clumps and then add the remaining ingredients. It shouldn’t change cooking time, though it might absorb a bit more moisture…depending on your brand and type of protein powder.
Awesome! Thanks for replying so fast!!
Very yummy! I decided to go all out and use PUMPKIN OAT MILK in this and — let me just say, highly recommend!!
Oh excellent call! Sounds delicious.
I made this last night and the flavor is great, but this thing is way too moist. I followed the recipe to a T. Just a tad sad
Hi AP. Sorry to hear you found this too moist. Mine is soft, but holds together nicely. Does your’s not? Or were you hoping for a firmer bake more like an oatmeal bar?
What a great tasting recipe! Definitely will be making this again! Do you think you could use applesauce and add some chia seeds?
So glad you enjoyed this, Mary! Are you looking to add applesauce and chia seeds to the recipe as is or replace the pumpkin?
Yes Taesha, I would replace the pumpkin. I thought the chia seeds would soak up a bit of the applesauce and plus add more fibre.
I think you could totally swap the pumpkin and applesauce! And the chia seeds would be a wonderful addition.
We made this and loved it. My husband however, did not put it in the fridge after and covered it on the counter. Do you think it is still safe to eat the next day?
How long was it out for? Just overnight or for a full day?
I’d say a full day as we made it yesterday morning.
I don’t know if I would eat it then. I might if it was just overnight, but I feel like a full day is just too iffy. Glad you enjoyed it, though!
This was fantastic! Especially with the semi-sweet chocolate chips on top! Highly recommend on a fall morning 🙂
SO glad you love this as much as we do, Patti! I agree, a wonderful way to kick of a crisp fall morning.
Surprised at liking this pumpkin oatmeal much better the morning after! Maybe time for the flavors to meld is the secret ingredient! I used coconut milk since that’s what I had, and I don’t notice that flavor.
So glad you enjoyed it!
So yummy! I needed a quick fall food to take to a fall theme luncheon and this was perfect as a healthy “dessert” option. I had all the ingredients already. Had many people ask me for the recipe!
So glad it was a success, Kelly! And so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Hello! I’m looking forward to making this! Have you tried doubling and making in a 9 x 13 baking pan? If so, how long would you bake it?
Hi DJ! I haven’t tried doubling this recipe, but I’m confident you can. I’d say baking it for closer to 45 minutes would work, but looked for the browned edges and puffy, set middle to know when it is done.
Thanks *SO* much!
Thanks for much for responding. Can’t wait to try it!
This was not good. I was expecting to be blown away. It tasted like old mushy cereal.
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it. Baked oatmeal is not for everyone.
I made this with white chocolate chips on the top and it is a must try!! It was amazing 👏
Oh yum! Great swap and I bet my white-chocolate-loving kid would love this! Thanks for the idea.
This recipe is flavorless. Would be better to make overnight oats with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and drizzle in morning with a little maple syrup.
Hi Aimee. Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe, but lots of other people seem love it and find it flavorful. Perhaps it is just not for you.
I used honey instead of syrup (it’s all I had), almond milk and the flax egg substitute (I’m not vegan but I had some on hand and the egg prices are sky high), and added chocolate chips. This was delicious. A healthy portion with vanilla Greek yogurt has been a fast and filling breakfast. I put it in the microwave so the chips are melted and gooey. Thanks so much for this, it’s been added to the rotation.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Crystal! Flax eggs are awesome in this recipe (egg prices, yikes!) and this must have been so good with melty chocolate + the yogurt! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. I always appreciate it!
So good! I can see this being a new breakfast staple for me. I made it with the flax “eggs”, ripple milk, and tons of extra pumpkin spice.
So glad it was a success for you, Ariel!
Do you think steel cut oats will work instead of rolled oats?
Unfortunately I don’t think they would. Steel cut oats need a lot more liquid and cooking time as compared to rolled oats.
I was looking for something healthy to make for my family to grab in the morning for breakfast. Pumpkin is so healthy, as are oats. This is perfect. It came out super moist but after reading the comments I realized that is the way it’s supposed to be. I am fine with that. I think it tastes great. My older grown son just ate one and gave his approval. I think the rest of my family will love them. We all try to eat healthy. I will be making this again for sure.
I’m so delighted to hear this, Linda! I’m glad you all enjoyed and appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
These are always in my freezer for an easy breakfast! Thank you for a delicious and easy make ahead breakfast.
I’m so glad to hear all of this, Roxanne! Thanks for taking the time to share.
Excellent! Soft, moist but holds its shape. Not too sweet (which I prefer) and raisins were the perfect addition! Warm from the oven-delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it so much, Stacey! I bet the raisins were amazing!
Delicious! Trying to work through some preserved pumpkin and this was very good. Looking forward to trying some of your other pumpkin recipes.
So glad you enjoyed this, Mary! Thanks for sharing! Pumpkin is one of my favorites.
Just took it out of the oven! Simple, one bowl recipe and healthy to boot! Yes please😁 It looks just like your photo. My son and hubby will love it! I still have no sense of smell or taste since the Covid mess so I’m really bumming! I’ll still eat it though, not to worry haha! Great recipe thanks!
So happy to hear all of this! Thanks for taking the time to share, Audrey!
I made this last night to help make the mornings easier as we get back in the swing of the school year. It was so quick and easy to make! Even though we’re in a heat wave this week in Pennsylvania, this recipe has me feeling autumnal! I added pecans an raisins. So good!
So happy to hear that this recipe brought the fall feels, despite summer heat. Love this for a reheat-and-eat breakfast too. Thanks for taking the time to share, Corrie!
I made this and love it! I wasn’t sure what the consistency would/should be, but it kind of reminds me of bread pudding. I also prefer it cold!
Great flavor and I can’t wait to try adding different items in. Definitely a great lead in to fall
I agree that it has a bread pudding kind of vibe! So glad you enjoyed it, Kim!
Great recipe. Loved it
So happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to share!
Can it be frozen?
Yes. I find it works best if you cut it into serving before freezing.
Easy to make and so tasty! I double batch it and freeze some to have a quick, yummy breakfast on hand.
SO smart to make a double batch for the freezer. Cook once, eat twice is the way to go an this one freezes so well.