Let’s make Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal! Studded with pecans and laced with the perfect blend of warm spices, this cozy pumpkin baked oatmeal recipe hits all the right notes! (Gluten free, vegan-friendly)
It’s PUMPKIN WEEK here at One Lovely Life!
Have you been following along with me? We LOVE pumpkin season, so we’re sharing pumpkin recipes every day this week. I’ve got a mix of brand new recipes and old favorites that have been re-vamped. I’m so excited to share them with you! And this pumpkin baked oatmeal has been on repeat at my house for the last month. SO GOOD.
There are a lot of pumpkin oatmeal recipes out there (from Instant Pot Pumpkin Steel Cut Oats to Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes), but what makes this baked pumpkin oatmeal recipe the perfect fall breakfast is that it’s so easy and cozy. It fills your house with the coziest aroma–a blend of vanilla, cinnamon, and warm spices that feels instantly cozy. I love that it’s easy enough for a weekday morning, but it’s also a great recipe to make the weekend feel extra special.
There are so many things to love about baked oatmeal recipes. The texture is beyond amazing, and I love that by baking it, the texture kind of locks in. There’s no accidental gluey-ness from overcooking or overly chewy sections from not enough milk. It reheats like a dream which means you can meal prep this healthy breakfast to enjoy a few days on your own or feed your crowd all at once.
Plus, a few easy tips make this the best pumpkin baked oatmeal ever…
Start With Simple ingredients
- Gluten-Free Rolled Oats. Our baked pumpkin oatmeal recipe starts with rolled oats. You want rolled oats (sometimes labeled old-fashioned oats) here instead of steel cut oats. Steel-cut oats won’t cook through and need more liquid. Quick oats can go mushy. Be sure to buy certified gluten-free oats if you’re gluten-free to avoid cross-contamination!
- Baking Powder. Next up is baking powder, which gives our pumpkin baked oats a bit of puff when it cooks. I love that it adds some lightness!
- Some Simple Seasonings. I love the pumpkin spice flavor of this oatmeal! You’ll mix in cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt, along with some vanilla extract which give this some serious pumpkin pie vibes.
- Chopped Pecans. For a bit of crunch, I love mixing in some chopped nuts (pecans). Their toasty, nutty crunch is delightful!
- Almond Milk (Or Your Favorite). Now, for the wet ingredients, I start with unsweetened almond milk, though you can use whatever your family drinks and enjoys, whether that’s dairy-milk or a dairy-free milk like, rice, coconut, oat, cashew, soy milk, etc.
- Pumpkin Puree. Unsweetened pumpkin purée works great for baked pumpkin oatmeal since adds gorgeous pumpkin flavor, and it allows you to control the sweetness and spices. Make sure you’re not using pumpkin pie filling!
- Pure Maple Syrup. Speaking of sweetness, you’ll use a little maple syrup here. I don’t add too much to the baked oatmeal itself since I like to drizzle on a little extra at the end, but you can definitely sweeten to taste. You can absolutely swap in brown sugar if you like!
- A Flax Egg or Chia Egg (or An Egg, If Not Vegan). For a vegan baked pumpkin oatmeal, you’ll use a chia egg or flax egg (see the FAQ below for tips on making one!). Otherwise, feel free to use a regular egg. This will help bind the oatmeal and give it some puff as it bakes.
Gluten-Free? Read This! It’s important to buy certified gluten-free oats if you’re sensitive or intolerant to gluten. Oats themselves don’t contain wheat gluten, but they’re often farmed or processed in ways that can cause cross-contamination. We’ve had good luck with many brands, like Bob’s Red Mill, Thrive Market, One Degree, and Trader Joe’s. Just look for that “certified gluten-free” classification!
How To Make Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish or 9×9 pan.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Add 1/2-3/4 cup of the pecans (and save the rest for sprinkling on top).
- Combine Wet Ingredients. In a medium bow, whisk together the wet ingredients–milk, pumpkin, syrup, chia egg/egg, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry oatmeal mixture. Stir to combine well. Pour into a greased 2-quart casserole dish or baking pan. Sprinkle with additional pecans if you like.
- Bake at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes, or until the liquid has soaked in, the center is just set, and the edges are starting to turn golden.
- Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup, a splash of milk, or a dollop of greek yogurt, if you like! Cover leftover oatmeal with aluminum foil or plastic wrap or an airtight container and store in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days. To reheat, simply add a little extra milk and warm in the oven or microwave.
Mix It Up! Try Some Of These Other Mix-Ins
My go-to mix-in for this easy pumpkin baked oatmeal is some chopped pecans for crunch, but there are so many other great ways you can flavor this recipe! Try one of these other mix-ins for a change of pace:
- Dried Cranberries. One reader favorite over the years has been dried cranberries. They get soft and lovely as the oatmeal bakes. They can be delicious along with the pecans or all on their own.
- Chocolate Chips. My kids love anything pumpkin chocolate chip, so sometimes I’ll add a few chocolate chips to our baked pumpkin oatmeal or sprinkle some over their bowls. It’s delicious! (You could even do white chocolate chips instead!)
- Chai Spice. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, swap out the spices below for an equal amount of our chai spice mix. Chai spice + pumpkin are great together!
- Walnuts. If walnuts are more your speed, feel free to swap out our chopped pecans for chopped walnuts instead. They’ll still add that lovely nutty crunch!
FAQ + Tips and Tricks For The Best Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
How To Make A Chia Egg. I almost always make pumpkin baked oatmeal using a chia “egg” (1 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 Tbsp water). You can absolutely use a regular egg.
Can I Double This Recipe? Yes! This delicious pumpkin baked oatmeal feeds 4-6 depending on how big a serving you scoop. You can easily double it and bake it in a 9×13 pan. You can simply use 1 (15oz) can of pumpkin if you’re doubling it, then double the other ingredients.
What’s The Best Way To Reheat Baked Oatmeal? You can certainly use the microwave. 30-60 seconds will do the job for individual portions. Or, you can pop baked oatmeal in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes and it will be heated through. I like to add an additional drizzle of milk either way to keep it from drying out.
Can I Use Pumpkin Spice Instead? If you’re a fan of pumpkin pie spice, you can totally use that instead of the cinnamon + nutmeg + cardamom I used here. Whatever you like! You can also use chai spice for a change of pace! (Either one will add some ginger and cloves to the mix!)
How Long Does Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal Stay Fresh? It reheats well, but it’s best used within 3-4 days.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal (Gluten-Free, Vegan-Friendly)
Ingredients
FOR THE DRY INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups rolled oats sometimes called old-fashioned oats. Use certified gluten-free as needed!
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon**
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg**
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom**
- 3/4-1 cup pecans
FOR THE WET INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 cups milk dairy or non-dairy milk, as needed. I use unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree unsweetened
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup plus more, for drizzling
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds + 3 Tbsp water or 1 large egg, if not vegan
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
TO SERVE:
- A drizzle of maple syrup
- Plain greek yogurt
- Toasted pecans or pumpkin seeds
- Almond milk or your milk of choice
- Your favorite toppings–peanut butter banana slices, apples, and more!
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish or 9×9 pan.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Add 1/2-3/4 cup of the pecans (and save the rest for sprinkling on top).
- Combine Wet Ingredients. In a medium bow, whisk together the wet ingredients–milk, pumpkin, syrup, chia egg/egg, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry oatmeal mixture. Stir to combine well. Pour into a greased 2-quart casserole dish or baking pan. Sprinkle with additional pecans if you like.
- Bake at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes, or until the liquid has soaked in, the center is just set, and the edges are starting to turn golden.
- Serve with a drizzle of milk and a little extra maple syrup, a splash of milk, or a dollop of greek yogurt, if you like! Cover leftover oatmeal with aluminum foil or plastic wrap or an airtight container and store in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days. To reheat, simply add a little extra milk and warm in the oven or microwave.
Notes
- To make a chia egg or flax egg: mix together 3 Tbsp water and 1 Tbsp chia seeds. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes and you’re ready to use it! This method also works with flax, if that’s easier. Use 1 Tbsp. ground flax and 3 Tbsp. water to make flax eggs instead.
- **If you prefer, you can substitute 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom listed.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/baked-pumpkin-oatmeal/Fully updated Aug 2023. Originally posted Sep 2017. Check out some of our original photos below!
Would this be good on a low FODMAP diet for IBSC?
Mary – I’m not familiar with IBSC protocol, so I don’t feel comfortable advising you. I’m so sorry!
Can steel cut oats be a substitute?
Jeanne – I LOVE steel cut oats, but they don’t work well in this recipe. They tend to burn before they’re tender.
I used instant steel cut and it turned out great! Just added a bit more milk.
That’s great! Did you add any extra baking time?
Do you think a scoop of protein powder could be added without altering it too much?
Dina – Absolutely!
This was wonderful, I made this last night for myself to have a quick breakfast as no one else in my family likes oatmeal… They devoured it. My super picky 11 year old daughter loved it! I used the chia egg, pecans and almond milk, and sprinkled a few vegan chocolate chips on top. I also didn’t find any cardamom in the pantry so I just used pumpkin pie spice with a little extra cinnamon. It was a winner!
I’m so happy to hear that! We just absolutely LOVE it!
How many carbs? Looks yummy🎃
MaryJane – I don’t have nutrition facts on my site yet (hopefully soon!), but you can plug the recipe into any free online calculator. MyFitnessPal (the free app or site) is my favorite. Have a great day!
Looks yummy but it’s not vegan with an egg. Have you made it vegan before? Would love to make!
Oops! I see now you can use a chia egg. Still looks yummy!
Julie – Yep! It’s a vegan friendly recipe. Many readers aren’t vegan but like using vegan substitutions. I just try to make recipes as adaptable as possible.
Is the nutritional information available for this recipe? I have diabetes so just wondering about the amount of Carbs and Sugar in this recipe and if I can adapt it ?
Lynn – It’s on the way but isn’t available quite yet. I’m so sorry! I’m hoping to have it up in the next week or so. In the meantime, you can type the ingredients into any free online nutritional counter. My Fitness Pal is my favorite. They have an app and a website (both free).
Can this be made in muffin tins? I can’t tell how firm it is from the pictures.
Ally – I’m sure it could be! The only adjustment would be baking time, since it would be more likely to burn/overcook around the edges which might dry it out a bit. I’d start by giving it 15 minutes or so and checking doneness from there. If you give it a try, I’d LOVE to know how it turns out in the muffin tin!
I tried this as muffins and it was lack-luster. They didn’t rise as much as muffins typically do, but the recipe only called for a 1/2 t of baking powder…
Shantel – They definitely won’t work or rise like actual muffins. The muffin tin idea is simply for portion sizing (so they’re easy on the go.) Because there’s no flour and the other qualities aren’t the same as a muffin batter, you won’t get much rise at all, and they definitely won’t turn out as muffins. The baking powder here is to help the oatmeal puff slightly during baking, so it’s not too dense.
This is so fall and yummy! Can’t wait to give this a try soon!
This looks like fall in a dish! I normally do a little brunch party for a friend’s birthday in October and this LOOKS perfect for it! Or Halloween morning when you know they kids won’t eat a thing but candy the rest of the day. I can’t wait to try it!
How fun! And yes, this is PERFECT for Halloween morning!
Is this a dryer baked oatmeal? The only time I’ve made it, it had 3 eggs, 2 cups of almond milk and 2 cups frozen blueberries. That’s a lot of moisture compared to this recipe.
It’s not. The pumpkin really keeps everything moist! It’s not dry at all!