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!
Hi Emily,
I made it this morning and it was sooo….. yummy. It was quite soft so that our 10 months old son was able to easily eat it and what can I tell he loved it and had a very big portion of it. I was really surprised about how much he can eat in the morning because he usually doesn’t eat much for breakfast. Thank you so much for the recipe and best regards from Germany.
Oh, that’s wonderful! SO happy you all enjoyed it!!!
Delicious and super easy! I ate it at work for bfast (microwaved 90 seconds, topped w maple syrup). My coworkers were drooling – smells great and was a tasty and healthy bfast treat. Had vanilla Greek yogurt with it too – very hearty and filling. Thanks! Will definitely be making again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And YUM! I bet it’s amazing with yogurt!
Hello! Thank you for this recipe. Could you please let me know what the texture of this oatmeal meant to be? I doubled the ingredients to bake a big batch. It was dry and set when I took it out of the oven, but inside it is very moist. Almost feels like a half baked sponge cake. Should it be like that or was I meant to bake it longer?
Thank you!
Rada – I’m not exactly sure how to describe it. To me it’s just the texture of baked oatmeal–a little toasty on top and custard-y inside. It will be fully cooked even if there is still moisture on the inside. I drizzle mine with a little extra milk and syrup over the top when serving. If you prefer yours to be more dry–like sliceable bars instead of scoop-able oamteal–you can absolutely bake it longer. It’s up to you!
Just wondering do you think this would freeze well? I just made it and it’s yum!!!! 😁
Serena – I haven’t frozen it before. I know some people do little oatmeal “muffins” in a muffin tin and freeze them. I wonder if the same thing would work here? I’d love to know how it turns out if you give it a try!
Made this today and it was sooooo yummy! I will be passing this recipe on. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it Tricia! We can’t get enough!
I’m having g trouble finding gluten free oats, can you use the Quaker gluten free quick one minute oats for this recipe? Thanks!
Debbie – I’m sorry to hear that! You can give them a try, but I’ve found that Instant oats sometimes cook too much and can get a little mushy in a baked recipe like this. If the texture won’t bother you, I think they’d get the job done!
Could this be made in the crockpot or the air fryer?
Cathy – Great question! I wish I had an answer. I’ve never made oatmeal in either, but I’d LOVE to know how it turns out if you give it a try!
Do you think I can prepare the recipe and place in the fridge to bake in the morning?
I do! Since the oats will absorb some of the liquid overnight, you may want to add extra liquid to the mixture. Or you can mix up all the wet ingredients and pour them over the oats and pecans in the morning.
Thank you! I’m so excited to try your recipe!
I made it this morning it was delicious can’t wait to try the recipe with mixed berries!!
Oh, I’m so glad Mireille! Thank you for sharing!
How much pumpkin pie spice do you sub for the other ingredients?
Gretchen – I should have specified! I’m sorry! You can sub the same amount as the other spices added together, so 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice in places of the 1 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp nutmeg + 1/4 tsp cardamom. Hope that helps!
Thank you!