Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal with Pecans
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This pumpkin baked oatmeal goes in the oven while I’m making dinner, and by morning breakfast is already handled. The squares cut cleanest after a night in the fridge, so this is a recipe that actually wants to be made the day before.
It runs on the same idea as my vanilla overnight oats, where breakfast gets made while dinner is already going. The difference is the smell of pumpkin pie spice filling the kitchen while it bakes, and the first time I made it, my kids got into the pan for dessert before it ever made it to breakfast. If it’s going to end up as dessert anyway, the sweetened condensed milk drizzle you see in the photos leans right into that.
How It Comes Together
The dry ingredients go in one large bowl and the wet ingredients get whisked in a second. Give the melted butter a couple of minutes to cool before it meets the eggs so they don’t precook. Then pour the wet into the dry and stir just until you can’t see any dry oats. Fold in half the chopped pecans, spread the batter in the dish, and finish the top with the rest of the chopped pecans and the whole halves.
The baked oatmeal is done when the top looks set and a little puffed and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let the pan rest for 15 minutes before you cut six pieces.
The printable recipe card below has the full ingredient list, measurements, and step-by-step instructions.
Cut it cold. When I cut mine warm, it crumbled a little, even after resting. After a night in the fridge the whole pan had set into one solid piece and the squares came out clean. If you want neat squares, bake it the night before and slice it cold in the morning. The overnight chill is what firms it up, so you can still warm the cut squares before serving.
Ingredient Notes
Rolled oats. Use old-fashioned rolled oats here, not quick oats. Quick oats soak up the liquid faster and bake into something softer, without the chew.
Canned pumpkin puree. Check the label for plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. If you have puree left in the can, it’s a start on my copycat Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins.
Pumpkin pie spice. I use my own homemade blend, and a store-bought jar works too. The extra ¼ teaspoon of cloves is on top of whatever your blend already carries.
Orange zest. It’s a small extra layer of flavor, and leaving it out won’t break the recipe. Lemon zest is another option if that’s what you have.
Pecans. They go in twice. Chop the ⅔ cup, fold half into the batter, and scatter the other half on top with a small handful of whole halves. Walnuts work in their place.
What I’ve Learned Making This
- The batter won’t look like cake batter. It’s wet, gloopy oats with barely any batter around them, and that’s exactly what should go into the dish.
- The photos show a 9×6 dish, which bakes taller. I’ve also tested this in an 8×8, which is a more common dish. The squares come out flatter and longer than the ones pictured, and are done at 30 minutes, the low end of the range, so start checking early.
- I’ve made it with full-fat sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt, in the same amount, and it baked up just as well.
Serving and Storing
The squares in the photos are served warm, with sweetened condensed milk drizzled over the top. That drizzle is my pantry-ready shortcut. I always keep a can on hand, so pick up an extra one for this recipe and the next time you need it. If you’d rather not, a simple powdered sugar glaze works too, and it’s in the recipe card notes. I also serve this cold, straight from the fridge. If you want something to drink with it, my chocolate chai latte brings its own warm spice to the table.
Leftovers keep covered in the fridge up to 4 days. Eat them cold, or reheat individual portions in the oven or microwave. For longer storage, wrap portions individually and they’ll keep frozen 3 to 4 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight. On weeks you’d rather not turn the oven on, my apple pie overnight oats do the same job cold in a jar, and there’s more for the morning in my breakfast recipes.
Make-Ahead Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal with Pecans
Ingredients
- 2½ cups rolled oats not quick oats
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- ¾ cup milk any kind
- 2 tablespoons full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup pecans plus a small handful for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease the 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Chop the ⅔ cup of pecans, keeping the small handful of whole halves aside for the top.
- Combine the oats, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a second bowl, whisk it together with the pumpkin puree, milk, Greek yogurt, eggs, orange zest, maple syrup, butter (after letting it cool for 1-2 minutes) and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until you don’t see any dry oats.
- Fold in half of the chopped pecans.
- Transfer the batter to the baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans over the top, then arrange the whole pecan halves on top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let rest for 15 minutes, then cut into 6 pieces. Serve warm or chilled.
Notes
- For clean squares, chill the baked oatmeal overnight and cut it cold, then reheat the squares if you want them warm.
- The photos were shot in a 9×6-inch dish, which bakes the taller, thicker squares you see there. An 8×8 makes flatter squares, so yours will look thinner than the pictures.
- The orange zest is optional, and lemon zest can stand in for it.
- No sweetened condensed milk? Whisk ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or cream, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth, then drizzle it over the warm bake.
