If you love anything pumpkin spiced, then you will LOVE this. All the flavour of pumpkin pie in a healthy, fast and easy breakfast. These Pumpkin Overnight Oats are made the night before, so they are perfect for a busy morning getting the kids ready for school or can be eaten on the commute to work. However and whenever you eat them, they are our little way of saying hello to our favourite season.
As soon as the leaves start falling, we can start getting excited about all things pumpkin, right? We always make sure that we have a few cans of pumpkin puree in the cupboard to make pumpkin spiced desserts or breakfasts, as they are just super cosy and comforting.
Overnight oats are our favourite breakfast when life gets a bit busy, as what's better than waking up to breakfast already made and waiting for you in the fridge? You just need 5 minutes (if that) in the evening to prepare these.
If you are looking for some more pumpkin recipes, try these: Healthy Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Porridge, Goat's Cheese and Pumpkin Salad or our delicious Carrot and Pumpkin Soup.
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Why you will love it
- Just 260 calories a serving
- Can be made the night before in less than 5 minutes
- Can be vegan
- Lots of flavour options
What are overnight oats?
If you have never heard of overnight oats before, then you are in for a treat. They are oats that are soaked in milk overnight so they get super soft, with some of your favourite ingredients. A really easy sweet breakfast that is easily adaptable. Really good for batch making too.
Ingredients needed
- Oats - Rolled oats (old fashioned) are best.
- Pumpkin - We used canned pumpkin puree, but fresh will work too. See below for how to use a fresh pumpkin.
- Yogurt - A good thick yogurt is best, like Greek yogurt.
- Milk - We used whole milk, but semi-skimmed (2%) will also work, as will non-dairy such as almond, cashew or tiger nut.
- Maple syrup - Adds some nice sweetness. Honey can be used too.
- Spices - We wanted that lovely, warming spiced pumpkin taste, so we added cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. See below for more spice options.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: Put all of the ingredients into a big bowl.
Two: Mix well.
Three: Divide between individual bowls or jars and put in the fridge overnight (or at least for 4 hours).
Four: Sprinkle with chopped pecans before serving.
Canned or fresh pumpkin?
This breakfast is all about making your life a little bit easier, so we used canned pumpkin puree. You could make your own pumpkin puree by roasting a halved pumpkin, and then scooping out the flesh and blending it once it is cooled.
Want to try some other pumpkin recipes? How about these: Healthy Pumpkin Spiced Latte, Pumpkin Smoothie, Creamy Pumpkin Soup, or Pumpkin Porridge.
How to make pumpkin puree
You can save yourself some time by using canned pumpkin puree, however if you want to make your own then it isn't that difficult. You could bake it in the oven, or boil it in a pan, which is what we do as it's much quicker.
- Cut the pumpkin in half and remove all the seeds, pulp and skin. Don't throw the seeds away, as you can save them to roast for snacks.
- Cube the pumpkin flesh into large pieces.
- Put the pumpkin cubes in a large saucepan full of water. Bring the water to a boil and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.
- Drain and leave it to cool down completely before putting it in a blender and blending until smooth.
You can store your pumpkin puree in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
How to sweeten
We sweetened ours with maple syrup, however you could use honey or any other liquid sweetener. This recipe isn't overly sweet, as we didn't want to maple syrup to overpower the pumpkin, so if you like super sweet oats, then feel free to use more.
Do I need the spices?
You can leave them all out completely if you like, or just leave out one or two. We used the spice mix of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg as the lovely, warming flavour really compliments the pumpkin and gives that great autumnal flavour. You can of course use other spices such as cardamom, cloves or allspice.
Get creative and come up with your own spice blend.
Can you heat them?
This are the perfect autumn morning meal, however on those cold autumn mornings you will probably want something a big more warming. So, why not heat up these overnight oats!
You can just put them in the microwave for 2 minutes or warm them on the hob.
FAQs
We recommend using rolled oats (also called old-fashioned oats) rather than quick cook oats. This is because rolled oats are much thicker, compared to quick cook which are designed to cook quickly, and therefore get quite mushy when used for overnight oats. Steel cut oats are too thick and don't work in this either.
We keep ours in jars or Tupperware containers, however a glass or mug will word too. The great thing about overnight oats is that they keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. So, you can make a big batch of these for breakfasts for the week. Just make sure that you store them in an airtight container.
Extra tips
• Give these oats a protein boost by adding a couple of tablespoon of chia seeds when mixing everything together.
• Take these oats to another level by adding some dark chocolate chips just before serving.
• This isn't overly sweet, so if you like really sweet breakfasts, add some extra maple syrup.
• Make this vegan by using coconut yogurt and almond/oat/cashew milk.
More oat recipes
If you’ve tried this Pumpkin Overnight Oats, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Pumpkin Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 60 g (0.75 cups) Rolled oats
- 160 ml (0.66 cups) Whole milk
- 4 tablespoon Plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoon Maple syrup
- 4 tablespoon Pumpkin puree
- 0.5 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground ginger
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
- Divide between individual jars/bowls and put in the fridge overnight.
Recipe tips
- Give these oats a protein boost by adding a couple of tablespoon of chia seeds when mixing everything together.
- Take these oats to another level by adding some dark chocolate chips just before serving.
- This isn't overly sweet, so if you like really sweet breakfasts, add some extra maple syrup.
- Make this vegan by using coconut yogurt and almond/oat/cashew milk.
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Annie @ Annie's Noms
This is my dream breakfast!! I love overnight oats and anything pumpkin! Man, I am so excited for pumpkin season!! This is definitely happening soon :D
rika
I love the ingredients, great flavor combo! This overnight oat recipe would be perfect for fall.
Jaymee (@_TheMumDiaries)
oh em gee i think i have found my new autumn breakdfast! This sounds lush!
Helen
I'm obsessed with pumpkin spice everything at the moment so will definitely try these.
The organic free range milk sounds amazing, I love how well the cows are being treated.
Jacqui Paterson
Mmmmm, this looks amazing! I love pumpkin and think it works brilliantly with maple syrup and pecans - I might have to give this a try. x
Shoshana Sue
I need these overnight oats in my belly like right now. They look so divine. I am a sucker for oats and if I start my day with anything other thatn oats then I am constatntly hungry. So you see, I eat oats. Every. Single. Day. Finding new recipes like this is fantastic!
Natasha Mairs
I love overnight oats! Never tried pumpkin in it before, but looks very autumny
Melanie Edjourian
Oh wow that sounds naughty but delicious. It's the perfect season for these flavours. I bet it's great heated too.
Melanie
These looks totally fab and ideal for the Halloween season :)x
Kaylea
Hiya these look great! However I am lactose intolerant and can't have milk. Can I use almond milk instead? X
Charlie @ The Kitchen Shed
YUMMY!!! I am a pretty new convert to overnight oats. Im super fussy about them too. They have to be flavour packed otherwise I just can't eat them. This looks perfect though, and definitely one to add to the collection!
Ashleigh Dougherty
I'm not a great fan of pumpkin, but with halloween coming up, it's a great way to use them up!
Angela Ricardo Bethea
I'm always up for something spicy and with this being easy to make and the ingredients easy to find, I wouldn't mind giving this a try.
Jacqueline
Wow this is so easy! I love oats so you're preaching to the choir! I eat oats all year round and I must admit I like to try new ways to flavour oats. I don't tend to put sugar or honey in, but rather sweeten oats using fruits. I will give this a go this winter.
Alice
How you manage to make breakfasts like this withna baby too! You are my inspiration. I barely get to grab a slice of toast.
I have only ever had pumpkin in a stew, but this sounds really good and I like the pecans on top.
Sara
You had me at pumpkin. I have never had overnight oats before, but we eat a lot of porridge so I presume this would be easy to adapt.
Emily Leary
I'm absolutely loving overnight oats at the moment! The pumpkin with those spices sounds really lovely, will give it a go soon.
Ana De- Jesus
As soon as I saw pumpkin I got excited and the fact that it is spiced makes it a double win. This would be much better than the cereal that I normally have for breakfast x
Ali - We Made This Life
This has got an amazing colour to it! I'm seeing pumpkin spice everywhere at the moment, I really want to try it!
Joanna
Awww, the baby calf is so adorable! Unfortunately I can't drink milk, but I do know that Arla has a lactose free range as well. I have always wondered how to make your own "pumpkin spice" from scratch, as we can't find the powder here in the uk.