Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

I started making these pumpkin pie overnight oats one fall when I was craving something pumpkin-y, but also wasn’t in the mood to bake or make ice cream.  They soon became my favorite go to breakfast all year long. (I'll let you in on a secret, these same ingredients are a great base for another obsession of mine, the pumpkin smoothie).

Feeding five people breakfast every morning can be daunting, but overnight oats have saved me time and time again. We like to change up the flavors based on what's in season, so you'll not only find pumpkin pie for breakfast in our fridge, but also blueberry overnight oats in the summer, apple cinnamon oatmeal in the fall and cinnamon roll flavor in the winter.

As I busy mom, I love that I can make these over the weekend because they last the whole week in the fridge. They can be customized to any and all picky eaters in our house (we all have one of those, right?) And, best of all I feel good serving these to my kiddos knowing it a filling way to start their day!

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Ingredients

• Frozen Pumpkin Pie Cube: I make my frozen cubes from either canned pumpkin that I spice up (with brown sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice) or from canned Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Mix that I just freeze to have ready when needed. If you don't have a frozen cube available simply substitute a heaping Tablespoon of the pumpkin pie mix straight from the can.
• Oats: Use old fashioned rolled oats, not steel cut or instant oats in this recipe. I like to use Quaker Oats, but any brand will work.
• Yogurt: Greek yogurt is my go to, but regular yogurt works as well. Plain yogurt or vanilla yogurt work best in this recipe.
• Milk: Any milk you would like works. To make vegan overnight oats simply used a plant based milk and yogurt.

Old Fashioned Rolled Oats vs. Instant Oats

You are standing at the grocery store and are suddenly presented with an overwhelming number of oatmeal varieties. So what do you do?

If you are looking for the right oats for making any type of overnight oat recipe, I would stick with the old fashioned (or rolled) oats. They are chopped an flattened and will absorb the liquid overnight but not become a bowl of mush.

Instant oats are chopped up super fine and cook really quickly, while steel cut oats are the exact opposite. They are a chopped grain and take the longest to cook (aka absorb liquid).

Step by Step Instructions

Once you have these items gathered, the rest is all about measuring and dumping ingredients into the jars. Think assembly line and you'll be good to go.

I first lay out my jars and find the lids and bands to go with them.  It’s the worst when you’ve made all of your jars, but can’t find the last lid. 

Then I measure out the oats into each jar.

Using a measuring cup, I then pour the milk into each jar. This 4 cup liquid measuring cup helps speed up the process and keeps me on track with how much milk I’m pouring into each jar.

After the milk is in, I add in the yogurt and the pumpkin pie mix or pumpkin puree and toppings like a dash of cinnamon and some chopped walnuts or pecans.

From there, all you need to do is put a lid on it.  When you are ready to eat, open the jar, stir everything together and voila, breakfast is served!

Storage Tips and Helpful Tools

I don't always insist on having specific tools for my recipes, but when making overnight oats, these three items come in really handy!

• Mason Jars: I like to use these 8oz wide mouth mason jars for my oats. I think they hold the right amount for a good breakfast.  The wide mouth jar allows easy access so that you can get to every last bite.
• Bulk Oats: Buy old fashioned oats in larger quantities to save money. Try either the bulk bins at Whole Foods or another bulk food store, or get them from Costco. I use them not only for breakfast but also in muffins like these apple carrot muffins and my spinach blender muffins base recipe.
• Dry goods scoop: I like this one because it connects to a container that is perfect for storing your oats in.

When you are ready to eat the pumpkin overnight oats, take off the lid, mix up the ingredients, add your toppings (if you want to add any...it's completely optional) and dig in!

Topping Ideas for Pumpkin Overnight Oats

I know my kids are more likely to dig into the good stuff when they can add sprinkles...think of these toppings like sprinkles for your oatmeal and let them go crazy adding what they like!

• Pepitas
• Coconut flakes
• Mini chocolate chips
• Whipped cream
• Granola
• Candied pecans

Flavor Variations

Since I love making baby food purees, I always have a ton of different frozen pureed fruits and veggies in my freezer. And since overnight oats are soooo easy to customize, here are some fun combinations to try with the pumpkin puree:

• Apple Pumpkin Overnight Oats: Add a dollop of applesauce to the container with your pumpkin puree.
• Banana Pumpkin Overnight Oats: Add a cube of frozen banana puree and reduce the amount of milk to ⅓ cup. Banana in overnight oats adds another serving of fruit with such little effort!
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Overnight Oats: Add a tablespoon of cream cheese to your mason jar in place of the yogurt,
• Pumpkin Latte Overnight Oats: Substitute ½ the milk for brewed coffee and sprinkle with pumpkin spice on top. Get a little extra boost of caffeine to start your day!

While I love these for breakfast, they also make a great afternoon snack, after school or just for a little pick me up. Just pop and ice pack in with them if you are going to eat them on the go.

📖 Recipe