This Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal is an easy meal prep breakfast, perfect for the cool Fall weather! Full of warm spices and soft, cake-like oats!

My top favorite healthy breakfast has got to be an oatmeal bake. They’re full of healthy ingredients, easy to put together, and make enough to last the entire week.

And now that it’s pumpkin season, I can enjoy all of my favorite pumpkin treats again! The pumpkin flavor really shines through here in this Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal recipe; and I could probably eat this for breakfast OR dessert.

Keep reading to get to the recipe card to this perfect Fall breakfast, and find more ideas!

What’s the difference between Baked Oatmeal and Overnight Oats?

Now, I love both! But the two of them are made in different ways.

Overnight oats are usually made in single serving containers, like mason jars. You mix the oats and other ingredients together and set it in the fridge overnight. The oats absorb the liquid, and then you can eat it like basically cold oatmeal.

Baked oatmeal has more of a cake-like texture. It starts off as a liquid-y mess. But as it bakes, the baking powder helps it rise. And it honestly does feel like a cake when you eat it!

My favorite version is baked oats, though. I’ll go for that every single time.

Can you use steel cut oats in this?

Short answer: No, not with this particular recipe.

In general, there are 3 main kinds of oats:

• Rolled oats (Or old-fashioned oats)
• Quick oats (Or quick-cooking oats)
• Steel cut oats

Steel-cut oats are the least processed, and therefore are a lot firmer. And they need a lot of extra liquid and time to bake.

I always use rolled oats in my baked oatmeal recipes because it has the fluffiest texture. Quick oats tend to get mushy and I don’t like the consistency.

Can you turn these into oatmeal cups intead?

If you prefer little cups instead of slices of baked oatmeal, you can totally bake this in a muffin tin instead, like with my Blueberry Oatmeal Cups! The baking time is shorter so you don’t have to spend as much time in the kitchen.

Instead of using a baking dish, pour the mixture into a 12-count muffin tin and bake for 15-18 minutes instead. They become cute little cups that are a little more portable!

Ingredients/Substitutions

• Rolled oats: I wouldn’t recommend quick oats or steel-cut oats, because they wouldn’t cook as well.
• Milk: Feel free to use almond milk, whole milk, skim milk, or another favorite kind of dairy-free milk.
• Canned pumpkin puree– NOT pumpkin pie filling!
• Ground flax seed: This is optional, but adds a good amount of fiber and healthy fats.
• Brown sugar: Feel free to use honey or maple syrup instead.
• Salt
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Cinnamon
• Baking powder
• Olive oil
• Vanilla extract
• Other additions: Chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or chopped pecans would be great in this too!

A Great Meal Prep Recipe

Every week when I meal plan, I set aside some time on Sunday afternoons to prep a few things for the week. It’s usually just breakfast, but sometimes I’ll get adventurous and chop some vegetables too.

Meal prep has saved my sanity on busy mornings, and it’s become part of my weekly routine now. Make sure you check out my guide on how to start meal prepping on a regular basis!

How to Make

In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients and combine.

In the same bowl, add the wet ingredients and combine.

The oatmeal batter will be very liquidous, and that’s okay! The oats absorb the milk as it bakes.

Pour into an 8×8 casserole dish that’s greased with cooking spray, and bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the top is a golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cut into 6 slices and enjoy! Serve with pure maple syrup on top, a spoonful of peanut butter, a splash of milk, or with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

How to Store

Once this has come to room temperature, place individual portions in an airtight container and keep in the fridge. It will stay fresh 5-7 days.

How to Freeze

You can definitely freeze this for a future easy breakfast! Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the baked oatmeal pieces on top, in a single layer. Place in the freezer; then transfer to a labeled gallon-size freezer bag once completely frozen.

These will stay fresh in the freezer up to 3 months. They’re still safe to eat after that, but they risk getting freezer burn!

What to Serve With This

I’d recommend having some sort of protein with this. Sausage, bacon, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs… whichever is your favorite. But the combination of the protein, plus the fiber/carbs from the baked oatmeal, will keep you full much longer!

Check out this post on other breakfast side items!

Other Recipes

Looking for some more baked oatmeal recipes? Or even some pumpkin recipes? Be sure to check out these other favorites!

Peach Baked Oatmeal

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

Healthy Pumpkin Oat Muffins

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

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