Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal is made with old-fashioned oats, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice, then topped with a crunchy pecan streusel. It's a cozy, make-ahead fall breakfast that slices into squares!

Jump to:

• 🧡 Why this recipe works
• 🗒 Ingredients
• 🎃 Recipe tips
• ⏲️ How to store
• 🎉 Variations on recipe
• 🥞 More fall breakfast recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Who doesn't love a make-ahead breakfast to make your weekday mornings easier? Or to feed a crowd on a weekend? Even better is an easy, hearty and nutritious breakfast that involves pumpkin and tastes like pumpkin pie!

This baked pumpkin oatmeal comes together so quickly, slices easily, and can be kept in the fridge to enjoy all week long. It's packed with oats, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spices and is topped with a delicious pecan streusel.

Just imagine a cool fall morning and a cozy pumpkin breakfast that will keep you satisfied.

If you're more of a stovetop oatmeal person, my brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal is right this way. But for a cozy breakfast that feels like a treat, this one is it.

🧡 Why this recipe works

It has real pumpkin flavor: a full ¾ cup of pumpkin puree plus 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice means you actually taste pumpkin in every bite, which is exactly how it should be!

The pecan streusel topping: I love a chewy-meets-crunchy breakfast and the buttery brown sugar pecan crumble gives this tender oatmeal something to contrast with. It's also what takes it from "healthy-ish oatmeal" to dreamy fall breakfast.

It just uses two bowls and one pan: no stovetop, no stirring, and no babysitting is required. Just stir together the oatmeal mixture, pour it, top it, and let the oven do the rest.

It's perfect for morning meal prep: you can make it on Sunday and you've got a delicious breakfast ready to reheat for the next few mornings.

🗒 Ingredients

Here's everything you need for this baked pumpkin oatmeal (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):

• Old-fashioned oats: be sure not to use quick cook oats as they'll get mushy
• Baking powder
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Salt
• Pumpkin puree: be sure not to use pumpkin pie filling
• Whole milk: can be substituted for 2% milk
• Large egg
• Maple syrup or packed light brown sugar: both work well
• Unsalted butter: melted
• Vanilla extract

And for the pecan streusel topping:

• Pecans: chopped
• Light brown sugar: can substitute with dark if preferred
• Unsalted butter: melted

🎃 Recipe tips

• Mix together the streusel first. It only takes a minute, and having it ready means you can top the oatmeal the second it's in the pan.

• Whisk the wet ingredients together really well. You want the pumpkin, egg, and melted butter fully blended so there are no streaks of pumpkin in the finished bake.

• Let the melted butter cool slightly before adding it to the wet ingredients. If it's super hot when it is added to the egg, you risk scrambling it.

• Be sure to use old-fashion oats over quick cook oats. Quick oats are cut smaller and absorb liquid faster, so they can end up gummy instead of tender with a little chew.

• I recommend baking this in an 8x8 baking dish. If you only have a 9x9 dish, it will just bake up a bit thinner and will take a bit less time to bake. I recommend checking for doneness around 28-30 minutes

• Spread the streusel evenly over the top of the mixture in pan. Try to get crumbles all the way to the edges so every square gets some crunch.

• Remove it from the oven when the oatmeal is just set and turning golden around the edges. The center should no longer look wet, but it'll firm up a little more as it cools. Over-baking will dry it out.

• Let it cool for a few minutes before slicing it. It'll hold its shape much better and the squares come out cleaner.

• I like to slice it into 9 squares, but you can make the servings as big or small as you want.

The top should be nice and golden and crunchy with toasty pecans and the inside soft and tender with plenty of pumpkin spice. It's almost as good as enjoying a slice of pumpkin pie in the morning (but it should keep you full longer!).

Add a drizzle of maple syrup on top and you've got my new favorite fall breakfast!

⏲️ How to store

Let the baked oatmeal cool completely then cover the pan tightly or slice and store the squares in an airtight container.

You can store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheat individual squares in the microwave for about 30 seconds, until warm.

🎉 Variations on recipe

I love the simplicity of this baked pumpkin oatmeal, but there's also so much you can do to it to jazz it up, add more fall flavor, or simply make it your own!

Here are some ideas:

• Swap the pecans for walnuts in the streusel.
• Add ½ cup chocolate chips or white chocolate chips to the oatmeal mixture for a more dessert-like bake.
• Stir in dried cranberries or raisins.
• Fold in a diced apple for a pumpkin apple version.
• Swap the pumpkin pie spice for cinnamon if prefer.
• Try using oat milk or almond milk in place of regular milk.
• Add a handful of pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to the streusel for extra crunch.
• Top the oat mixture with a swirl of cream cheese before adding the streusel.
• Drizzle with a simple vanilla glaze before serving.
• Add a scoop of vanilla or pumpkin spice protein powder and a splash more milk for a protein boost.
• Skip the streusel and top with sliced bananas or berries instead.

🥞 More fall breakfast recipes

I'm always a fan of breakfast, but there's something extra special about that morning meal in the fall... Especially if it involves pumpkin, apples, and all the warming spices!

Here are some of my favorite recipes:

And don't sleep on my Halloween Cinnamon Rolls for a special October treat!

I'm so happy to have this Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal in my fall breakfast rotation. It's cozy, it's easy, and the pecan streusel makes it feel like a treat even on a regular Tuesday.

Pair it with a homemade Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and you've got a full-on pumpkin spice morning at home. Suddenly, I'm not so sad to say goodbye to summer...

📖 Recipe