Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

When life gives you pumpkins, make my Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats. Falling leaves, autumn breeze and pumpkin spice and everything nice! There’s a new pumpkin in town and that's my Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats recipe! Pumpkin pie and oats collide to create this quick and easy, make-ahead breakfast or snack! It’s the dish that eats like a meal but tastes as good as an indulgent dessert!

If you love pumpkin pie, then you’re bound to fall in love with this recipe! Traditional pumpkin pie consists of two key elements: a creamy and flavourful, custard-like pumpkin filling and a buttery crust. Now, imagine taking all those ingredients and creating a guilt-free, no bake breakfast that tastes exactly like your favourite Fall pie!

Let’s make the pumpkin pie filling using oats, pumpkin puree, 2 varieties of milk, honey (or maple syrup), vanilla and warming spices. This recipe calls for rolled or old-fashioned oats rather than quick oats. Rolled oats are more robust in nature, and when soaked, turn creamy while maintaining a slightly chewy texture. Conversely, quick oats are thinner in texture and can become soggy when soaked overnight.

Unsweetened pumpkin puree, lite coconut milk, 2% milk and rolled oats combine to create a creamy, savoury, sweet and rich base with a mild coconut flavour. Honey (or maple syrup), vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg are added to the mix, imparting earthy, fruity, sweet, spicy and warm notes. The pumpkin oat mixture is transferred to the refrigerator to soak overnight. As the oats soak, they soften and absorb the glorious pumpkin pie flavour.

All that's left to do the next morning is add a few spoonfuls of pumpkin overnight oats to a glass or bowl. Top it with a dollop of Greek yoghurt, a drizzle of honey (or maple syrup) and a dash of cinnamon. Now, for the finishing touch – the pumpkin pie crust! Crush some graham crackers and sprinkle them over top! These crackers add incremental depth of flavour and a little crunch, channelling pumpkin pie vibes!

Rise and shine! My Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats recipe makes for the perfect busy morning breakfast and an ideal meal for when you don’t feel like cooking! Simply prepare these overnight oats in the evening and get ready to indulge in the morning. It's that simple! Although, this dish is best served for breakfast, it works equally well as a mid-afternoon snack or a guilt-free dessert! So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me! 

For more fun and exciting breakfast ideas, try my Apple Dutch Baby, Pizza Egg Bites, Chia Seed Pudding and Breakfast Sandwich recipes!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 8 hours and 5 minutes (includes 8 hours of inactive refrigeration time)

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled or old-fashioned oats

• ¾ cup canned lite coconut milk, shaken (See Notes below)

• ½ cup 2% milk or unsweetened almond milk

• ½ cup pumpkin puree (See Notes below)

• 2 Tbsp honey or maple syrup, divided

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon, plus an extra pinch as garnish

• ¼ tsp ground ginger

• Pinch of ground nutmeg

• Pinch of sea salt

• 2/3 cup Greek yoghurt

• 2 Tbsp gluten-free or regular crushed graham crackers (approx. 2 crackers) (See Notes below)

Equipment You’ll Need:

• Medium-sized food storage container, equipped with an airtight lid

• Rolling pin, meat tenderizer or small pan

• 2 small glasses, mason jars or dessert bowls

Instructions:

1. To a medium-sized food storage container, add the oats, coconut and 2% milk, pumpkin puree, 1 Tbsp honey (or maple syrup), vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and whisk until fully incorporated.

2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight, to allow the mixture to thicken and for the flavours to meld.

3. Grab 2 small glasses, mason jars or dessert bowls. Spoon ½ cup of the Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats mixture into each, distributing the mixture evenly throughout.

4. Top each with 1/3 cup Greek yoghurt, ½ Tbsp honey (or maple syrup) and a pinch of cinnamon.

5. Garnish with 1 Tbsp crushed graham crackers and serve and enjoy!

Notes:

1. Got Milk?!: I love using a combination of canned lite coconut milk and 2% milk in this recipe. The lite coconut milk imparts a creamy and rich flavour, while the 2% milk lightens and loosens up the mixture, giving the overnight oats their mousse-like consistency and texture. Avoid using canned full-fat coconut milk here! Its higher fat content impedes the breakdown of the oats.

2. Not all Pumpkin Purees are alike: At the grocery store, you will see Pumpkin Puree and Pumpkin Pie Filling on the shelves. The latter is full of spices and sugar and using it in this recipe would result in overly spiced and sweet overnight oats. So, stick with 100% pure Pumpkin Puree and you won’t be disappointed. Some brands are waterier than others, so for this recipe, I like using E.D Smiths 100% Pumpkin Puree. 

3. It’s so Crushing …. Graham Crackers, that is!: This recipe calls for crushed graham crackers. Now, you can buy crushed graham crackers at your local grocer or crush them at home. Simply add 2 graham crackers to a medium-sized Ziploc bag. Seal it, removing any excess air, and crush them using a rolling pin, the flat side of a meat tenderizer or the bottom of a small pan. For this recipe, you’re looking for pea-sized crumbs of graham crackers.