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Pumpkin Overnight Oats

Name: Pumpkin Overnight Oats
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats; 1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt; 1/4 cup milk regular or nondairy; ¼ cup pumpkin puree; 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice; 1 teaspoon maple syrup

Published by:

Liz Marino

| 04/30/2020 | Last Updated: 09/12/2024

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Pumpkin Overnight Oats are a delicious, healthy breakfast that take only 5 minutes to make! They’re made with Greek yogurt for extra protein

Easy Pumpkin Overnight Oats Recipe in two small clear mason jars topped with cream, pumpkin spice, and a star anise.

This post was originally shared in 2018 but has since been updated.

These Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats are the perfect fall breakfast; made with only 8 simple ingredients and requiring only 5 minutes of prep time!

These oats are packed with warm fall flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg while being loaded with protein and whole grains.

If you’ve never tried them, overnight oats are just old fashioned oats that you soak overnight with milk/toppings in the refrigerator for a nutritious breakfast option! They are so easy to customize, like with our Apple Pie Overnight Oats, Chocolate Overnight Oats, and Banana Overnight Oats.

We love easy breakfasts – anything with minimal prep and ingredients (like Sheet Pan Breakfast or this Potato Crust Quiche). If you are busy/on the go, overnight oats are perfect for you! They’re meal prep friendly and easy to eat on the go.

Liz’s Tip for the best Overnight Oats:

Add a little vanilla extract to your overnight oats to improve the flavor!
You can add a little extra liquid when you’re ready to eat if you prefer a softer texture!

Ingredients

These overnight oat mugs are our favorite containers for overnight oats! These pretty mugs are really easy to eat out of because of the handle and I love the lids!

Substitutions

Oats: Old fashioned oats are best for overnight oats. Steel cut oats don’t soak up enough liquid and will still be hard if you try to make them with this method. Quick cook oats would likely get too mushy! If you’re gluten-free make sure to use gluten free certified oats. You may also like our Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal.

Nonfat Greek Yogurt: You can substitute nonfat Greek yogurt for whole milk Greek yogurt or regular plain yogurt. We prefer to use plain greek yogurt, but vanilla greek yogurt would also be good! I haven’t tried dairy free yogurt but I think it would work!

Milk: Any milk will work in this recipe. I prefer to use whole milk in this recipe but you can use almond milk or any nondairy milk that you like!

Maple Syrup: If you’d like to substitute honey for maple syrup or agave you can.

Pumpkin: If you don’t have pumpkin puree, you can use mashed bananas in place of it. Make sure you’re buying pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They’re very different 🙂 If you have leftover pumpkin, make our Healthy Pumpkin Muffins!

Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can substitute pumpkin pie spice for 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a sprinkle of ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

Other add-ins: Mini chocolate chips, dried cranberries, pecans, walnuts, or seeds would all be delicious in these pumpkin overnight oats. I like to add chia seeds for extra healthy fats.

Make them vegan: I haven’t tried making these oats vegan, but I think you could use plant-based milk and dairy free yogurt.

Add Protein Powder: You can add 2 tablespoons of your favorite vanilla protein powder for a boost of protein! We recommend adding right before you’re ready to eat with an extra 1/4 cup of milk. If you mix in the protein powder ahead of time it might thicken the oats too much and give them an odd texture.

How to make pumpkin overnight oats:

Milk being poured into a glass mason jar with ingredients for pumpkin overnight oats layered in the jar.

In a mason jar add all ingredients and stir well until combined.

A glass mason jar with pumpkin overnight oats that have been mixed together, but not fully absorbed.

Store in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours.

Once your overnight oats have sat in the refrigerator for at least 6-8 hours, they’re ready to be eaten! I like to heat them up and enjoy them in a bowl or straight out of the jar!

P.S. If you love pumpkin as much as I do, you have to check out healthy pumpkin bread or these 30+ Healthy Pumpkin Recipes

An overhead shot of two bowls of pumpkin overnight oats topped with a dollop of whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice and spices on the side.

What kind of oats should I use?

For the recipe, you’ll need to use old fashioned rolled oats. These are the only oats that will work for making overnight oats!

You can’t use quick oats or steel cut oats to make overnight oats. With quick cook oats, they can get too mushy when soaking overnight. With steel cut oats, they can’t soak up the moisture overnight. They need to be cooked with heat to make them edible. You’ll wind up with a big mess unless you use old fashioned overnight oats.

Two bowls of pumpkin overnight oats topped with pumpkin pie spice and spices on the side.

How do you eat overnight oats?

You can eat overnight oats cold or warm! It’s up to you and your taste.

I prefer to pop my overnight oats in the microwave for 20-30 seconds before eating, but if you enjoy them cold, you can eat them cold!

Storage:

Storage: We recommend prepping/storing these overnight oats for no more than 5 days in the fridge.

As the days go on, the oats will get softer. For best results, prep 24 hours in advance!

Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing overnight oats. They’ll get soggy and won’t have a good texture when you thaw them!

Pumpkin Overnight Oats in two small clear mason jars topped with whipped cream, pumpkin spice, and a star anise.

Other healthy breakfast recipes:

Love oats? Check out these 30+ Healthy Oatmeal Recipes!