Pumpkin Baked Oats

Mighty Tip

Beta carotene gives fruits and vegetables their red-orange color. The body converts beta carotene to vitamin A.

We all love a meal prep recipe right?! And what better meal to have food already prepared for than breakfast? Mornings can be so busy, especially during the week, so having this baked oatmeal on hand ensures you are getting a quality breakfast before starting your day! Just follow the recipe, refrigerate the leftovers, & each morning grab a slice or two to heat in the microwave or enjoy cold with milk!

So what’s in these baked oats?

Oats - Oats are a whole grain source of carbohydrates. They help keep you feeling full, provide fiber to keep you regular, and can help lower LDL cholesterol. They’re heart healthy and great for young and old alike!

Pumpkin - Per usual, included a fruit or vegetable in the recipe! I like to encourage you to think about ADDING to your diet when you want to eat more healthfully, such as ADDING in more servings of fruits and vegetables in a day than what you’re currently doing. You may already be eating a ton of fruits and vegetables and that is great! But, the majority of people are not eating the daily recommended amount, hence ADDITION! Anyways, pumpkin: Back at it again with beta carotene (which is converted to vitamin A!), plus a good amount of vitamin C! Pumpkin also has both fiber and potassium!

Pecans - Where to begin! Healthy unsaturated fats, thiamin, zinc, copper, manganese, fiber! As well as flavonoids, which are being studied for their effects on reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, LDL oxidation, cancer prevention, and more. A lot of the current studies about flavonoids are in a controlled environment such as test tubes in a laboratory (in vitro studies), and more research is needed in a whole living organism like animals and humans (in vivo studies), but still pretty cool science going on!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 cup oats

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 2 tsp pumpkin spice

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree

  • 4 oz apple sauce

  • 1 egg

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 cup milk (I used fat-free milk, you can use your preferred milk)

  • 1/3 cup pecans

  • Pumpkin butter for topping, optional

HOW TO MAKE:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with butter or preferred baking spray.

  2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, baking powder, and pumpkin spice. Set aside.

  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, apple sauce, egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and milk.

  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. A spatula may be useful in getting all of the wet ingredients out of the bowl. Stir until well combined.

  5. Stir in the pecans.

  6. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

  7. Once done baking, optional to top with pumpkin butter for the ultimate fall feels!

  8. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts for the pumpkin baked oats recipe.

Nutrition facts are per serving. The recipe makes 9 servings. Nutrition facts do not include the optional pumpkin butter topping.

Breakfast, Desserts, Snacks, Vegan & VegetarianThe Mighty ChickpeaComment