There is nothing more comforting and nourishing than baked oatmeal on a cold Autumn morning. My family and I love steel cut oats. Unlike rolled oats, they do need a longer cooking time which is why my preferred way of cooking them is to bake them. On my site, you’ll find other flavored oatmeal recipes like Baked Apple Pie, or Baked Nectarine Cranberry. It’s so easy to soak the grains overnight, mix them up an hour before the babies wake and throw them in the oven. Easy peasy! (Sorry, had to throw that in, lol! I’ve been seeing that phrase used all over the blogosphere and think it’s super fun!)
What I really enjoy about oatmeal in the morning are all of the health benefits you gain especially during the cold and flu season. Study after study has proven that oatmeal lowers cholesterol levels, reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes and the fiber in the whole grains protects us from breast cancer. What I found increasingly interesting is that oatmeal can enhance your immune response to infection and can protect against childhood asthma. Now that’s a powerful way to start your morning right! (For a complete list of health benefits and studies, please visit Worlds Healthiest Foods: Oats)
I’ve had so much fun experimenting with different flavours and my favorite thing about baked oatmeal is my kids LOVE it! They literally gobble it down!
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal is one of my favorites of this season so far 😉 A combination of pureed/diced roasted pumpkin, real maple syrup, pumpkin pie spices, and roasted walnuts. The flavors really compliment each other. The roasted walnuts create a deep flavor that is finished with the sweet overtones of diced roasted pumpkin. Not too sweet, just right! Any type of pumpkin can be used. Of course there’s always a can of Libby’s pumpkin, but for me and my family we like the taste of fresh pumpkin. Libby’s has such a powerful taste of what pumpkin should taste like. I find, using real pumpkin, roasted and pureed, gives a sweeter, fresher taste. My kids honestly assumed the diced pumpkin in their oatmeal was fruit. I know what you’re thinking, but who has the time to roast a pumpkin. Here’s a plan!
In the evening, right after supper, grab a pumpkin. Cut it into quarters, set your oven to 425 degrees, toss the pumpkin directly on the oven tray’s, flesh side up and let that roast for 20 – 30 minutes or until tender. Once it’s done, let it cool, scoop the flesh out, puree in a food processor or blender (adding a bit of warm filtered water) or dice, and freeze in baggies. I freeze mine in 1 cup increments! Ta dah!! Fresh pureed pumpkin ready to be used in all sorts of different recipes! Easy Peasy!!
So now that you know how easy using fresh pumpkin can be, let’s get on to the recipe!
Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Topped with Roasted Walnuts and Drizzled with Real Maple Syrup
- 1 1/2 cups steel cut oats
- 3/4 cup pureed roasted pumpkin
- 3/4 cup diced roasted pumpkin
- 1/4 cup full fat milk
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1 farm fresh egg
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (you can substitute for 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves)
- 1/4 cup walnuts
Method:
- Soak the oatmeal overnight in filtered water. To help aid in digestibility, add 2 tbls of an acid medium such as whey, yogurt, or kefir.
- The next morning, drain the oats.
- In an oven proof dish, mix in all ingredients except the walnuts.
- Bake in an 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
- 20 minutes before the oatmeal is done, put the walnuts on a cookie sheet and roast alongside the oatmeal.
- Serve your oatmeal with cold milk, drizzled with real maple syrup and topped with the roasted walnuts.
This post is part of Real Food Wednesday’s Hosted by Cheeseslave and Kelly the Kitchen Kop.
Sounds so nutritious for breakfast 😀
i think i will try this tomorrow!!! do you ever soak the oats with ACV in the water, too? i do that sometimes with just plain oatmeal, and i assume it would work the same way with this.
I LOVE oatmeal but I never thought about baking it before- this looks great!
It's really a perfect way to start the day !
Thanks for sharing such a divine recipe, Diana ! I loved it 🙂
Have a beautiful week 🙂
xoxo
Thanks for the comments everyone!
Lisa – You most definitely can soak with ACV, whey or a little lemon juice. I honestly haven't researched much on levels of phytic acid in oatmeal. I probably should start doing that though, thanks for bringing that up!
Sounds delicious!
And I love the pics of your little oatmeal eating man! 🙂
Delicious recipe! Yummy pumpkin is calling me!
That is an awesome breakfast. Never had roasted pumpkin early in the morning with oats. I always love mashed roasted pumpkin with yogurt drizzled with honey and I'm sure I'm going to love this.
Looking forward to trying this!
I always soak my oatmeal with whey or buttermilk (from Nourishing Traditions) – the only way I've been able to digest/assimilate oatmeal.
This will be great for a next step.
Love your blog by the way – just discovered it yesterday.
Angela
You really know how to make a mean oatmeal, Diana. Gorgeous colors. I love the sweet little boy pics. He is too precious!!
Thanks for the comments!
Angela, thanks for visiting! I will definitely add to include whey or another acid medium to the soak. My family has been so blessed to not have many digestibility issues that I tend to overlook this in the oatmeal. A step, I should definitely include! Thanks for stopping by and the comments! It's always welcome 🙂
A perfect November breakfast! So yummy drizzled with maple syrup!
This looks so good. Oatmeal is one of my top comfort foods, especially when you sprinkle in dried fruits and nuts, and spices. I sometimes soak the oatmeal in milk overnight in the refrigerator, and I warm it up in the microwave in the morning.
interesting post and i am fascinated by some of the comments. I had never thought to soak oats in whey.
I just made this and didn't read the directions of "combine oats through salt" so I skipped all the spices…opps. BUT I did buy pumpkin pie ready puree that had a lot of the spices already in it. To say the least, it turned out SO good! Can't wait to make on a cool fall morning with a hot cup of coffee!
Regards,
Diana, I would love to make this for my family. Do you use sugar pumpkin for this?
This sounds delicious! And I love that it's so "easy peasy" 😀
YUMMY!!!! LOVE the pictures of the little guy too!
My girls would love this. They love pumpkin and oatmeal. I may have to wait for a real oven. The brick oven tend to overcook everything besides bread and pizza.
I love the idea of baking my oatmeal! I suspect no matter what you put in it it would be a fantastic breakfast. Thanks for this idea!
This sounds so lovely. I can imagine it'd be equally as tasty with sweet potatoes!
great idea! I love the baked oatmeal with yummy pumpkin, I would definitely eat this for breakfast
What a delicious and healthy breakfast,Diana! Nice pictures 🙂
Healthy and delicious. If children love it, you know it's great.
I definitely want to try this. I do pumpkin overload at this time of year. I had no idea you could bake it in the oven!
The oatmeal looks incredible. I am a huge fan of Oats and will have to try this very soon.
Hmm that looks really delicious! And even more temtping by seeing your gorgeous little boy eating it! Im sure mine would love it too! It would be easy peasy to get him to eat it! 🙂