Celebrate fall with pumpkin chocolate chip baked oatmeal for breakfast! The winning combination of pumpkin and chocolate is baked into a nutritious, whole grain breakfast with make-ahead potential.

Baked oatmeal might be my favorite, make-ahead breakfast option. It’s so versatile: it can be enjoyed at home or on-the-go. It freezes well, it’s easy to portion out, and it has all of the nutritional benefits of regular oatmeal, including plenty of soluble fiber.

I can never resist the fall pumpkin craze. Between September and November, canned pumpkin ends up in nearly everything I bake, from bread and cornbread to muffins and waffles.

However, until this moment, I never tried baked oatmeal with pumpkin. I’ve stirred pumpkin into my oats before, which is satisfying and fun. But pumpkin baked oatmeal is even cozier, and chocolate chips just take it over the top. they transform this nutrient-dense breakfast option into something that’s also a delightful treat.

How to make baked oatmeal

Mixed vs. blended

There are actually a number of ways to prepare baked oatmeal.

The most basic method, which I’ve used many times, is to combine rolled oats, non-dairy milk (or another liquid), and seasonings in a baking dish. Transfer that dish to the oven, let it bake till firm, cut into portions, and enjoy.

Essentially, you’re mixing the same ingredients that you’d use to make stovetop oatmeal in a baking vessel and cooking it in the oven.

Another method is the viral, TikTok-famous blended baked oats. To make these, you blend up rolled oats, baking powder, liquid, sweetener, and seasonings, then bake them in a ramekin (or a larger baking dish, for multiple portions). These baked oats have a soft texture, someplace in between a traditional baked good and pudding.

For this batch, I aimed for a texture that was someplace in between method 1 and method 2. Baking whole rolled oats will give you a very textured baked oatmeal. Blended oats are very soft.

Here, I combine whole, rolled oats with a small amount of flour. The flour binds and tenderizes the baked oatmeal, while the rolled oats still give it plenty of texture and chew. It’s a really nice, best-of-both-worlds situation.

Preparation steps

Preparing this fall breakfast is really easy.

First, you’ll combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Combine wet ingredients in another bowl, mix wet and dry together, and transfer everything to a baking dish. Allow the baked oatmeal to heat up at 350F for about 35 minutes, until the top is firm. Cool the baked oatmeal for 15 minutes or so, then slice it into portions and serve. That’s it!

Key ingredients

Rolled oats

Quick oats will work in the recipe, but I think that old-fashioned, rolled oats give it the best texture.

Pumpkin

Be sure to pick out canned, unsweetened pumpkin purée, rather than pumpkin pie filling (which is pre-sweetened). It can be easy to confuse the two!

Non-dairy milk

Any type of non-dairy milk that you like ought to work well in the pumpkin chocolate chip baked oats. The only exception I’d offer is hemp milk, which has a somewhat aggressive flavor.

Chocolate chips

There are lots of good, vegan chocolate chips to choose from these days. I’ve long been a fan of the morsels from the Enjoy Life brand.

Brown sugar

I love the flavor of brown sugar in autumn baking (in fact, I have an entire baked oatmeal recipe that features it). But you can also use coconut sugar here, or you can substitute maple syrup.

Serving options

You can serve baked oatmeal just the way it is, without any additional toppings or accompaniments. I think that baked oatmeal is a really good make-ahead breakfast for mornings when I’m on the go. If I eat it this way, I typically treat it almost like a soft snack bar.

You can also serve your portion n a way that’s more reminiscent of traditional oatmeal. Place it in a small bowl or on a serving plate, and reheat it (I do this in the microwave for about a minute) with a splash of your favorite vegan milk. You can drizzle it with maple syrup for some extra sweetness.

The baked oatmeal is also good with nut or seed butter, pumpkin butter, or even a little drizzle of melted, vegan dark chocolate—yum!

Storing baked oatmeal

This is an excellent recipe to make ahead of time and enjoy for fast, tasty, nutrient-dense weekday breakfasts. You can store the baked oatmeal in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. It’s also a great breakfast for freezing and reheating! The oatmeal can be frozen for up to six weeks.

More to explore

If you love this sweet, cozy breakfast, then you may also like to check out one of the following recipes:

• Maple brown sugar baked oatmeal
• Skillet baked oatmeal with summer stone fruit
• Apple berry baked oatmeal cups
• Baked stuffed apples
• Blueberry, banana, and walnut oat bake
• Vegan blueberry oat bars

It’s a whole lot of fun to embrace fall baking with quick breads and scones and cakes aplenty. Yet sometimes I crave something that’s a little more filling and wholesome, yet still cozy and fun to eat. This breakfast is perfect for those moments—and I hope that you’ll find it craveable, too!

xo