The pumpkin spice breakfast of your dreams! These creamy yogurt-free pumpkin spice overnight oats studded with graham cookie crumbles are incredibly easy to make and so delicious!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s seasonal: Nothing says fall like pumpkin spice!
- It’s super easy: Overnight oats are a game-changer for busy mornings. Get in the habit of blocking out 5 minutes of prep time the night before (I make mine as soon as my son goes to bed!) and you’ll have a delicious breakfast waiting for you in the morning. No more skipping breakfast or wasting time in the morning trying to figure out what to eat!
- It’s so yummy: It’s pumpkin spice, guys. What’s not to love? If you want to keep things on the healthy side or are in a time crunch, enjoy the pumpkin spice overnight oats on their own, without the cookie crumble. You’ll have all the flavor of pumpkin pie without a lot of added sugar. If you have a little more prep time or want an even more dessert-like experience, take things up a notch by making the graham cookie crumble. You’ll end up with tasty little cookie bites (reminiscent of pie crust) scattered throughout the overnight oats. So good, it’s hard to believe that this dish actually has a bunch of health benefits!
Ingredients
For the pumpkin spice overnight oats (without yogurt), you’ll need:
- Old-fashioned (rolled) oats: Oats are heart-healthy and high in fiber. Do not substitute steel-cut oats in this recipe; they require more liquid and will not soften overnight.
- Unsweetened almond milk: Other nondairy milk also works.
- Unsweetened pumpkin puree: I used canned pumpkin puree for convenience. Pumpkin is considered to be a superfood. It is loaded with vitamins and minerals that can help maintain low blood pressure, protect your vision, and boost your immune system.
- Maple syrup: Adds sweetness. Maple syrup has more antioxidants and a lower glycemic index than regular sugar.
- Ground flaxseed: Flaxseeds have a neutral taste that is undetectable in this recipe. They add thickness to the overnight oats, along with omega-3s that may help support heart health.
- Chia seeds: Chia seeds are the magic ingredient that help give overnight oats that creamy, pudding-like mouthfeel. Plus, they add protein, antioxidants, and fiber.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Store-bought pumpkin pie spice is a blend of warming spices (typically, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and/or cloves). It gives dishes an instant pumpkin-pie flavor profile.
- Ground cinnamon: Yes, cinnamon is already in pumpkin pie spice, but I like to include a little more to round out the flavor. Besides, cinnamon is high in antioxidants, so what’s not to love?
- Vanilla extract: For a touch of sweetness.
- Pecans (optional): For crunch and visual appeal. Pecans contain a variety of vitamins and minerals and are high in antioxidants.
- Shredded coconut (optional): For texture and visual appeal.
To make the optional (but extra-yummy!) graham cookie crumble, you’ll need:
- Oat flour: You can make your own by pulsing old-fashioned oats in a food processor until powdery, or you can buy oat flour in the store. I prefer store-bought oat flour in this recipe because it has a finer, more powdery consistency than I’m able to achieve at home.
- Coconut sugar: An alternative to white sugar, coconut sugar has subtle caramel notes and a slightly lower glycemic index.
- Maple syrup: For sweetness.
- Unsweetened almond milk: Other nondairy milk works fine.
- Ground flaxseed: Flaxseeds help add a cookie-like texture to the crumble.
- Molasses: Either light or dark (“robust”) molasses works well. I prefer dark because it gives the cookie crumble a gingerbread-y taste. Do not use blackstrap molasses, as it has a strong, bitter flavor that can overpower the other ingredients.
- Vanilla extract: For sweetness.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds warmth.
- Ground nutmeg: Adds warmth.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1 (optional): Make the graham cookie crumble by adding the cookie crumble ingredients (oat flour, coconut sugar, maple syrup, almond milk, flaxseed, molasses, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg) to a large bowl.
- Step 2 (optional): Stir until the ingredients are just combined (the result should be a mix of large and medium-size chunks; over-stirring will cause the cookie crumble to have a more powder-like consistency). Spoon the graham cookie crumble mixture into a storage container with a lid.
- Step 3: To a large bowl, add the pumpkin spice overnight oats ingredients (oats, almond milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, flaxseed, chia seeds, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and vanilla).
- Step 4: Stir well. Spoon the pumpkin spice overnight oats mixture into a separate storage container with a lid.
- Step 5: Cover the storage containers and put them in the fridge to chill overnight.
- Step 6: In the morning, remove the storage containers of pumpkin spice overnight oats and graham cookie crumble from the fridge.
- Step 7: In parfait dishes or other serving containers, alternate spoonfuls of pumpkin spice overnight oats with generous spoonfuls of the graham cookie crumble. Top each serving with pecans and/or shredded coconut, if desired. Enjoy!
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Spoon
- Storage containers (1 for the pumpkin spice overnight oats; 1 for the graham cookie crumble)
Storage
Store any leftover pumpkin spice overnight oats and graham cookie crumble in separate containers in the fridge. Leftovers will keep well for 4 to 5 days.
Related
Looking for more easy breakfast ideas? Try these:
Pumpkin Spice Overnight Oats (Without Yogurt)
The pumpkin spice breakfast of your dreams! These creamy yogurt-free pumpkin spice overnight oats studded with graham cookie crumbles are incredibly easy to make and so delicious!
Equipment
- large bowl
- spoon
Ingredients
Pumpkin spice overnight oats ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned (rolled) oats
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other nondairy milk)
- ⅓ cup unsweetened pumpkin puree (canned works fine)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Graham cookie crumble ingredients (optional)
- ½ cup oat flour
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
- ½ tablespoon ground flaxseed
- ½ teaspoon light or dark/robust molasses (see Note)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Toppings (optional)
- pecans
- shredded coconut
Instructions
- Make the graham cookie crumble (optional): If you are making the optional graham cookie crumble, add the cookie crumble ingredients (oat flour, coconut sugar, maple syrup, almond milk, flaxseed, molasses, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg) to a large bowl. Stir until the ingredients are just combined (the result should be a mix of large and medium-size chunks; over-stirring will cause the cookie crumble to have a more powder-like consistency). Spoon the mixture into a storage container with a lid. Clean the bowl so you can reuse it to make the pumpkin spice overnight oats.
- Make the pumpkin spice overnight oats: To the large bowl, add the pumpkin spice overnight oats ingredients (oats, almond milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, flaxseed, chia seeds, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and vanilla). Stir well. Spoon the mixture into a separate storage container with a lid.
- Refrigerate: Cover the storage containers and put them in the fridge to chill overnight.
- Serve: In the morning, alternate spoonfuls of pumpkin spice overnight oats and cookie crumble in a parfait dish or other serving container. Top with pecans and/or shredded coconut, if desired.
Notes
- For the graham cookie crumble, opt for “light” or “dark” molasses. Light is the sweetest and is most commonly used in baking. Dark (also labeled as “robust”) is darker in color and less sweet, but it still works well here. I prefer to use robust in this recipe because it adds a flavor reminiscent of gingerbread. A third kind of molasses, blackstrap molasses, is thicker and darker than the others and has a distinctive bitter taste. For that reason, I do not recommend using it in this recipe.
- Chilling the pumpkin spice overnight oats and the graham cookie crumble in separate containers helps maintain their separate textures when they are combined. As a result, you’ll have creamy overnight oats studded with soft, chewy, cookie-like pieces. If they are blended together overnight, their textures merge and the effect will not be as noticeable.
