If fall means pumpkin everything to you, but you still want to stick to healthy eating, you’re in luck! This pumpkin baked oatmeal recipe is delicious and clean, using only real ingredients. Refined-sugar free but with all the flavor! It’s perfect for breakfast, a snack or even as a dessert! And it’s packed full of immune-boosting ingredients!

Bring on the Pumpkin, Y’all!

It’s August, y’all, but after the year we’ve had, bring on the fall decorations, bring on all the pumpkin treats – bring on any and everything that will make your heart smile.

So yes, August, but I’m stocking up on canned pumpkin and just letting it fly. Today, while my sons are at school in kindergarten, in newly found endless hours of freedom, I’m baking this amazing pumpkin baked oatmeal.

Last fall, I went to work on an apple baked oatmeal, because I was inspired by all of these other healthy apple desserts. To me, September is apple season – at least on Long Island, where I’m from. So even though I’d usually be waiting for October to break out the pumpkin food in October, 2020 is like no other, so well, here we are.

Clean, Easy, Healthy Delicious Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

This is a super-easy recipe. Basically, just mix all the ingredients together, put in a pan, and bake. Soooo easy. It’s made from real, unprocessed food, so it’s clean and good for you.

I originally saw this recipe on Well Plated and just made a few tweaks to it. I made it once and really liked it, but personally, I just wanted it a teeny bit sweeter because the pumpkin taste was a teeny bit heavy for me.

So I added 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips, 1/4 cup coconut sugar, and 1/2 cup pecans (unroasted, up from 1/4 cup).

I love this for breakfast, for a snack in the afternoon when the sugar cravings kick in, and sometimes even after dinner with a tiny squirt of whipped cream.

This should be refrigerated and it can last for about a week. You also can freeze it – it’s good for about 3 months.

This also can be eaten warm or cold, but my favorite way to eat it is in the morning with a little bit of butter. Oh yum. Sooo good.

 

The Health Benefits of Pumpkin

By the way, pumpkin is an extremely healthy food to eat. In times of pandemic, pumpkin is a great food to get inside you, especially as an immune booster. Pumpkin contains a lot of beta-carotene, which your body will turn to Vitamin A. Vitamin A strengthens your immune system and helps fight infections.

Pumpkin also has Vitamin C, which helps your body make white blood cells as well as helps your immune cells to work at peak performance. It also contains Vitamin E, which contributes to a strong immune system.

Pumpkin is low in calories, but it’s dense and loaded with nutrients.

Pumpkin also has carotenoids, which perform as antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals which help cancer cells multiply.

So while being delicious, there are enormous health benefits to eating food with pumpkins (healthy food and treats, without refined sugar, that is. Here are more pumpkin recipes for desserts and treats – all clean and healthy as well).

{For more immune-boosting foods, take a look here! This is especially geared to kid-friendly foods! A handy free printable, too!}

Health Benefits of Oats

Carbs get a bad rap these days, but complex carbohydrates like oats are sooo good for you. Here are a few benefits of oats:

Oats are LOADED with nutrients: rich in fiber, high in minerals and vitamins, and compared to other grains, they are higher in fat (the good kind) and protein.

A serving of oats contains 20% of the recommended amounts of both iron and zinc, both of which are immune boosters.

Oats contain antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals. Oats also have been shown to help with  LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and high blood sugar. It’s also a very filling food, so it can help with weight control.

OK, so what are we waiting for? Let’s get to the pumpkin yumminess!

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal (Easy, Clean & Dangerously Delicious)

Print

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (can sub honey)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp baking power
• 1 1/2 cup coconut milk (can sub other non-dairy milk)
• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• Cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the pumpkin, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, spices, baking powder, and milk together in a bowl.
3. Add in the oats, pecans, and dark chocolate chips.
4. Spray an 8x8" baking pan with cooking spray and pour in the mixture. Smooth the top.
5. Bake for 40-50 minutes (I like to check after 35 minutes). Pumpkin baked oatmeal is finished when the edges and top are lightly browned and a knife comes out of the center clean. (It might be dark because of the melted chocolate chips, but as long as it's not wet pumpkin batter, it's fine!)
6. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy!

Notes

Can be eaten warmed up in the microwave, toasted, or cold.

Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Can be frozen for up to 3 months

For a less sweet version, omit coconut sugar and dark chocolate chips.

How easy is that? This is an amazing recipe that’s versatile and can be eaten at many times of the day, for a variety of snacks or meals!  Eating healthy is so important on a regular day, but even more so when we really need to be strengthening our immune systems, as all kinds of viruses don’t seem to be going away any time soon.

How great is it that you can combine fall deliciousness while making your body stronger? Win, win (and an extra win for good measure).

If you try this recipe, I’d love to see how it came out! Snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @100affections or leave a comment on Pinterest!

More Healthy Resources

Besides those delicious pumpkin and apple recipes, there are more where those came from for fall (all clean eating recipes):

30 Cozy & Healthy Soups

30 Easy & Healthy Crockpot Recipes

25+ Healthy Gameday Appetizers

 

And then for Christmas:

35 Healthy Christmas Desserts

30 Healthy Christmas Cookies

 

And just some general resources for health for families:

20 Immune Boosting Foods for Kids, that They’ll Actually Eat

Natural Home Remedies for Common Illnesses

You can be healthy and eat delicious food, no problem. This pumpkin baked oatmeal is proof!

 

Thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below!