Every year towards the end of August, our California weather turns bipolar for a couple of days. Although the exact dates vary, this year the drastic change happened to fall last week. The sun blazed down on Thursday and Friday, heating up our town to nearly 100°F and making it almost unbearable to walk outside, let alone drive anywhere… Steering wheel burns on your hands hurt!
But when I opened my eyes on Saturday morning, light gray clouds covered the entire sky, and the stone patio in the backyard looked a few shades darker than normal because of a very faint drizzle lightly falling from above. Even without a breeze, it barely felt 60°F outside, and as much as I adore summer, I still nearly twirled around in a happy dance.
It felt like fall — and fall means pumpkin season!
As I laced up my shoes for a run, my mind whirled around, brainstorming all of the possibilities of pumpkin baking. Muffins… Scones… Quick breads… Cupcakes… Cookies… Cinnamon rolls… Granola… Anything and everything full of warm, cozy spices that make my house smell like Thanksgiving Day!
I returned home full of ideas, but I decided to hop in the shower first before tackling my quickly growing pumpkin baking list. As I scrubbed, I sorted through the recipes in my head, prioritizing which treats I was dying to make first. When I threw on clothes and walked into the kitchen to start…
The clouds had parted, the sun was shining, and the temperature quickly rose to over 80°F. Back to summer again… So much for fall baking!
But because I just couldn’t give up my pumpkin ideas, I compromised with an easy no-bake recipe that tasted like a combination of summer and fall: Pumpkin Pie Protein Overnight Oats! A thick, creamy bowl of pure comfort food flavors that’s still perfectly acceptable for warmer summer mornings… And basically tastes like dessert for breakfast!
That’s practically a dream come true. 😉
WHAT ARE OVERNIGHT OATS?
For those of you unfamiliar with overnight oats, they’re incredibly easy to make. Simply mix together the ingredients in a mason jar or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, place that in the fridge, and wait until morning. That’s literally all there is to it!
While you sleep, the oats soak up the moisture in the wet ingredients, and this softens the oats as much as if you had cooked them in a pot on the stove or in the microwave. Because overnight oats oats are meant to be served cold straight from the fridge, that gives you a few extra minutes to sleep in instead of cooking breakfast!
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY PUMPKIN OVERNIGHT OATS
There are two key ingredients in this recipe: Greek yogurt and pumpkin purée. Greek yogurt is my favorite ingredient in healthier baking because it adds a lot of protein! It packs in around 21g per cup, compared to regular yogurt with only 7 to 10g. Greek yogurt is one of the easiest ways to get a big boost of protein in the mornings without a lot of effort!
Make sure to use pumpkin purée, not canned pumpkin filling. The latter contains added sugar and flavorings, which we’re trying to avoid to keep this recipe clean-eating friendly! Instead, we’ll sweeten these oats with Truvia, a no-calorie plant-based sweetener. It’s one of the cheapest stevia-based sweeteners and the easiest to find in grocery stores, but feel free to substitute your preferred sweetener instead.
Now all that’s left to do is stir, sleep, and eat! 😉 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy pumpkin pie protein overnight oats!
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Protein Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (122g) pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix!)
- ¼ cup (25g) old-fashioned oats (gluten-free if necessary)
- 1 tbsp (12g) Truvia (see Notes!)
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (see Notes!)
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a mason jar or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, and stir until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Serve cold.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
Can’t wait to try the recipe. But I have to ask, where did you get that yellow spoon?? I must have!!!
Thanks Bruce! I found the spoon at Cost Plus Imports. It’s part of a 4-piece measuring spoon set. I hope you enjoy the oats!
Do you think coconut milk could be substituted for the yogurt?
If you tried that substitution, you’d only need about half of the amount because coconut milk is more liquidy than Greek yogurt. The Nutrition Information will also change substantially. I hope you enjoy the oats if you try them Jennifer!
For a less expensive Greek yogurt simply buy regular yogurt and strain. I usually strain for 4-6 hours in the fridge. The whey left on the bottom can either be thrown out or used for making ricotta or check out Pinterst for other ideas. I also make my own yogurt and kefir, really so simple.
Thanks for sharing Tammy!
I apologize if this question’s already been asked. Any harm in preparing this a few days in advance? Will it be just as tasty? Can’t wait to try 🙂
I answer that question in the text beneath the recipe title Ilka! But the answer is yes. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the oats!
I am wondering if you can substitute pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon? Will these make it taste more like pumpkin pie?
Yes, that would be just fine Marcie! I hope you enjoy the oats!
I have this in the fridge right now. I have to be at work extra early this week (well, not have to, but I signed up for extra hours), so I figured this would be great to grab and go in the morning.
I might try the yogurt and pumpkin with some granola, too.
I hope you enjoyed the oats Jaime! 🙂
Hi Amy! I too am a pumpkin fan. Love the Pumpkin Pie Protein Overnight Oats! Delicious! Thanks for the great recipes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the oats Kay! It’s my pleasure. 🙂
These images are so lovely, and the recipe so easy to follow! One question, I thought about surprising my office staff with these one morning. The first images of the layers look so lovely! Is it possible to leave it layered to help the presentation of the jars or does this recipe have to be mixed?
Thanks Leah! The recipe does have to be mixed because the oats need to be in contact with the yogurt and pumpkin purée in order to soften. I hope you and your office staff enjoy the breakfast — that’s so sweet of you to think of them!
How long will that’s keep? Could I make a weeks with if jars in Sunday and still be good by Friday?
I answer that question in the text beneath the recipe title! 🙂 But yes, the oats should last that long. I hope you enjoy them Cat!
I cannot wait to try these! I’m running to the store later for yogurt and will be whipping up a batch tonight!
I really hope you enjoy the oats Mary! 🙂