I have become obsessed with overnight oats and have been making just about every flavor I can image. Now that it’s Fall, I felt like it was time for pumpkin spice overnight oats!

As coffee shops slowly start to unveil their pumpkin spice lattes, I’ll be over here casually enjoying these pumpkin spice oats.

What is Pumpkin Spice?

Pumpkin spice is a common American spice mix that’s usually used as an ingredient in pumpkin pie. In this day and age pumpkin spice has found its way into our favorite drinks, desserts, and now even into our breakfast!

Pumpkin spice is a mixture of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice. In this recipe I chose to omit the allspice and stick with the other four spices.

In my opinion the cloves in this recipe are optional, but the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger are not. They give this oatmeal that incredible Fall flavor that we know and love.

Ironically, what pumpkin spice doesn’t include is actual pumpkin. But that has always felt so wrong to me! This spice blend was originally meant to be used in pumpkin pie, so I felt included a bit of pumpkin puree in this recipe.

I suppose that makes these oats more like pumpkin pie overnight oats, but I’m ok with that.

The pumpkin puree is totally optional though. It doesn’t actually add much flavor, but it does give these oats a beautiful color!!

Getting the Ratios in These Pumpkin Spice Overnight Oats Just Right

Oatmeal can be a divisive topic. Most people prefer their oatmeal one of two ways. Either thick like paste, or thinner and a bit wetter. I’m going to be honest with you, I like my oatmeal a bit “wetter.”

However, that’s not how this recipe is formulated. I created this recipe to make a thicker oatmeal once it comes out of the fridge. This way everyone is happy in the end!

People who like a thicker oatmeal can eat it straight out of the fridge and anyone who wants it a bit thinner can add a splash of milk or water.

How Far in Advance Do You Need to Make Overnight Oats?

Despite their name, overnight oats don’t actually have to sit in the fridge overnight.

However, they do need a bit of time to soak up the water or milk and soften. If I forget to make my overnight oats ahead of time, I find they only need about 3 hours to soak before they’re ready to go.

They’re definitely a bit thinner when they soak for less time though.

Letting them sit overnight not only helps them fully soften, it also gives the flavors a chance to develop.

Long story short, an overnight soak is ideal but not necessary if you are short on time.

Can Overnight Oats Be Eaten Warm?

Not everyone can get behind the idea of eating uncooked, cold oats. And I get it, if you haven’t tried overnight oats before it does seem like an odd concept.

But trust me on this one, cold overnight oats are absolutely delicious and have an amazing texture. They’re also an incredibly refreshing breakfast on a warm day.

With that be said, you can eat overnight oats warm. They can be heated just like any other bowl of oatmeal. Pop them into the microwave and heat in 30 second intervals until they’re warm.

Pumpkin Spice Overnight Oats – Substitutions & Swaps

While I love this recipe for pumpkin spice overnight oats just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand!

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe:

• Pumpkin Puree – A bit of pumpkin puree gives these oats a beautiful color but they don’t really add much flavor. You can skip this ingredient if you don’t like it or don’t have it on hand. You can also use bit of pumpkin pie filling in its place.
• Rolled Oats – This recipe turns out best with rolled or old-fashioned oats. You can use quick oats if that’s all you have, but you should reduce the amount of water or milk to 1/2 a cup.
• Chia Seeds – If you don’t have chia seeds, you can omit them from this recipe. They absorb a lot of liquid though, so you will need to reduce the amount of water or milk to 1/2 cup to get the right consistency.
• Brown Sugar – This recipe uses brown sugar which gives it great flavor! I prefer using light brown sugar, but you can use dark too! You can also use honey or any sweetener you like in its place.
• Greek Yogurt – Greek yogurt adds a wonderful creaminess to these oats along with a lot of protein. However, you can use any yogurt you like or dairy free yogurt! You can also skip adding yogurt if you’re not a fan.
• Water – I prefer making these oats with water but you can also use milk or any dairy free milk.

The Actual Pumpkin Spices – Substitutions and Swaps

• Ground Cinnamon – A bit of ground cinnamon adds a wonderfully warm flavor and is truly the main flavor in anything pumpkin spice flavored! There really isn’t a substitute for it in this recipe. It’s the central flavoring in these oats!!
• Ground Nutmeg – The second most notable pumpkin spice, ground nutmeg! I am a huge fan of nutmeg so I’m usually a bit heavy handed when adding it. Feel free to adjust the amount to your preference.
• Ground Ginger – The third spice in these oats is ground ginger! If you don’t have ground ginger, you can use 1 Tbsp of fresh ginger in its place.
• Ground Cloves – The final spice used in this recipe! While it’s only a pinch, it still nicely rounds out the flavor of these oats. If you don’t have any on hand or don’t like cloves, you can omit this ingredient.

Customizing These Overnight Oats

One of the best things about pumpkin spice overnight oats is that they are totally customizable to your dietary preferences!

In addition to the substitutions discussed above, you can easily make these overnight oats vegan, gluten-free or low-sugar. Below are some specific swaps for these pumpkin spice overnight oats:

• Vegan substitutions: Use plant-based milk, plant-based yogurt, and maple syrup for sweetener.
• Gluten-free substitutions: Be sure to use gluten-free oats.
• Low Sugar substitutions: Skip adding the brown sugar or use stevia or monk fruit sweetener instead.

Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Spice Overnight Oats

• Make your oats in a sealable container like a mason jar!
• If you don’t like pumpkin or don’t have any on hand, you can omit it from this recipe!
• Feel free to double this recipe or make multiple jars to last the entire week.
• These pumpkin spice overnight oats stay good in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Use rolled or old-fashioned oats to give your oatmeal the best texture and consistency!
• If you like your oatmeal a bit thinner, I suggest adding a splash of water or your favorite milk before eating.
• Top these oats with chopped nuts, a sprinkle of granola and/or a dollop of whipped cream to take them to the next level.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for pumpkin spice overnight oats, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Also don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media.

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