Pumpkin Baked Oats

Canned pumpkin and sweetened condensed milk make these baked oats rich, custardy, and deeply spiced — more dessert than breakfast, but we don’t talk about that. Mix it the night before, bake it while you’re on a run.

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups rolled oats, divided (1 cup whole, ½ cup blended)
  • 2 tbsp ground flax seed (blend with the oats)
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
  • ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1¼ cups water + a splash of heavy cream (or 1½ cups any milk)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ripe banana, mashed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 splash dark rum
  • 1 splash triple sec
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground clove
  • 1 star anise (whole, remove before serving)
  • Crack of black pepper
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • Handful of mix-ins: dried cranberries, nuts, seeds

For the top: a few whole oats scattered on just before baking

Instructions

  1. Blend ½ cup of the oats with the ground flax until roughly powdery. This is your base — it makes the oats creamy and helps everything hold together.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, condensed milk, water/cream, eggs, mashed banana, and vanilla until smooth.
  3. Stir in both the blended and whole oats, all the spices, and salt. Tuck the star anise in the middle. Fold in your cranberries, nuts, and seeds.
  4. Pour into a greased 6×12 casserole dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  5. In the morning, pull it out while the oven preheats to 375°F (190°C). Scatter a handful of whole oats on top.
  6. Bake 35–40 minutes (the 6×12 pan spreads the batter thinner so it cooks faster). Done when the edges are golden and the center has just a slight wobble. It firms up as it cools.
  7. Let rest 10 minutes. It’ll be ready by the time you’re back and showered.

Notes

  • The condensed milk is doing double duty: sweetener and binder. No added sugar needed.
  • No baking powder — skipping it makes it denser and more custardy, which suits the overnight version.
  • Leftovers reheat well with a splash of milk or water. Also good cold from the fridge.
  • For extra depth, brown a tablespoon of butter and stir it in before refrigerating.