Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal

Servings 9 Servings

Ingredients

3 cups old fashioned oats
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
2 Tablespoons olive oil or other oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups milk I used skim
2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Optional topping ideas:

milk
brown sugar honey, syrup
nuts and dried fruits

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9" square baking pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl combine oats, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking powder.
In a separate bowl whisk together pumpkin puree, oil,eggs and vanilla until well combined. Whisk in milk.
Pour pumpkin mixture over oat mixture and stir well to combine. The batter is going to be very liquidy and appear like it's not holding together. It's not supposed to; just stir until everything is well combined. It's going to look very soupy.
Pour mixture into prepared pan. Because the mixture is so loose, the oats may pile up in areas. Use a spoon or spatula to help spread the oats evenly throughout the pan.
Sprinkle the top evenly with chocolate chips and bake for 30-35 minutes or until set.
Cut into squares and serve warm with additional toppings, if desired. Or, if making ahead, allow to cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, reheat in microwave.

Recipe Notes

*This recipe is lightly sweetened to allow for adjusting to individual tastes at serving. If you like a sweeter oatmeal, increase sugar to 1/4 cup, remembering you can always add more later. The recipe, as written, is sweet enough for me, but others in my family love adding a bit more sweetness at the table.

*You'll be surprised how much liquid gets absorbed into the oatmeal. I may even try adding more pumpkin in next time to see how much it can take and still bake up with a good texture. I'll add an updated note if I decide to try that. Update 4-2-16: I've recently started using a full cup of pumpkin instead of the 3/4 cup listed in the recipe. Either will work, so I'll leave the recipe as is, but just know that you have an option, especially if you're constrained by trying to use up some leftover pumpkin that you may have on hand. The extra pumpkin adds a bit more moisture and of course, more nutrients!

*Adding milk is optional. If you do add milk, break up your square of oatmeal to help it mix in with the milk. The spices of the oatmeal will add nice flavor to your milk.