A make-ahead breakfast version of the seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte that’s easy and on the healthy side.
It’s been thirteen years since Starbucks unleashed the Pumpkin Spice Latte upon the world. And I think it’s fair to assume that, at the time, they had no one the beverage would become the epitome of the so-called ‘basic bitch’.
Personally, I have no time for beverage-based insults. I mean, can’t someone order a latte without being disparaged for being a conformist? Also, not everyone who enjoys the combination of pumpkin spice and coffee wears yoga pants 24/7 and fills their social media accounts with pictures of leaves (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
If there’s anything ‘wrong’ with a pumpkin spice latte, it’s the sugar content.
But that’s enough about my dislike of certain pejoratives. Let’s put all that aside, and enjoy the fun, fall-inspired combination of pumpkin, sweet spices and coffee.
Today’s recipe is an edible version of the (mostly) beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte. These overnight oats are made with actual pumpkin which, together with the Greek-style yogurt, make the oats nice and creamy.
While canned pumpkin purée is fine, if you have the time, it’s definitely worth making your own purée from fresh pumpkin. All you need to do is roast some pumpkin until it’s tender, let it cool completely, and then blend it.
And if, like me, you forget about it and bake the pumpkin pieces until they’ve caramelized – in other words, the outsides have turned dark brown – then don’t worry! Just remove the really dark bits (which taste delicious, but will turn your purée a funny color) and blend the rest.
The longer you bake pumpkin, the sweeter it gets, so over-baking it isn’t a problem. Well, within reason, that is – don’t leave it in the oven for hours (unless you’re baking a whole, uncut pumpkin).
Speaking of sweetness, this breakfast is sweetened with maple syrup. The recipe calls for 1 – 2 tablespoons of syrup for two bowls of oats. If using canned pumpkin, I’d go for two tablespoons. If using fresh, stick with one and see how you go.
Just before eating these overnight oats, I love to pour extra syrup over the top simply because maple syrup is darn delicious.
A quick note about the spice factor in these oats: while there’s a reasonable amount of spice, it’s not too spicy. So if you like your PSL on the spicier side, you may need to stir in additional cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves (or add some pumpkin pie spice).
Also, the recipe calls for ‘a pinch’ of nutmeg and cloves – make that a generous pinch.
This is the third recipe in my cluster of coffee-related recipes (after receiving and reviewing a Dolce Gusto coffee machine). In case you missed them, the first two recipes were pancakes and muffins. Since everything comes in threes, this is the end of my little coffee recipe series.
But considering that I’m an avid coffee lover, don’t be surprised if coffee returns to the blog very soon.
Fun Fact: Starbucks has sold over 200 million Pumpkin Spice Lattes since the beverage was introduced in 2003.
- Overnight oats
- ⅔ cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Pinch of ground cloves
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup Greek-style yogurt
- ⅔ cup cold coffee
- 1 - 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Toppings- Yogurt
- Ground cinnamon
- Maple syrup
- In a large bowl or container, combine the rolled oats, chia seeds, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin puree and yogurt.
- Add the coffee and maple syrup, and mix until completely combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or put the lid on the container) and leave in the fridge overnight.
- In the morning, stir in a little extra yogurt or milk if the overnight oats are too thick.
- Divide the oats between two bowls. Top each bowl with a dollop of yogurt, some ground cinnamon and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Thick, Greek-style yogurts are best – either plain or vanilla flavored. If omitting the chia seeds or using a thinner yogurt, reduce the coffee to ½ cup. If using a sweet yogurt, you may wish to reduce the maple syrup (and conversely, if your yogurt is quite sour, you may wish to increase the syrup).