Pumpkin Cheesecake Overnight Oats

It took me a long time to come around to liking overnight oats. Something about the texture or taste just threw me off and I just wanted to enjoy a bowl of warm oatmeal. But I have come around to them! Thanks to a couple tricks like blending the oats and making sure I’m amping up the flavor to keep them interesting. I’ve also learned that I just need to have ready to go breakfasts as much as possible or it’s likely I’m not eating until I’ve been awake for hours. My mornings go from an early wakeup for a morning workout to getting kids up and fed and ready for school. Between the making breakfast and packing lunches and walking to the bus stop, somehow, I don’t find the time to eat myself. I love making my banana cream pie overnight oats but for a fall overnight oats recipe, I have been enjoying these pumpkin cheesecake overnight oats on repeat!

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cheesecake Overnight Oats

• Rolled oats: A must for overnight oats of course!
• Chia seeds: Chia seeds absorb liquid overnight and give a smooth, pudding-like consistency, like in chia pudding! They’re a must for the perfect overnight oats.
• Greek yogurt: This goes in both the overnight oats and in the cheesecake layer topping.
• Milk: I like using almond milk in overnight oats, but you can use whatever kind you want!
• Vanilla extract: The vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and maple syrup combination is like a cozy hug.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Pumpkin pie spice is made from cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice, but to keep it easier we are using a pre-mixed version.
• Maple syrup: Maple gives you a nice hit of fall flavor and sweetness and pairs well with the pumpkin.
• Pumpkin puree: I’m a long time Libby’s fan, but you can use your favorite.
• Cheesecake Jello mix: This is optional, but it will give a signature cheesecake flavor to the cheesecake layer.
• Whipped cream: This is also optional because it does add more sugar to your breakfast, but it sure does make a fun treat!

How to Make the Best Overnight Oats

• This first step isn’t necessary, but for me, it does take overnight oats to the next level and gives them a better consistency. I like them to have more of a pudding consistency, which requires the oats to be in smaller pieces. I pulse my oats in a food processor with the chia seeds to make the oats smaller. If this doesn’t bother you, skip this step! You definitely do not need to blend the oats for this overnight oats recipe to still be delicious.
• I like to mix the rest of my ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the oats, chia seeds, yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla extract, milk, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice together. The ingredients listed in the recipe below are for a single serving but it’s so easy to scale up. I usually scale up to 4x to prep for the week!
• Next, divide the mixture into jars. I use mason jars, but there are plenty of other cute overnight oats containers available online!
• Put the rest of the Greek yogurt in a small bowl and blend with some of the cheesecake Jello mix. You can use sugar-free if you want, or you can skip the Jello mix altogether and just mix the yogurt with some maple syrup and a little vanilla extract and spread that layer on top of the overnight oats mixture.
• Refrigerate overnight and enjoy topped with whipped cream!

Questions? 

• How far in advance can I make these? I make them at the start of the week and enjoy them all week!
• What if I don’t want to use Jello mix? No problem! Mix the yogurt with a little maple syrup and vanilla extract and make that your cheesecake layer!
• Why do you blend the oats? Honestly, I just like the texture better. They will be delicious whether you blend them or not but I like the oats in smaller pieces for a more pudding-like texture!