“I don’t have time” should never be an excuse to skip breakfast. Take this overnight oat-chia-pudding hybrid, which comes together in barely 10 minutes. (I’m betting that’s less time than it takes to stand in line at the grocery store to buy a container of worse-tasting, more expensive oatmeal!) Grab a can of pumpkin and some baking staples, mix it up, then pop the bowl in the fridge. The next morning you’ll be rewarded with a lightly sweet, mousse-like treat that’s actually good for you—don’t forget to finish each bowl with a dollop of yogurt for a pumpkin-pie-with-whipped-cream vibe. Self-care rarely tastes this good.
Using an unsweetened soy or nut milk will keep the pudding more pumpkin-forward than dairy milk (and keeps the recipe vegan, of course), but any milk you have on hand will work here.
Healthy cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, often the simpler it is, the better it tastes. In Good for You, Test Kitchen editor Rebecca Firkser shares nourishing, craveable recipes that you can pull off in 10 ingredients or fewer.
Recipe information
Total Time
20 minutes (plus 8 hours for chilling)
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
1
1½
2
¼
¼
½
3
1¼
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk one 15-oz. can pure pumpkin purée, 1½ cups unsweetened milk of choice, 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt, ¼ cup pure maple syrup, and ½ tsp. ground cinnamon or cardamom in a large bowl until smooth. Add 3 Tbsp. chia seeds and whisk to combine. Let sit 10 minutes. (Doing this gives the seeds a head start on hydrating and prevents them from sticking together. But if you can’t spare the time, just give the mixture a good stir before serving.)
Step 2
Stir chia mixture again, then add 1¼ cups old-fashioned oats and mix well to combine. Cover oat mixture and chill at least 8 hours.
Step 3
Spoon oat mixture into bowls and top with plain whole-milk yogurt, unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), and/or granola, maple syrup, and cinnamon as desired.
Do Ahead: Oat mixture (without toppings) can be made 4 days ahead. Keep chilled.