Turn your overnight oats into a protein-packed, pumpkin-filled delight with this Pumpkin Spice Protein Overnight Oats recipe. This easy, delicious, make-ahead breakfast turns your morning meal into a treat, all while keeping things healthy, filling, and great for your gut since it’s made with Pumpkin Spice Lifeway Kefir.
Probiotic-rich Lifeway Kefir provides live cultures for your microbiome and assists with digestion, while oats contribute prebiotic fiber, magnesium, and B vitamins to this recipe. Lifeway Kefir is also high in natural protein, calcium, and vitamin D. For an extra boost of protein, we amped up this recipe with some protein powder which helps thicken it up and add flavor; you can also just use collagen peptides or some chia seeds, if you prefer.
Pumpkin is the fall flavor star here and provides an excellent source of fiber for your gut and heart health; it’s also high in beta-carotene (vitamin A), plant-based iron, potassium, and vitamin C. Pumpkin seeds are terrific to use in overnight oats for their delicious, crunchy texture; they’re also a great source of plant protein, iron, magnesium, and healthy fats. For the final flavorful touch in this recipe, pumpkin pie spice mix perfects the taste and adds antioxidants that are great for your heart health and digestion.
So whip up this fall-inspired recipe and give it a try one morning this week. You can change up the flavors depending on ingredients you have on hand while still keeping the base similar. One easy way to do this is to experiment with different flavors of Lifeway Kefir since we have plenty to choose from!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for optimal digestion and gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1.
Lifeway Kefir is packed with variety of vital nutrients important for overall health, including bone and muscle health; these include vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our probiotic-rich kefir, Lifeway also offers artisan-made Farmer Cheese, a creamy high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support healthy muscles and healthy microbiome. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is easy to spread, free of gums and thickeners, and contains no added salt or sugar for optimal health benefits.
Prep Time: 5 mins Servings: 2Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled or quick cooking oats (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1 scoop vanilla or cinnamon/pumpkin pie flavored protein powder (about 30 grams)
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups Lowfat Pumpkin Spice Kefir
- *or use Lowfat Plain Kefir
- 1 tbsp. ground flax seeds (or use chia seeds)
- 1/2 cup pure organic pumpkin purée (from a can, not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1-2 tsp. pure organic maple syrup (or raw honey)
- Topping: raw pumpkin seeds and/or raw hemp seeds, drizzle of maple syrup or raw honey or maple syrup, and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, fresh fruit of choice (see notes)*
Directions
- In a bowl, mix the oats, vanilla or pumpkin pie flavored protein powder, pumpkin pie spice mix, and ground flax seeds together. Stir well, then add in the Lifeway Kefir, pumpkin purée, maple syrup or honey, and the vanilla. Stir everything together until thick and creamy. Scoop the mixture into two mason jars or bowls, then sit in the fridge overnight or 4-6 hours to thicken up.
- In the morning, or hours later, top with the pumpkin seeds, extra cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey. You can also add fresh fruit of choice and an extra drizzle of Lifeway Kefir on top. Enjoy!
- If you like fresh fruit on top of your overnight oats, fresh banana and blueberries work well here with the other flavors!
