It’s that time of year again. Everyone is busy testing out new recipes, wiping the grocery store clean of anything remotely “fall” flavored, and planning their holiday meals. Somewhere in this shuffle, millions (by my unscientific estimate) of half-used cans of pumpkin puree languish in refrigerators across the country until they grow unsightly dots of green mold on top and are thrown away. Everyone has the best of intentions for the rest of that puree — they promise themselves that they’ll use it in something! But alas, time gets away from us and takes the pumpkin with it.

Here’s my solution: pumpkin overnight oats. I’ve been playing around with different varieties of overnight oats for a few months. I love that I can easily throw everything together on Sunday night and have a few days’ worth of breakfast ready to go in the morning. In this version, I whisk leftover pumpkin puree together with almond milk to create the liquid base of the overnight oats. A quick dash of some warm spices and a little bit of maple syrup or honey brings everything together nicely!

I’ve found that steel cut oats work really well for this preparation — rolled oats will work as well, but the steel cut oats definitely absorb more liquid and take on a creamier consistency. I like to add chia seeds into my overnight oats because they add a little more fiber and protein, which is always a good way to start your day. If you can’t find them or you’re just not into them, feel free to leave them out.