Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

This was delicious!  One thing that I would recommend, though...make the recipe for the pumpkin butter bars ahead of time to reduce time to make this recipe.  It's worth it!  Also, this recipe will only make 1 serving.  I multiplied it by 3 and refrigerated the leftovers and they heated up well in the microwave.  The recipe below is only one serving, so multiply to your liking.

Pumpkin Butter Oat Squares with Candied Pecans (this is used as a topping on the oatmeal.  I suggest making this ahead of time to save time on prep of the oatmeal).
Ingredients:
   Oat Base:

1.5 cups regular oats

1 cup whole-grain spelt flour (or kamut, whole wheat pastry flour, or white/whole wheat)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 chia or flax "egg" (1 tbsp chia seeds or flax meal + 4 tbsp warm water, mixed well and set aside for 5 mins)

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Earth Balance, melted

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tbsp almond milk

1.5 cup pumpkin butter

Candied pecans: 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, 1/3 cup raw sugar, 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275F. Coat a 9×9 baking dish with non stick cooking oil. 

Next prepare your candied pecans as follows: Coursley chop 1 cup of pecans.  In a medium sized pot, add all ingredients (except pecans!) and heat over medium stirring well to blend. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low-medium to simmer. Be careful not to burn. Keep stirring the mixture for about 10 minutes until it gets thick and caramelizes. Once it has thickened up remove immediately from stove top and pour in pecans. Stir quickly being sure to coat all the pecans. This is a very quick process and it is essential that you not leave the syrup mixture sitting for any amount of time or it will harden.  Place pecans on a piece of wax paper to cool.

Now preheat oven to 350F.  In a small bowl, mix the chia or flax egg and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the oat base dry ingredients: oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt. In a small bowl, mix the melted earth balance, maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla, and chia/flax egg. Stir well.

Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix well, using hands to mix well. Set aside 1/2 cup of the oat base mixture to put on top of the recipe when done. Pour the oat mixture onto the square pan.

Pre-bake the oat base at 350F for approximately 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and pour on 1.5 cups pumpkin butter and smooth out with spatula. Now sprinkle on the reserved 1/2 cup oat mixture and 1 cup candied pecan topping over top of pumpkin butter.

Bake at 350F for another 8-10 minutes. Allow to fully cool on counter for about 20 minutes and then store in refrigerator.  This is not only a topping for this oatmeal, but you can use any leftovers as a dessert by itself.


Pumpkin Oatmeal:
Ingredients:

1/3 cup regular oats

1 cup almond or soy milk

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3-1/2 cup pumpkin

1/2 tbsp chia seeds

Pinch of sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/8th tsp nutmeg

Directions:
In a medium sized pot, heat the oats and almond/soy milk over medium heat until it comes to a low boil. Stir in the pumpkin and chia seeds. Heat over low-medium for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Now add in the spices and vanilla and heat for another 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour into a bowl and add toppings. 
Toppings:

Chopped pecans (approx 1 tbsp)

1 tbsp almond/soy milk

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp Earth Balance

Pinch of cinnamon

1/3 of Pumpkin Butter Oat Square, crumbled (recipe above).

Serves 1, multiply the recipe if you want more servings.  It is so good, I recommend to make several servings!!

Recipe taken from:http://ohsheglows.com/2010/11/08/comforting-pumpkin-pie-oatmeal-with-all-the-fixins/