These spiced pear overnight oats combine soft, naturally sweet pears with creamy oats, Greek yoghurt and crunchy pumpkin seeds for a balanced breakfast you can prepare the night before.
These spiced pear overnight oats combine creamy Greek yoghurt, oats and seeds with gently cooked pears and warming pumpkin pie spice. Prepare them the night before, then add a scattering of pumpkin seeds for an easy breakfast.
I think pears often get forgotten in favour of apples, especially when it comes to autumn recipes. But with their juicy natural sweetness, they’re so lovely in breakfasts like this. When I tested these oats, the pears gave them all the sweetness they needed, without adding any sugar or sweetener. A little vanilla and a spoonful of my homemade spice mix were enough to bring it all together.
Ingredients for Pear Overnight Oats
You’ll find the full quantities in the recipe card below, but here are a few things to help when choosing your ingredients.
- Pears: Use ripe pears that give slightly when gently pressed. They provide the sweetness, so a hard, underripe pear won’t give quite the same result. Weigh after removing the core.
- Rolled oats: These soften overnight while keeping some texture.
- Chia seeds and ground flaxseeds: Both help thicken the mixture as it sits in the fridge. Use ground flaxseeds so they mix evenly through the oats. I buy the more reasonably priced packets from Lidl or Aldi
- Greek yoghurt: I use 0% Greek yoghurt for a creamy base without the extra saturated fat.
- Milk: Use whichever milk you enjoy. You can stir in a little extra before serving if you prefer looser oats.
- Pumpkin pie spice: My homemade pumpkin pie spice combines cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. You only need a small amount to flavour the pears.
- Vanilla extract: Half a teaspoon adds flavour to the oat mixture and works beautifully with the pears.
- Pumpkin seeds: Scatter these over just before eating for some crunch.
💡 For a gluten-free version, use certified gluten-free oats.
How to Make Spiced Pear Overnight Oats
1. Gently cook the pears
Core and dice the pear into small pieces. Leave the skin on if it’s tender, or peel it if you prefer a softer texture.
Put the pear in a small saucepan with the pumpkin pie spice and water. Cover and cook gently for 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but still holding some shape. Add a splash more water if the pan starts to dry out, then set aside to cool.
2. Mix the overnight oats
Stir the rolled oats, chia seeds, ground flaxseeds, milk, Greek yoghurt, vanilla and a tiny pinch of salt together in a jar or bowl. Mix thoroughly, making sure there are no dry pockets of seeds at the bottom.
3. Add the pears and refrigerate
Stir half the cooled pears through the oats, then spoon the rest on top, along with any cooking juices. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. Finish with pumpkin seeds
In the morning, add a splash of milk if you’d like a softer consistency. Scatter over the pumpkin seeds just before eating.
Tips for Making These Pear Overnight Oats
Start with ripe fruit. The pears provide the sweetness here. Taste a piece before cooking, as the flavour of the finished breakfast will depend on the fruit you use.
Keep some texture in the pears. They only need to soften, rather than cook down into a purée. Small, tender pieces give you pear in each spoonful.
Adjust the consistency to suit you. Chia and ground flaxseeds absorb liquid overnight, so the oats will be thicker in the morning. It’s easy to loosen them with a little milk before eating.
Making Ahead and Storage
Prepare the oats and spiced pears the evening before, allowing the pears to cool before assembling. Keep covered in the fridge and enjoy within 2 days.
Store the pumpkin seeds separately and scatter them over just before eating so they stay crunchy. The oats will thicken as they sit, so stir in a splash of milk before serving if needed.
You can also keep the cooked pears in a separate covered container in the fridge and spoon them over the oats when you’re ready to eat.
Diabetes Note and Carb Counting
The ripe pears give these spiced pear overnight oats enough sweetness without adding sugar or sweetener. However, the oats, pear, yoghurt and milk still contribute carbohydrate. The seeds also contribute fibre and fat, while the Greek yoghurt adds protein.
For carb counting, use the quantities in the recipe and the carbohydrate information on your ingredient labels, particularly for the milk and yoghurt. Milk alternatives can vary considerably. If you make several portions together, divide the total carbohydrate by the number of equal servings.
Type 1 Carb Counting
For our family’s Type 1 carb counting, these are the ingredients we would count per serving:
- 45 g rolled oats (Flahavan’s): 28.8 g carbohydrate
- 120 g chopped pear: 13.1 g carbohydrate
- 100 g Greek yoghurt (Fage 0%): 3 g carbohydrate
- 140 ml semi-skimmed milk: 6.6 g carbohydrate
Total using our counting approach: approximately 52 g carbohydrate per serving.
We don’t usually include the seeds in our carb count. This reflects our family’s approach rather than the full nutritional carbohydrate total, so follow your own usual counting method.
Carbohydrate values vary between brands and milk choices. Check your labels and adjust for any substitutions or extra milk added before serving.
Did you try this recipe?
I’d love to hear how it went! Leave a star rating or a quick comment below. Your feedback means the world and helps others find the recipe too.
More Breakfast Recipes to Try
If you enjoy preparing breakfast the night before, try my overnight oats with stewed apples for another way to use autumn fruit. Or make these overnight oats with frozen fruit when you want to skip cooking a fruit topping.
For a warm breakfast that you can slice into portions, try my almond croissant baked oats. They have a soft almond filling and a toasted flaked almond topping. Delicious served with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt.
Spiced Pear Overnight Oats
Creamy overnight oats with gently cooked spiced pears, Greek yoghurt and pumpkin seeds. Sweetened by ripe pears, with no added sugar or sweetener.
1
servings5
minutesOvernight
Ingredients
- For the overnight oats
45 g 1/2 cup rolled oats
10 g 2 1/2 tsp chia seeds
15 g 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
140 ml 5 fl oz milk of choice, plus extra to loosen if needed
100 g 1/2 cup 0% Greek yoghurt
1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- For the spiced pears
120 g 3/4 cup ripe pear, cored and diced
1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp 1 tbsp water
Directions
- Add the diced pear, pumpkin pie spice and water to a small saucepan. Cover and cook over a low heat for 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but still holding its shape. Add a splash more water if needed, then set aside to cool.
- In a jar or bowl, stir together the rolled oats, chia seeds, ground flaxseeds, milk, Greek yoghurt, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined.
- Stir half the cooled pears through the oats. Spoon the remaining pears and any cooking juices over the top.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Before serving, stir in a little extra milk if needed and scatter over the pumpkin seeds.
Tips and Notes
- Pears: Choose ripe, sweet pears. Leave the skin on if tender, or peel if preferred.
- Consistency: The chia and flaxseeds thicken the oats overnight. Add milk a little at a time before serving until you reach your preferred consistency.
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Diabetes Note: These oats combine carbohydrate from oats and pear with protein from Greek yoghurt, plus fibre and fats from the seeds. This gives you a mix of nutrients to build a balanced breakfast with diabetes in mind.
- Nutrition information is provided as a guide only and is based on the ingredients I use. Carbohydrate values may vary by brand and portion size. For insulin dosing, always calculate carbs using your own ingredients and diabetes management plan.
Nutrition Facts
- Total number of serves: 1
- Calories: 476kcal
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 15g
- Protein: 24g
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