Baked Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Pudding (Sugar-, Gluten-, and Dairy-Free)

I realize that last week’s post about how wonderful I was feeling may have turned a few people off. While I was hoping to inspire women to feel ok about feeling good about themselves and stop seeking reasons to put themselves down (and from your comments I know I succeeded!), I know what it’s like to be on the other end of the ladder. People who come off as perfectly positive all the time can be downright annoying when you’re feeling that low.

Well, I assure you I am neither perfect nor always positive.

My legs are short, my tummy is round, my chest is flat, and my nose is big. (Side note: I recently I had an epiphany. Maybe I am sexy because of those things and not despite them. How’s that for positive thinking?) And despite all the progress I’ve made overcoming an unhealthy relationship with food and a blatantly painful body image, one could argue that I still exhibit some symptoms of disordered eating. According to Katie at Health for the Whole Self, I’m not alone. The difference these days is that I’m not ashamed to admit I still struggle sometimes with negative thoughts about food and image, and that I have adopted much healthier ways of dealing with those thoughts.

Something that always makes me feel good is choosing foods that are more than just delicious, but also nutritionally sound, balanced, and clean. They fuel my body and my mind with energy to do good things – a lot more efficiently than the out-of-control choices I might have made in the past. One example is this dessert. Or is it a breakfast, or a snack? I can tell you from experience, it’s all of the above.

This Baked Pumpkin-Cranberry Oatmeal Pudding is an adaptation of Ricki’s (Diet, Dessert and Dogs) Baked Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Pudding, which I also caught over on Amy’s blog, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. Both of these ladies are constantly inspiring me with their decadent treats consisting of healthy, all-natural ingredients and this is no exception. Full of heart-healthy nuts and vitamin-rich pumpkin, yet free of gluten, dairy, and sugar, my pumpkin adaptation of this recipe is a warm, sweetly-satisfying, luscious and creamy treat for any time of day. As a bonus, it comes together super quickly and doesn’t dirty too many dishes at all. Just trust me – this is one of those things that as soon as you make it once, you’ll already be craving it again. But no worries – you don’t need to feel an ounce of guilt over it.

Before sharing the recipe, I need to give two very important shout-outs. First, in case you missed it, I was honored to write a guest post for Dani Spies’ blog yesterday. While she’s taking a little break, I was putting together a delicious, lasagna-inspired Spaghetti Squash Torta full of wonderful things.And, I am currently participating in my first ever blogger bake sale, on Ashlee’s blog, Veggies by Season. Ashlee is trying to raise money to cover veterinary care for a cute little deserving pup. Head on over to see the list of awesome baked goods, including my Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies, and consider making a pledge for a good cause!

Baked Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Pudding (Sugar-free, Dairy-free, Gluten-free)
Adapted from Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup (75 g) pecans or hazelnuts (I’ve tried both, each with great results)
1/2 cup (75 g) cashews
1/2 cup (40gm) old fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup (180gm) canned pumpkin puree or homemade, pureed winter squash
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure stevia extract (or other sweetener, to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
pinch of ground cloves
1/8 tsp salt
1-1/4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 cup frozen cranberries

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray a 4-6 cup casserole dish, or small individual ramekins with cooking spray.

Lightly toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, shaking them around in the pan occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant.

Place the nuts in a high-speed blender or food processor along with the oats, pumpkin, vanilla, stevia, spices and salt. Pour the milk over all and blend for about two minutes, until perfectly smooth and creamy. Fold in the cranberries with a spatula, then pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish(es).

Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes (40 minutes for the smaller ramekins, until the pudding begins to puff and crack and the top appears dry. Cool sightly before serving. May be served warm or cold. Makes 4-6 servings. Store, covered, up to 4 days in the refrigerator, reheating individual servings in the microwave for about one minute, if desired.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 217.9
Total Fat: 16.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 41.4 mg
Total Carbs: 16.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.4 g
Protein: 4.5 g

PS – I’m sharing this treat with Amy for her Slightly Indulgent Tuesday Feature on 11/9!

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54 Responses to “Baked Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Pudding (Sugar-, Gluten-, and Dairy-Free)”

  1. 1

    Maria — November 3, 2010 @ 2:42 pm Reply

    I love your little dish! Great recipe too!

  2. 2

    Dawn — November 3, 2010 @ 3:17 pm Reply

    Love the recipe, love the dish and love your commentary. No one is perfect or positive all the time but if we can work towards loving ourselves for who we are and just being healthy we're going in the right direction. I also find beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I told Chris this morning I want to lose ten lbs and he said he thought that was way too much and that he loved me the way I am (especially with a little more padding in the RIGHT areas hehee). I left the house with much more of a spring in my step!Also…love your turkey pumpkin chili! The boys polished off a FULL LARGE slow cooker full.

  3. 3

    Ricki — November 3, 2010 @ 4:07 pm Reply

    Such a cute little pumpkiny dish! πŸ˜‰ This looks soooo good. You know you inspired me to try it this way, and I love it. Thanks for the shout out! πŸ˜€

  4. 4

    Katie @ Health for the Whole Self — November 3, 2010 @ 4:15 pm Reply

    Great recipe, great writing! I think it's brave of you to admit that while some days your body image is totally positive, other days you still struggle. A great reminder that it's a continuous journey with a lot of grey area, and we're constantly changing and progressing.

  5. 5

    Bridget — November 3, 2010 @ 4:51 pm Reply

    You know what I think is messed up about you thinking you have short legs? I'm sometimes annoyed about being "short-waisted." But we're about the same height, so if I'm short-waisted, shouldn't I be glad that I have long legs (relative to my overall height, of course)? And then you must have a long waist. You can wear a whole lot of shirts that I can't pull off! I'm slowly learning to appreciate my "faults" as "interesting traits" instead. I agree that the best way to feel good about yourself is to do what you can to take care of your health – like eating food like this.

  6. 6

    Healthy Mamma — November 3, 2010 @ 4:59 pm Reply

    I think it's refreshing to hear that people are as normal/weird as me. It's refreshing to hear a good attitude! Everyone and I mean everyone struggles w something about themselves. As long as you are making a conscience effort to be healthy, anything can be overcome.I just love love love pumpkins with cranberries! I will def try this since their is no added sugar!

  7. 7

    Jennifurla — November 3, 2010 @ 5:20 pm Reply

    I need to remember that my flaws might attract more than de-tract, thanks for sharing this lovely recipe.

  8. 8

    Joanne — November 3, 2010 @ 5:27 pm Reply

    After thinking about this a lot, I've concluded that the only way to really cope with disordered eating is to just admit that it's there. Acknowledge that it's disordered, and move on. I still have disordered thoughts that involve me being anxious when going out to eat, etc. but I just kind of tell myself that they are crazy. Face my fears kind of a thing.I do love eating nutritious food though and this sounds like its right up there in awesomeness. Pumpkin cranberry heaven.

  9. 9

    Kira — November 3, 2010 @ 9:46 pm Reply

    This looks delicious! I love pumpkin, cranberries, and oatmeal.

  10. 10

    Kate — November 4, 2010 @ 12:06 am Reply

    This looks and sounds delicious. Oooh I bet it tastes great with hazelnuts. I will have to remember to get some!

  11. 11

    carascravings — November 4, 2010 @ 2:08 am Reply

    Looks so scrumptious!I think the good thing about this is that it can be breakfast, snack and dessert…so versatile!

  12. 12

    Sarah Roberts — November 4, 2010 @ 3:06 pm Reply

    wow! how did you find my blog?! I feel so flattered! I admire you and your recipes btw…I use and save tons of them all the time and then recommend them to others from your website of course…I am so excited to try your pumpkin pudding one!!!! I am going to make it THIS weekend and have them for breakfast during the week and such….my hubby also LOVES pumpkin and I can't wait for him to try it too…thanks again for everything you do….it helps people like me who struggle with the same things you do a lot…I am also a recovering person with severe body image issues and eating disorders….btw just in case the blog you commented on was sarahandy.blogspot because I will logging in below with my gmail info and it doesn't link to that one

  13. 13

    Amy Green — November 4, 2010 @ 5:07 pm Reply

    Hey Cara!! This is just my opinion so you can take it or leave it…I don't think you have to ever apologize for feeling good. Isn't that what we all want? And feeling good while being fully aware of your imperfections is even better. I am not sure that this is the same struggle you felt, but for years I struggled with that 'misery loves company' thing where I thought i was leaving someone behind if I really did what I loved and did it well. Like you, I've worked really hard to get myself to a healthy place and I don't apologize for it anymore. Yes, I have my bad days and bad moments but the bad days today are light years ahead of where my bad days used to be. I think you're doing a great service to women everywhere. Keep it up. We need more strong, confident women in the world.And, by the way, I have a round belly too. Gave up on the rock hard abs years ago. LOL!!Hugs,AmySimply Sugar & Gluten-Free

  14. 14

    Barbara — November 6, 2010 @ 7:40 pm Reply

    Nothing wrong with feeling good! Acceptance of yourself and self confidence are two imperatives for happiness.Never would have thought it possible to make something this good sugar, gluten AND dairy free!

  15. 15

    delishliving.com — November 6, 2010 @ 10:30 pm Reply

    OK, where did you get that extremely cute dish?! I love it. This recipe looks wonderful. I'm in desperate need of healthy snacks that make me feel full, especially for the middle of my work day. Thanks for posting this, as well as for being so real about feeling positive – and sometimes negative – about your body image. Being real is the best example you can be to other women.

  16. 16

    SnoWhite — November 10, 2010 @ 3:48 am Reply

    Love the look of that recipe — and what a cute serving dish too πŸ™‚

  17. 17

    grace — November 12, 2010 @ 10:15 am Reply

    hands-down, that's the most awesome little ramekin i've ever seen. great recipe too. πŸ™‚

  18. 18

    janet — December 15, 2010 @ 3:10 am Reply

    Cara, I made this last month and finally came around to posting about it. Delicious! I love your pick for the flavour variation. Thanks for sharing! :)Here's my post about it: http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/baked-pumpkin-cranberry-oatmeal-breakfast-pudding/

  19. 19

    janet — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    Cara, I made this last month and finally came around to posting about it. Delicious! I love your pick for the flavour variation. Thanks for sharing! :)Here's my post about it: http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/baked-pumpkin-cranberry-oatmeal-breakfast-pudding/

  20. 20

    grace — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    hands-down, that's the most awesome little ramekin i've ever seen. great recipe too. πŸ™‚

  21. 21

    SnoWhite — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    Love the look of that recipe — and what a cute serving dish too πŸ™‚

  22. 22

    delishliving.com — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    OK, where did you get that extremely cute dish?! I love it. This recipe looks wonderful. I'm in desperate need of healthy snacks that make me feel full, especially for the middle of my work day. Thanks for posting this, as well as for being so real about feeling positive – and sometimes negative – about your body image. Being real is the best example you can be to other women.

  23. 23

    Barbara — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    Nothing wrong with feeling good! Acceptance of yourself and self confidence are two imperatives for happiness.Never would have thought it possible to make something this good sugar, gluten AND dairy free!

  24. 24

    Amy Green — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    Hey Cara!! This is just my opinion so you can take it or leave it…I don't think you have to ever apologize for feeling good. Isn't that what we all want? And feeling good while being fully aware of your imperfections is even better. I am not sure that this is the same struggle you felt, but for years I struggled with that 'misery loves company' thing where I thought i was leaving someone behind if I really did what I loved and did it well. Like you, I've worked really hard to get myself to a healthy place and I don't apologize for it anymore. Yes, I have my bad days and bad moments but the bad days today are light years ahead of where my bad days used to be. I think you're doing a great service to women everywhere. Keep it up. We need more strong, confident women in the world.And, by the way, I have a round belly too. Gave up on the rock hard abs years ago. LOL!!Hugs,AmySimply Sugar & Gluten-Free

  25. 25

    Sarah Roberts — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    wow! how did you find my blog?! I feel so flattered! I admire you and your recipes btw…I use and save tons of them all the time and then recommend them to others from your website of course…I am so excited to try your pumpkin pudding one!!!! I am going to make it THIS weekend and have them for breakfast during the week and such….my hubby also LOVES pumpkin and I can't wait for him to try it too…thanks again for everything you do….it helps people like me who struggle with the same things you do a lot…I am also a recovering person with severe body image issues and eating disorders….btw just in case the blog you commented on was sarahandy.blogspot because I will logging in below with my gmail info and it doesn't link to that one

  26. 26

    carascravings — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    Looks so scrumptious!I think the good thing about this is that it can be breakfast, snack and dessert…so versatile!

  27. 27

    Kate — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    This looks and sounds delicious. Oooh I bet it tastes great with hazelnuts. I will have to remember to get some!

  28. 28

    Kira — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    This looks delicious! I love pumpkin, cranberries, and oatmeal.

  29. 29

    Joanne — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    After thinking about this a lot, I've concluded that the only way to really cope with disordered eating is to just admit that it's there. Acknowledge that it's disordered, and move on. I still have disordered thoughts that involve me being anxious when going out to eat, etc. but I just kind of tell myself that they are crazy. Face my fears kind of a thing.I do love eating nutritious food though and this sounds like its right up there in awesomeness. Pumpkin cranberry heaven.

  30. 30

    Bridget — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    You know what I think is messed up about you thinking you have short legs? I'm sometimes annoyed about being "short-waisted." But we're about the same height, so if I'm short-waisted, shouldn't I be glad that I have long legs (relative to my overall height, of course)? And then you must have a long waist. You can wear a whole lot of shirts that I can't pull off! I'm slowly learning to appreciate my "faults" as "interesting traits" instead. I agree that the best way to feel good about yourself is to do what you can to take care of your health – like eating food like this.

  31. 31

    Maria — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    I love your little dish! Great recipe too!

  32. 32

    Jennifurla — March 28, 2011 @ 8:52 pm Reply

    I need to remember that my flaws might attract more than de-tract, thanks for sharing this lovely recipe.

  33. 33

    Healthy Mamma — March 28, 2011 @ 8:52 pm Reply

    I think it's refreshing to hear that people are as normal/weird as me. It's refreshing to hear a good attitude! Everyone and I mean everyone struggles w something about themselves. As long as you are making a conscience effort to be healthy, anything can be overcome.I just love love love pumpkins with cranberries! I will def try this since their is no added sugar!

  34. 34

    Katie @ Health for the Whole S — March 28, 2011 @ 8:52 pm Reply

    Great recipe, great writing! I think it's brave of you to admit that while some days your body image is totally positive, other days you still struggle. A great reminder that it's a continuous journey with a lot of grey area, and we're constantly changing and progressing.

  35. 35

    Ricki — March 28, 2011 @ 8:52 pm Reply

    Such a cute little pumpkiny dish! πŸ˜‰ This looks soooo good. You know you inspired me to try it this way, and I love it. Thanks for the shout out! πŸ˜€

  36. 36

    Dawn — March 28, 2011 @ 8:52 pm Reply

    Love the recipe, love the dish and love your commentary. No one is perfect or positive all the time but if we can work towards loving ourselves for who we are and just being healthy we're going in the right direction. I also find beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I told Chris this morning I want to lose ten lbs and he said he thought that was way too much and that he loved me the way I am (especially with a little more padding in the RIGHT areas hehee). I left the house with much more of a spring in my step!Also…love your turkey pumpkin chili! The boys polished off a FULL LARGE slow cooker full.

  37. 37

    janet — March 29, 2011 @ 2:06 am Reply

    Cara, I made this last month and finally came around to posting about it. Delicious! I love your pick for the flavour variation. Thanks for sharing! :)Here's my post about it: http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/baked-pumpkin-cranberry-oatmeal-breakfast-pudding/

  38. 38

    SnoWhite — March 29, 2011 @ 2:06 am Reply

    Love the look of that recipe — and what a cute serving dish too πŸ™‚

  39. 39

    Barbara — March 29, 2011 @ 2:06 am Reply

    Nothing wrong with feeling good! Acceptance of yourself and self confidence are two imperatives for happiness.Never would have thought it possible to make something this good sugar, gluten AND dairy free!

  40. 40

    Amy Green — March 29, 2011 @ 2:06 am Reply

    Hey Cara!! This is just my opinion so you can take it or leave it…I don't think you have to ever apologize for feeling good. Isn't that what we all want? And feeling good while being fully aware of your imperfections is even better. I am not sure that this is the same struggle you felt, but for years I struggled with that 'misery loves company' thing where I thought i was leaving someone behind if I really did what I loved and did it well. Like you, I've worked really hard to get myself to a healthy place and I don't apologize for it anymore. Yes, I have my bad days and bad moments but the bad days today are light years ahead of where my bad days used to be. I think you're doing a great service to women everywhere. Keep it up. We need more strong, confident women in the world.And, by the way, I have a round belly too. Gave up on the rock hard abs years ago. LOL!!Hugs,AmySimply Sugar & Gluten-Free

  41. 41

    Kate — March 29, 2011 @ 2:06 am Reply

    This looks and sounds delicious. Oooh I bet it tastes great with hazelnuts. I will have to remember to get some!

  42. 42

    Joanne — March 29, 2011 @ 2:06 am Reply

    After thinking about this a lot, I've concluded that the only way to really cope with disordered eating is to just admit that it's there. Acknowledge that it's disordered, and move on. I still have disordered thoughts that involve me being anxious when going out to eat, etc. but I just kind of tell myself that they are crazy. Face my fears kind of a thing.I do love eating nutritious food though and this sounds like its right up there in awesomeness. Pumpkin cranberry heaven.

  43. 43

    Healthy Mamma — March 29, 2011 @ 2:06 am Reply

    I think it's refreshing to hear that people are as normal/weird as me. It's refreshing to hear a good attitude! Everyone and I mean everyone struggles w something about themselves. As long as you are making a conscience effort to be healthy, anything can be overcome.I just love love love pumpkins with cranberries! I will def try this since their is no added sugar!

  44. 44

    Katie @ Health for the Whole S — March 29, 2011 @ 2:06 am Reply

    Great recipe, great writing! I think it's brave of you to admit that while some days your body image is totally positive, other days you still struggle. A great reminder that it's a continuous journey with a lot of grey area, and we're constantly changing and progressing.

  45. 45

    Dawn — March 29, 2011 @ 2:06 am Reply

    Love the recipe, love the dish and love your commentary. No one is perfect or positive all the time but if we can work towards loving ourselves for who we are and just being healthy we're going in the right direction. I also find beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I told Chris this morning I want to lose ten lbs and he said he thought that was way too much and that he loved me the way I am (especially with a little more padding in the RIGHT areas hehee). I left the house with much more of a spring in my step!Also…love your turkey pumpkin chili! The boys polished off a FULL LARGE slow cooker full.

  46. 46

    Healthy Mamma — April 5, 2011 @ 1:22 am Reply

    I think it's refreshing to hear that people are as normal/weird as me. It's refreshing to hear a good attitude! Everyone and I mean everyone struggles w something about themselves. As long as you are making a conscience effort to be healthy, anything can be overcome.I just love love love pumpkins with cranberries! I will def try this since their is no added sugar!

  47. 47

    Amy Green — April 5, 2011 @ 1:22 am Reply

    Hey Cara!! This is just my opinion so you can take it or leave it…I don't think you have to ever apologize for feeling good. Isn't that what we all want? And feeling good while being fully aware of your imperfections is even better. I am not sure that this is the same struggle you felt, but for years I struggled with that 'misery loves company' thing where I thought i was leaving someone behind if I really did what I loved and did it well. Like you, I've worked really hard to get myself to a healthy place and I don't apologize for it anymore. Yes, I have my bad days and bad moments but the bad days today are light years ahead of where my bad days used to be. I think you're doing a great service to women everywhere. Keep it up. We need more strong, confident women in the world.And, by the way, I have a round belly too. Gave up on the rock hard abs years ago. LOL!!Hugs,AmySimply Sugar & Gluten-Free

  48. 48

    Dawn — April 5, 2011 @ 1:22 am Reply

    Love the recipe, love the dish and love your commentary. No one is perfect or positive all the time but if we can work towards loving ourselves for who we are and just being healthy we're going in the right direction. I also find beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I told Chris this morning I want to lose ten lbs and he said he thought that was way too much and that he loved me the way I am (especially with a little more padding in the RIGHT areas hehee). I left the house with much more of a spring in my step!Also…love your turkey pumpkin chili! The boys polished off a FULL LARGE slow cooker full.

  49. 49

    Katie @ Health for the Whole S — April 5, 2011 @ 1:22 am Reply

    Great recipe, great writing! I think it's brave of you to admit that while some days your body image is totally positive, other days you still struggle. A great reminder that it's a continuous journey with a lot of grey area, and we're constantly changing and progressing.

  50. 50

    carascravings — April 5, 2011 @ 1:22 am Reply

    Looks so scrumptious!I think the good thing about this is that it can be breakfast, snack and dessert…so versatile!

  51. 51

    Joanne — April 5, 2011 @ 1:22 am Reply

    After thinking about this a lot, I've concluded that the only way to really cope with disordered eating is to just admit that it's there. Acknowledge that it's disordered, and move on. I still have disordered thoughts that involve me being anxious when going out to eat, etc. but I just kind of tell myself that they are crazy. Face my fears kind of a thing.I do love eating nutritious food though and this sounds like its right up there in awesomeness. Pumpkin cranberry heaven.

  52. 52

    Ricki — April 5, 2011 @ 1:22 am Reply

    Such a cute little pumpkiny dish! πŸ˜‰ This looks soooo good. You know you inspired me to try it this way, and I love it. Thanks for the shout out! πŸ˜€

  53. 53

    Maria — April 5, 2011 @ 1:22 am Reply

    I love your little dish! Great recipe too!

  54. 54

    Katie @ Health for the Whole S — April 5, 2011 @ 1:22 am Reply

    Great recipe, great writing! I think it's brave of you to admit that while some days your body image is totally positive, other days you still struggle. A great reminder that it's a continuous journey with a lot of grey area, and we're constantly changing and progressing.

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