Overnight Oats Recipe
This easy overnight oats recipe is a healthy make-ahead breakfast of rolled oats and chia seeds soaked in milk, yogurt, honey, and vanilla and served with your favorite toppings.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
BASE RECIPE
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats you can also use gluten free oats
- ½ cup milk any milk, including skim, soy, almond, etc.
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon honey or to taste (you can also use maple syrup, or any other sweetener of choice)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- diced or sliced fresh Fruit for garnish, optional
- chopped nuts for garnish, optional
- coconut shavings for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Add rolled oats, milk, yogurt, salt, and honey to a glass container, glass jar, or a cereal bowl.
- Stir in the chia seeds, vanilla (and dissolving mix-ins such as cocoa powder if using). You can also stir in Nutella or peanut butter or wait to add those right before serving. However, If using berries, nuts, and other toppings that will get soggy, don’t add them until the next day, right before serving.
- Cover the oats and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- To eat, remove the cover or lid, stir, and if the oatmeal is too thick, thin it out with more milk.
- Top with fruits, nuts, coconut shavings, etc., and serve.
Berry Oatmeal Variation
- Add ½ cup fresh berries right before serving, and top with chopped nuts, if desired.
Chocolate Oatmeal Variation
- Stir in 2 teaspoons cocoa powder.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Variation
- Stir in 1 tablespoon smooth natural peanut butter right before serving.
Nutella Oatmeal Variation
- Stir in 1 tablespoon Nutella right before serving.
Banana Bread Oatmeal Variation
- Just before serving, stir a pinch of cinnamon into the oats, and top with sliced or chopped banana and chopped pecans or walnuts.
Notes
- Liquid to Oats Ratio: Typically, the ratio is 1:1 of rolled oats to liquid (like milk or yogurt). However, you can adjust this based on your preference for a thicker or thinner consistency.
- Use Rolled Oats: Rolled oats (or old-fashioned oats) absorb the liquid well and provide a creamy texture. Avoid quick oats, which can become too mushy, and steel-cut oats may remain too chewy.
- Adding Sweeteners: Natural sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, or agave can be used, but add them sparingly. You can always add more later to taste.
- Mix-ins and Toppings: Fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, and spices (like cinnamon or nutmeg) are great additions. However, if using ingredients that might get too soft (like certain fresh fruits or granola), consider adding them just before eating.
- Consistency: Before you dig in the following day, give your oats a good stir. If they’re too thick, you can add more milk or yogurt to loosen them up.
- Temperature: While they're meant to be eaten cold and straight out of the fridge, if you prefer them warm, you can heat them up in the microwave for a minute or so.
- Dairy-Free: If you're vegan or lactose intolerant, almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, or any other plant-based milk works great in this recipe.
- Containers: Mason jars or any airtight containers work best.
- Storage: Overnight oats last up to 5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 5.5ounces | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 263mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 104IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 179mg | Iron: 1mg
