Delicious overnight oats is made for you. All you have to do is stir a few ingredients together in a jar, place it in the fridge and enjoy it the next morning. It’s truly one of the simplest breakfast choices that requires no cooking and provides you with nutritious grab-and-go options for the entire week. In addition, the fun part is that they are endlessly customizable.
Getting started with delicious overnight oats
In order to make overnight oats, you will, of course, need some oats, but make sure to grab old-fashioned rolled oats and not quick-cooking oats. Rolled oats will retain their texture more effectively, even after soaking, whereas quick-cooking oats have a tendency to become somewhat mushy. Best containers for overnight oats.
This jar is large enough to stir everything together without it overflowing, and the lid is no fuss if you want to grab and go. You could also use a smaller Wick jar, or other glass jar, but just keep in mind that if you are stashing these in your purse or backpack, you might accidentally lose a metal clip, and that is why I prefer the screw-top lid on the Mason jar. Therefore, there is just five simple ingredients needed to make overnight oats, and that has rolled oats, your milk of choice, chia seeds, yogurt and maple syrup.
Basic delicious overnight oats recipe
To make an individual batch of overnight oats
Just add 1/2 a cup of rolled oats to a jar,
Along with 1/2 a cup of milk,
In addition, I am using my homemade cashew milk,
1/4 cup of yogurt, which adds extra creaminess,
And you can use dairy or dairy-free,
One tablespoon of chia seeds,
Which gives this a pudding-like texture,
In addition, one tablespoon of maple syrup or honey.
Then give that a stir and mix it all together.
In addition, you can see why I now recommend a 16-ounce jar, because it gives you plenty of room to stir without spilling and that is always a good thing.
Overnight oats will expand just a little bit once they have chilled, but as you can see, there is still plenty of room for toppings if you would like to add them later. Then just place this in your fridge for at least two hours, though overnight is best. While it is easy to make overnight oats individually in jars, you can also make one large batch for the week.
For four servings
Just add two cups of rolled oats to a large bowl, along with two cups of milk, one cup of yogurt, 1/4 cup of chia seeds and 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Then give that all a stir until it has well combined. Cover your bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight, just as we did previously. Moreover, to show you how it starts to thicken up, this is what it looks like after two hours, but it will get even thicker the longer you leave it. I personally love it thick and creamy overnight, but if you like a liquid texture, you can always add a splash more milk, it is really up to you. Moreover, with a basic batch of overnight oats, you can switch up the toppings every morning.
Quick examples.
Just add a portion of the overnight oats to a bowl or cup, and top with fresh strawberries and kiwi fruit and a sprinkle of hemp seeds. Alternatively, top with fresh blackberries and diced mango chunks with a sprinkle of pistachios. On the other hand, top with a sliced banana, fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of pecans.
As you can see, it is super easy to top your basic overnight oats with any fresh fruit that you have on hand, but if you prefer, mixed-in flavors,
Pina colada overnight oats this first one is a simple Pina colada flavor, and you already know the base ingredients
Of 1/2 a cup of rolled oats, 1/2 a cup of milk,
In addition, one tablespoon of maple syrup.
Moreover, to that, you will add 1/4 cup of small-diced pineapple.
I like it diced small so that you get a little bit of pineapple with every bite. Then you will add one tablespoon of unsweetened shredded coconut and 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
You can always add some. I will just add a little bit more of what I put inside so you can remember the flavors. And in the case of this Pina colada version,
That is more diced pineapple and shredded coconut for a tasty breakfast with tropical flair.
This next batch of overnight oats is one of my personal favorites for the jam part; you can use a store-bought jam, chia seed jam, or just make a simple fruit puree, which is what I am doing today.
They will break down quickly in just a couple of minutes, and you can help the process along by smashing them with your spatula. Transfer the raspberry puree to a container and then place that in the fridge until it has cooled.
Once you cool the puree, you can add a couple tablespoons of that to the bottom of your jar, and add one portion of already-mixed-together overnight oats. Next, add two tablespoons of almond butter, peanut butter, or any alternative nut butter on the top, and mix it in. I like it so it has a sort of fruit-on-the-bottom vibe, but you can completely stir it together. Then I will just chop up some pistachios to add as a topping once it has firmed up, but right now, into the fridge it goes.
For toppings on this, I will add a little drizzle of more almond butter, a handful of fresh raspberries and a sprinkle of those chopped pistachios. If you are new to overnight oats, this is a great flavor to start with, as everyone always loves it.
Strawberry protein overnight oats this next flavor is a strawberry protein overnight oats.
You will start with a basic recipe
Of 1/2 a cup of rolled oats, 1/2 a cup of milk,
Take 1/4 cup of yogurt and mix in 1 tablespoon of chia seeds.
In addition, one tablespoon of maple syrup.
Add 1/4 cup of small-diced strawberries.
I have a fondness for strawberries, but remember, these are merely suggestions. If you prefer another favorite fruit, feel free to substitute it instead.. In addition, to give this version a protein boost, I am adding one scoop of protein powder, but you could also use collagen powder.
For a little crunch.
I will add one tablespoon of sliced almonds and 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract. For another idea, if you are not a fan of protein powder, you could swap that for cream cheese and give this a strawberry cheesecake flavor. Once it has all mixed, I’ll pop it in the fridge and let it firm up.
For toppings.
I will add a dollop of yogurt, another sprinkle of strawberries and more sliced almonds for a protein-packed grab-and-go breakfast. Spiced pear overnight oats
While apple cinnamon oatmeal is always a popular flavor, I am doing a riff on that today and making spiced pear overnight oats. In goes the basic recipe of oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds and maple syrup. Moreover, to that, I will add 1/4 cup of small-diced pear. If pears are not in season where you are at, you can, of course, use apples, peaches, so grab what is in season or on sale and then add that to the oats.
For a little crunch.
Add one tablespoon of chopped pecans,
Again, you can mix these in
Alternatively, add them on top, it is up to you. And for that spiced flavor,
Include 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg.
Give that a stir to mix,
Cover with the lid and refrigerate overnight.
As a reminder
You do not have to add any toppings, these mixed versions are good to go, but just so, you remember what is inside,
I will add some more diced pear, chopped pecans and a sprinkle of cinnamon for a deliciously sweet and spiced overnight oats.
Carrot cake overnight oats.
Carrot cake is one of my favorite cake recipes and it is so easy to recreate those flavors with overnight oats. In addition, bonus, this version is a great way to sneak in some extra veggies into your morning routine. Add the base overnight oats recipe to your jar, and then grate a carrot. You will want about 1/4 cup of grated carrot, and I recommend using the smaller grating holes on your box grater. Add that to the oats, along with one tablespoon of shredded coconut, one tablespoon of raisins, 1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract to sweeten it even more. Give that a stir to make sure it has well combined, add the lid and then pop it in the fridge.
For toppings.
I will add a little bit more of the shredded carrot, a sprinkle of raisins and some chopped pecans. This offers a wonderful solution for indulging in carrot cake cravings in a healthier manner.
Banana bread overnight oats.
For our last overnight oats flavor, we are going with a classic, and that is banana bread. Moreover, I should mention that while most people enjoy overnight oats cold, straight from the fridge, you could warm them up if you would like, either in the microwave or on the stove. So if you would like this flavour to resemble a warm slice of banana bread, go for it.
Basic recipe of overnight oats
You will add 1/2 of a banana that you have mashed, just place it in a bowl and use a fork to mash it to a smooth pureed consistency and then add that to the oats.