Overnight oats is the easiest, healthiest, most fulfilling breakfast you can make. If you make it right, it won’t just be delicious but healthy and nutritious too. What I like about overnight oats is how easy they are to adapt to your liking and to the fruit of the season. You can even make them vegan and use almond or coconut milk (My personal favorite is coconut milk, it is so creamy and flavorful).
This recipe is the base for great overnight oats. A small tweak here, a pinch of cinnamon there, will make all the difference. Maybe some pumpkin pure and a sprinkle of nutmeg for fall, some chopped peaches and a drizzle of honey for summer, also mashed banana and chocolate chips is another great option. But today I am making one of my favorites.. Berry Oats with coconut milk. The creaminess of the coconut milk along with the sweetness of the honey, balanced by the acidity of the berries is an absolute winner!
Two things to know. Firstly, yes you can totally use frozen berries. They are actually a great choice since they are much cheaper than the fresh fruit and are available all year long.
Secondly, you must and I mean MUST use rolled oats and not the instant kind. Overnight oats made with instant oats turn to mush and you’ll end up with a blob. Of course steel cut oats are the best choice but they come more expensive and they are harder to find.
In today’s recipe I am mixing yoghurt with coconut milk. I find it yields the best consistency. If you’re vegan, replace the yoghurt with coconut cream or yoghurt, soy yoghurt or almond milk.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup yoghurt
- 1 cup milk (cow, coconut, almond)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For toppings:
- Raspberries or
- Blueberries or
- Strawberries
*To make good oats you need to make them a day ahead and keep them in the fridge overnight, or at least for a couple of hours if you are impatient and can’t wait to dig in (wouldn’t blame you). As I mentioned in the beginning, you MUST use rolled oats and not instant ones.
*In a bowl mix in the oats with your choice of milk and the yoghurt. Like I mentioned earlier if you’re vegan, you can easily replace the yoghurt with more almond milk, coconut cream/ yoghurt or soy yoghurt (haven’t tried it).
*Add in the chia seeds and give them a good mix. Chia seeds must be mixed well or they will stick together forming a big lump. Now mix in the honey, as much as you like. Replace it with maple syrup if you’re not a fan of honey. Just try not to use sugar, we’re trying to keep this nice and healthy.
*Vanilla is essential in this, a must. It elevates the whole thing. (You can add orange or lemon zest if you like)
*That’s it really, the oats are ready to be poured into a jar, covered and refrigerated for the next day. If you’re having this for breakfast, make it at night before you go to bed and keep it in the fridge.
*Next morning, you open the jar and add whatever topping you like. Today, I’m using berries, raspberries and blueberries. The tartness they bring to the oats is unbelievably good and is what you need in the morning. Of course you can sprinkle in some chopped nuts for crunch.
*Enjoy and feel free to get creative and use different toppings every time.