As an avid breakfast lover, I made it my goal to come up with some decadent overnight oat recipes to make breakfast both nutritious and delicious (you see what I did there ;) ). I firmly believe that you should enjoy what you eat, so why not make it more fun?
Before we get into the delicious variations you see here, let’s first start with a basic overnight oats recipe. I usually measure everything with my heart, but for some measurements:
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup milk (I prefer almond, but you can use whatever kind you like)
• dash of cinnamon (again, measure with your heart)
• 1 heaping tablespoon of greek yogurt (I use Dannon Light & Fit Vanilla for the best flavor without the tangy greek yogurt flavor)
• splash of vanilla
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional)
• 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup (or honey)
• any type of berry/fruit (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and bananas are my favorites)
• 1 tablespoon nut butter (optional)
Directions:
1) In a small container (at least 8 oz) add milk, cinnamon, greek yogurt, vanilla, chia seeds, maple syrup, fruit and mix together
2) Add oats and mix
3) If the mixture doesn’t cover the oats completely, add more milk so that the oats are covered, but not too much that you can’t see them anymore (the oats should be peeking out a bit above the mixture)
4) Seal container and place in the fridge overnight (or at least 4 hours)
5) In the morning, add your favorite nut butter and enjoy:)
Now, getting to the fun stuff...
Chocolate Covered Strawberry
For this recipe:
- Blend 1/2 cup milk with 2-3 strawberries to make your own strawberry milk
- Add 1-2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
- Add greek yogurt, vanilla, maple syrup, chia seeds and mix
- Chop up another 1-2 strawberries and mix in
- Add oats, mix together, refrigerate and enjoy
Mixed Berry
For this recipe:
-Use the same strawberry milk base, or take any other berries you have and blend with milk
- Add cinnamon, greek yogurt, vanilla, maple syrup, chia seeds and mix
- Chop up strawberries, and add any other berries you have
- Add oats, mix together, refrigerate and enjoy
PB & J
For this recipe:
- You can use the same strawberry milk as before, or you can sub any other type of berry for the strawberries and blend together with milk
- Add cinnamon, greek yogurt, vanilla, chia seeds (can use maple syrup, but it should be sweet enough with the jelly) and mix
- Add oats, mix together and refrigerate
- In the morning, top with 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1 tablespoon jelly, and enjoy this childhood classic :)
Cinnamon Apple
For this recipe:
- Chop up 1/4-1/2 an apple (I usually eat the other half as a snack while I make the oats) and toss in cinnamon in the container
- You can either keep all of the chopped apples in the container, or set some aside to add on top in the morning if your container has a separate compartment
- Add milk, greek yogurt, vanilla, chia seeds and apple butter, if you have it (if not, add maple syrup)
- Add oats, mix together and refrigerate
- In the morning, you can top with the rest of the apples, and peanut butter, if desired
Honey Banana Walnut
For this recipe:
- Take 1/4 of a banana and mash it in the bottom of the container (you’ll use another 1/4 to add on top later). I usually save the other half of the banana in the fridge as a snack for the next day
- Add milk, greek yogurt, vanilla, cinnamon, chia seeds, honey and mix
- Chop up some walnuts, add oats and mix
- The other (sliced) 1/4 of the banana can be added on top at night, or can be added in the morning to keep it fresher
- After refrigerating overnight, top with some more chopped walnuts, drizzle with honey, and enjoy
Coconut Banana
For this recipe:
- Add milk, coconut flavored greek yogurt, vanilla, chia seeds, maple syrup, shredded coconut, and mix
- Add oats and mix
- Slice 1/4-1/2 of a banana and press down into the oat mixture so that it is completely covered (it’ll be a nice surprise in the morning), seal container and refrigerate
- In the morning, add more shredded coconut (or coconut chips) on top, peanut butter (if desired) and enjoy
White Chocolate Raspberry
For this recipe:
- Mash 4-5 raspberries in the bottom of the container with a fork
- Add milk, greek yogurt, vanilla, chia seeds, maple syrup and mix
- Add oats, some white chocolate chips and mix
- Top with some more whole raspberries and white chocolate chips (if desired), refrigerate and enjoy
After trying any or all of these overnight oat recipes, I hope you've come to realize that breakfast can be so much more than boring old cereal or toast, and that any meal can be as fun as you want to make it!