Overnight Oats

So I realize I am about 5 years late to the overnight oats fad. I have actually considered them multiple times. I first read about them on Oh She Glows way back when. I thought, "that sounds like a nifty thing to have for breakfast" but then thought it seemed weird to eat cold oats....and immediately forgot about them.

Years later, along came Pinterest, and, again, overnight oats resurfaced. People I know (and tons of people I don't know, because that is how Pinterest works) pinned multiple recipes for overnight oats. I dutifully re-pinned each recipe - slightly more open to the idea but still never quite committing.

As the mornings warmed to summer in Texas, I no longer wanted to bring my hot breakfast of eggs and kale. In my searching for something refreshing for breakfast I still ignored overnight oats and instead started bringing greek yogurt with granola and berries every morning. I LOVED it. It was delicious and filling and my new most favorite breakfast ever. 

And then I discovered I have a sensitivity of some sort - I assume to dairy. I noticed that I was having an issue with dry skin on my eyelids (which, luckily, according to my friend at work, looks like eyeshadow and not the freakish-mutant peeling skin that I thought it looked like). I also quickly deduced that this started around the time I fell in love with yogurt for breakfast. Even more damning was the fact that it would clear up on the weekends when I would typically have something aside from yogurt for breakfast. It was the only constant. So, on a very depressing Thursday, I brought eggs and kale to work for breakfast instead. 

After two mornings of eggs, and the temperatures nearing the 80s as early as 9am. I really wanted to find something refreshing for breakfast again. Which is when, in a moment of clarity, I remembered overnight oats. I decided to finally give them a try. It only took five years. And, let me tell you, I now regret that - because that is five years I could have been eating this amazing breakfast that I missed out on. What was I thinking?!?!?!

Overnight oats are easy. You make them the night before, with very minimal effort, and they are ready to go by the morning. They are full of vitamins, fiber, and good-for-you things. And they keep you full and happy until lunch. 

So far I have made two very basic recipes all based on the same concept: 1/4 cup oats, 1/2 - 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, and 1/2 - 1 cup liquid. 

The first was loosely based on this recipe I pinned from Leaf Parade - coconut almond and cocoa overnight oats. 

coconut almond and cocoa overnight oats 

1/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds 

Add to jar or other container with a lid and shake contents well. Place in the fridge overnight to set.  

Add toppings of your choice in the morning, shake and eat! (I added shredded coconut, strawberries, sliced almonds, and some dark chocolate slivers.)

The first try was good. Good enough that I was willing to try a second recipe the next day. After doing some searching I found a recipe on Skinnytaste to base my next round of overnight oats on. 

blueberry pie overnight oats 

1/4 cup rolled (quick) oats
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
two handfuls of blueberries (or however many you would like)
1 teaspoon of dark brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon 

Add to jar or other container with a lid and shake contents well. Place in fridge overnight to set.  

Add toppings of your choice in the morning, shake and eat! (I added slivered almonds to this one.)

Delicious! I am excited to continue to experiment with combinations. The ratio of oats to liquid is fairly constant, and outside of that you can mix up flavors, sweeteners, seeds (add flaxseed instead of chia, for example), fruit, crunchy toppings -- only your imagination (and the available produce) can limit you!!!!