Overnight Oats

So, I’m going to be honest, I’ve never liked oatmeal. I’ve had it prepared for me by loads of people and have even tried cooking it myself and I just can’t get it to be a consistency that sits well on my palate. I’ve tried mixing in all different kinds of jams, milks, and fresh fruit, but I just can’t get past the texture of hot cooked oatmeal. I decided a little while ago, however, to try to take a stab at it again with overnight oats. I got the recipe from Josh Snyder at bakingwithjoshandange.com and the recipe was still very much like oatmeal (only cold), but I felt this time that it was something I could work with.

I worked for a bit on the recipe, but while I was working on that I also started exploring the world of chia pudding. My eyes were opened and I thought, “Why not merge these two together?” When I did this, I finally got to a recipe for overnight oats that I was proud of and could eat on the regular! You start with almost equal amounts of oats and chia, but definitely more oats. I found this made a good balance between the too both texturally and flavor-wise.

You then add your flavors, I add maple syrup (the actual stuff) for sweetness, almond butter for nuttiness and texture, and cinnamon for that special flavor pop. This is where you can go wild with this recipe if you’d like. If you wanted to mix and match up other flavors, you could totally do it. I’ve even thought, myself, of subbing in some fresh fruit or maybe even dropping in a few chocolate chips (you know…for health) Bottom line is you can do whatever you like with this step and experiment to your heart’s desire.

The milk that I chose was almond milk, because that’s what I keep in my house. However, you can substitute regular milk or any other type of milk you’d like. The amount is the key part here. I made sure to have the oat/chia to milk ratio be such that you still have texture and the entire thing doesn’t turn to mush in the end. I recommend after the milk is added, that you mix the entire concoction to get everything well combined, then let it sit for 15 minutes and mix again. The chia seeds are to blame in this case. When you first mix, they’ll sink to the bottom, but if you mix again after they’ve had a chance to hydrate a little, then they’ll be more evenly distributed.

I top my overnight oats with some granola, but just like in the flavor step, you can do whatever you heart desires here. I like to add the crunch, but you might want to add more fruit for some extra sweetness or some yogurt for added creaminess. Though these are “overnight” oats, you don’t HAVE to eat them the next day. They keep very well in the fridge for about a week. I, therefore, make a bunch of jars up on Sunday and enjoy throughout the week for breakfast!

Remember, you don’t have to be a professional chef to make magic in your kitchen!

Joe the Blue Wizard

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Overnight Oats

Yield

1

Author

Joe the Blue Wizard

Prep time

15 Min

inactive time

8 Hour

Total time

8 H & 15 M

A refreshing change from your standard oatmeal, these overnight oats will make your mornings quick and effortless. This recipe is designed to give you more texture than you get with most oatmeal recipes and includes flavors of almond, maple and cinnamon!

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. (17 g) Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 2 tbsp. (20 g) Chia Seeds
• 1 tbsp. (15 g) Almond Butter
• 1 tbsp. (15 mL) Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/8th tsp. (a Pinch) Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) Almond Milk

Instructions

1. In a small jar or container mix together all ingredients until well combined.
2. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
3. Mix well again.
4. Refrigerate overnight or up to 1 week, then enjoy.

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