Overnight oats: the easy and healthy breakfast idea

Overnight oats

Overnight oats without cooking, is also a perfect solution for those who want to have a full breakfast but do not have time in the morning. It is prepared the night before and stored in the refrigerator in glass containers lasts up to 2-3 days.

Overnight oats: the easy and healthy breakfast idea

Overnight oats (or oatmeal), or oatmeal without cooking, is also a perfect solution for those who want to have a full breakfast but do not have time in the morning. It is prepared the night before and stored in the refrigerator in glass containers lasts up to 2-3 days. It can be made in quantity, for example, on Sundays for the first few days of the week.

Instead of cooking the oatmeal, you soak it in milk (or water) for a few hours (hence the term "overnight" meaning "overnight"). In the morning you have a delicious thick cream, ready to be garnished in many different ways, depending on personal taste and season.

The basic recipe consists of oat flakes and a liquid (milk, vegetable drink or water): the secret is to find the right ratio of flakes to liquid to get the preferred consistency. The advice is to start with the amounts given below and add more or less liquid until you find the consistency you prefer.

Ingredients for each person:

4 tablespoons oatmeal: be sure to use oatmeal and not instant oats because the consistency is completely different

50 ml of milk, water or vegetable drink (e.g., oat milk, coconut milk, almond milk).

Procedure:

Place the ingredients in a glass jar, mix well with a spoon, seal with the cap and store in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning the cream is soft and thick, ready for garnishing. In summer it is good cold; in winter it can be warmed a few minutes.

To the basic recipe you can add, before soaking:

• chia seeds (1 tablespoon): these are very nutritious and give a pudding-like texture;
• Greek yogurt (1 tablespoon): gives a creamy texture and a protein boost;
• vanilla extract (1 Tablespoon): enhances all the flavors of the overnight oatmeal and imparts sweetness even without sweeteners.
• Sweetener: a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup.

Depending on the season and personal taste, the overnight oatmeal can be topped with fresh fruit, dried fruit, oil seeds, almond butter, hazelnut cream, spices (e.g., cinnamon, nutmeg).

There are so many ideas and combinations-that's what makes this recipe so versatile and unique. Here are some combinations for garnishes:

• autumn: diced apples, cinnamon, pecans, maple syrup;
• winter: a few slices of banana, hazelnut cream, dried fruit chips;
• spring: Greek yogurt and strawberries;
• summer: Greek yogurt, berries and a few nuggets of dark chocolate.

Read also: Oats for breakfast

Overnight oats: 4 practical tips to improve the recipe

Overnight oats: the easy and healthy breakfast idea

1- Prepare each serving in a glass jar. This way you can measure, mix, cool, transport, and eat overnight oats in one container. This is especially useful if you prepare several servings in advance. In addition, the glass, due to its properties, completely respects the flavor of the recipe.

2- Choose only oatmeal, preferably small (but large is fine too). Never use instant oats or porridge mix: they return a "gruel" type result instead of cream. Never use pearled or hulled oats for this recipe.

3- You can heat your overnight oatmeal in a small saucepan for a few minutes over low heat (add a tablespoon of water or milk to prevent it from drying out). Alternatively, you can heat it in the microwave for 1 minute inside a suitable container (glass jar is fine, no cap).

4- To make breakfast in advance for a few days, use the basic recipe and store the cream in the glass jar tightly sealed with its lid, in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. But always garnish at breakfast time.