Overnight oats are the breakfast craze that seems to be sweeping the nation and today I wanted to share a recipe with you for these simple, healthy and delicious oat mixtures.
If you haven’t tried overnight oats or aren’t familiar with them, they’re oats soaked overnight that absorb the liquid you put them in. There is no cooking involved at all. They can be soaked in any type of yogurt or milk, but I recommend almond milk as my personal favorite. Just a few more ingredients, plus some added toppings to the oat mixture, create a delicious and healthy meal.
Recently we stayed at an adorable hotel on Martha’s Vineyard and they served overnight oats each morning. They were delicious – and filling! Since then I’ve made a few different versions and found this basic recipe is the perfect mix. This version is as simple as it gets: 7 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time the night before. Nothing fancy but these oat mixtures would impress anyone.
In addition to making my mornings a little easier and less chaotic, here are some of the many health benefits of overnight oats:
- Oat bran has a heart-healthy reputation as a cholesterol fighter.
- Chia seeds provide high fiber content, protein and antioxidant qualities.
- The process of soaking the whole grains (versus cooking them) helps produce digestive enzymes and mineral absorption.
- Refined carbs – such as pasta and potatoes can contribute to weight gain. But raw oats are different – they’re considered a resistant starch – In fact, I read that swapping just 5 percent of daily carbohydrates for resistant starch could boost the metabolism by 23 percent.
- Overnight oats digest very slowly and trigger the release of digestive acids shown to suppress the appetite and speed up calorie-burning.
- Adding healthy toppings such as blueberries (antioxidant) or peanut butter (protein) can contribute to the health benefits of these oat mixtures.
My simple overnight oats recipe includes the following 7 ingredients: plain, nonfat Greek yogurt, unsweetened almond milk, rolled oats, chia seeds, honey, vanilla extract and salt. Added toppings could include sliced banana, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or any fruit, granola, nuts, peanut butter, toasted coconut and chocolate chips. Yummy!
This recipe is available as a FREE gift if you already subscribe to my blog. If you’re not a subscriber to my blog yet, it’s easy to do and you’ll receive all my free stuff – plus you’ll get my posts sent directly to your email in-box. Click here sign-up!
I like to store the mixture in small mason jars for easy eating. I think you’ll be surprised at how good they are – and how easy. If you have any questions about this recipe or if you’ve made your own oat creations, I’d love to hear about it!
[…] – Overnight Oats. so […]