If you seek the easiest make ahead breakfast in the universe, look no further. Overnight Oatmeal is a combination of cheap, easy, and healthy that is very hard to come by. Its a favorite around here and there’s a lot you can do with it. I’m going to share what I call ‘the base recipe’ with you, plus a few variation suggestions, and then I encourage you to do some Pinteresting and explore even more delicious options, for there are many.
Oatmeal in the jars all ready to go in the fridge and steep.
Overnight Oatmeal
Prep Time: 1 – 5 minutes
Chill Time: 6 hours or overnight
(This recipe is meant for single serving portions for convenience, so if you want to make more than one just line your jars up and assembly line it. Still totally quick and easy.)
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 – 2/3 cup milk
2-3 Tbsp honey
To make plain overnight oats, place the quick cooking oats in a half pint mason jar and pour the milk over top. You can use whole, skim, 1%, whatever you have. I think it would be fine with almond milk too, but I’ve never tried that, being a die hard dairy lover myself, so I can not officially confirm the veracity of that claim. Judge the amount of milk to use based on how thick or runny you like your oatmeal. I like mine thick, so I keep the milk on the lower end. Next put a lid on the jar, give it a little shake, and put it in the fridge to do it’s thing for about 6 hours, or overnight. When you are ready to eat it, simply remove it from the fridge and top with a couple tablespoons of honey. Optional step here is to pour the oatmeal into a bowl before you put the honey on, but you can eat it from the jar if you don’t like extra dirty dishes or if you’re in a hurry. It matters not to me.
That’s it! That is the base recipe. Now on to variations:
Dark Chocolate Overnight Oats
Follow the base recipe but also add a tablespoon of dark chocolate cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt, and a tablespoon of mini chocolate chips. You may substitute sugar for the honey if honey + chocolate doesn’t sound appetizing to you. Optional: 1- 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter.
Berries and Cream Overnight Oats
Follow the base recipe but also add 2 tablespoons of plain Greek Yogurt and top in the morning with a handful of your favorite fresh berries (blueberries and/or strawberries for me).
Nuts and Spice Overnight Oats
Follow the base recipe but also add a handful of your favorite chopped nut (walnuts, pecans, almonds), 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and just a dash of ginger. Also consider substituting brown sugar or real maple syrup for the honey in this one.
All of these combos are winners, but my personal favorite is Dark Chocolate, while my oldest daughter prefers ‘just regular cold oatmeal’, which means the base recipe with no additions. She tends to be a purist in regard to food in general. These two are the ones you see pictured above.
Leave me a comment and let me know which ones you tried or if you have any other favorite overnight oatmeal combinations that you want to share!