Imagine waking up in the morning to find a healthy, filling breakfast ready and waiting for you in the fridge. That can be your reality tomorrow if you take a few minutes before bed to whip up some overnight oats. And this wellness blogger breakfast essential is more than just like-bait on social media—overnight oats taste great, especially since you can customize this DIY dish with your favourite fruits, nuts seeds and milks. Here's how to get started.
You don't need to follow a recipe to make amazing overnight oats. Pull out a clean mason jar, or if you don't have one, a cereal bowl will do. While the Chatelaine Kitchen has developed a few snazzy overnight oats recipes, you can go off recipe by mixing together equal parts rolled/large-flake oats (not instant oats) and milk (dairy, nut or soy all yield yummy results). Stir in some yogurt, nuts, nut butter, seeds and/or fruit (fresh or dried) and let your jar or bowl sit covered in your fridge. As you sleep, the oats will plump up as they absorb liquid, leaving you with a tasty bowl to devour come morning.
If you've never made overnight oats, or you're a seasoned expert looking for some new flavour combinations, here's tried-and-true recipe —with filling chia seeds!—you can try.
You can also make no-cook overnight steel-cut oats with this dairy-free recipe that comes together in a thermos—it's truly a grab-and-go dream come true.
Originally published in 2018, updated in 2023
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