Overnight oats, the easy healthy make-the-night-before breakfast is sweeping the nation! And I am riding along, presenting here a basic recipe as well as fancier ones. All are easy, all are healthy.
Seven Ultimate Overnight Oats Recipes – gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar-free, and most are oil-free or can be made so.
Overnight oats are considered a top breakfast choice to control weight! Did you know?
And that is only one of several benefits of this easy, inexpensive breakfast called “overnight oats.” The nutritional profile also includes fiber, blood sugar regulation, antioxidants, immunity defense and more depending on what you add to it.
What are Overnight Oats?
If you haven’t heard of overnight oats, they are easy to explain.
Just mix rolled oats (not instant) in with water, milk or yogurt, add some stir-ins such as fruit or chocolate, and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator to fuse the flavors and your breakfast is ready to go in the morning. Just grab the jar out of the fridge, stir it up and gobble it down. Want it warm? Zap it.
Are Rolled Oats Good for You?
YES! So good. So many benefits, including a unique soluble fiber and soaring anti-oxidants.
The list of health benefits rolled oats provides is long. Lower blood sugar, better cholesterol levels, skin support, constipation cure, reduced blood pressure and digestion support.
Even though overnight oats can be made with other things – steel cut oats for instance – I prefer using gluten-free rolled oats.
If you haven’t yet tried overnight oats, I recommend it highly. Seriously, so much more healthy, cost-effective than a store-bought boxed cereal.
Read on to see the various recipes I created that my family loves and that take overnight oats to a new amazing level. Want to keep it super simple, at least at first try? Just stir some strawberries into the basic recipe and gobble it up.
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Recipe #1: The Basic Overnight Oats Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats (these are uncooked oats)
- 3/4 cup plant milk (I use almond or cashew)
- 1 tbsp ACV or lemon juice (you won't taste either! It is important to remove to deactivate phytates in oats, thus easing digestion)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (Or more or less, taste-test and adjust)
- 1 tbsp nut butter (Optional, but adds protein and creaminess)
Instructions
- Stir cold ingredients with a spoon in a 1 cup container. A mason jar works well because it comes with a lid.
- Store the jar covered in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next morning, add toppings, and enjoy a delicious breakfast and a very energetic day!
- Prefer it hot? Just zap it in the microwave and stir again. Now, read on to our flavors and consider turning this classic healthy breakfast into something astonishingly flavorful!
Recipes #2-7: A Variety of Delicious Overnight Oats Recipes
Ingredients
#2 : Zucchini Spice Bread Oats - Filling comforting breakfast with tasty clean spices
- 1 base recipe for overnight oats
- 1/4 cup chopped or spiralized zucchini
- 1 tsp flax seed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- pinch of cloves
- pinch of salt
#3 : Mayan Chocolate Quinoa Oats - high in protein (quinoa) and mood-boosting cacao
- 1 base recipe for overnight oats
- 1/2 cup cooked cooked quinoa (To cook quinoa simmer 1-part rinsed quinoa in 2-parts water for 15 minutes - rinsing dry quinoa removes any bitter coating on the seed)
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
#4 : Rosewater Lavender Berry Oats - High in protein, bright berry flavor and elegant floral scent
- 1 base recipe for overnight oats
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1 tbsp white chia seeds
- 1 tsp Rose water
- Edible flower petals for color (I used lavender and rosebuds)
#5 : Mint Fudge Ripple Oats - high in protein (chia) and bright minty chocolate energizer
- 1 base recipe for overnight oats
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 chopped mint leaves
- 1/2 cup plant yogurt
- 1 tsp black chia seeds
- 2 tbsp healthy mint dark chocolate sauce (mix 1 tbsp cacao powder + 1 tbsp melted coconut oil + 1 tbsp maple syrup + 1/2 tsp peppermint extract)
#6 : Coconut Citrus Fruit Oats - high immune booster, and lovely fresh tropical flavor
- 1 base recipe for overnight oats
- 2 tbsp chopped mango
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup
- coconut yogurt
- 1 tsp Baobab (a nutritional superfood - high in vitamin C - that adds a citrus flavor)
#7 : Carrot Cake Date Oats - Filling and nutritious dessert for breakfast
- 1 base recipe for overnight oats
- 1 tbsp grated carrots
- 1 medjool date soaked pitted, chopped
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 1 tsp Lucuma powder (a superfood root that sweetens like nutritional candy)
Instructions
To Make any of these Overnight Oats Recipes
FIrst make the base oat recipe, and then stir in the other ingredients listed in the recipe you want to make. Add a bit more plant milk if you feel things are looking too dry. It will soak it up overnight.
Always taste-test before adding the sweetener to be sure it needs it, sometimes the fruit or superfood powder is sweet enough.
- Set covered in the refrigerator overnight; next morning, stir and eat! Enjoy!
Ela says
February 11, 2017 at 6:38 pmWow Dee! You are so creative, I love all of these amazing overnight oat creations. I think my favorites are #3 : MAYAN CHOCOLATE QUINOA OATS and #7 : CARROT CAKE DATE OATS. Such a healthy and delicious treat. 🙂
Debbie says
February 13, 2017 at 8:01 amEla! You are so sweet! I LOVE the Mayan flavor, I think I eat it entirely too often (haha)! And my husband loves the carrot cake date flavor, so this is so cute! You’d fit right into our household! Have a lovely week my friend! Dee xx
Verena says
February 8, 2017 at 5:11 amOh wow these all sound so good and special! Love your twists on them! And I also like your new design- sorry I haven’t stopped by since a longer time. 😘
Debbie says
February 8, 2017 at 8:44 amThat is so nice Verena, so happy like the flavors – it is such a fun breakfast, isn’t it? And glad you like the changes, so happy you dropped by. Have a beautiful week sweetie! Dee xx.
Klara says
February 5, 2017 at 11:51 pmHi lovely Dee, what for delicious overnight oats ✨💜 These look fantastic. Hugs Klara xx
Debbie says
February 6, 2017 at 10:56 amKlara! Well thank you so much! Love the purple starry icons, and your message is heart-warming! Have a lovely day! Dee xxxx