Food + Drink

Overnight oats.

overnight oats topped with blueberries

Overnight oats are nothing new, but they’ve always kind of been one of those things that I make all the time in my mind, yet in reality I’d only had them one or twice until a couple of weeks ago. Lately I’ve been trying to get myself into the habit of eating breakfast every morning, and this is such an easy way to get some decent nutrients and fiber into my body with minimal effort. It keeps me full until lunchtime, too.

This recipe is nothing revolutionary, but it’s super simple. It seriously takes less than two minutes to prepare these overnight oats before bed, so there are no excuses for not having enough time to make breakfast! No stove to turn on, no pot to wash. I don’t even really measure anything, I just eyeball it.

As far as nut milk goes, sometimes I’m really on top of things and I make my own almond milk, but most of the time I just buy the boxed stuff. A recent discovery is Califia Farms, which seems like it’s becoming available in more and more places. I’m particularly into their coconut and almond milk blend, and that’s what I’ve been using in my overnight oats. I know there’s been a lot of concern lately about the use of carrageenan in non-dairy milks, and while I don’t know how much of that concern is legitimate, I did notice on their FAQ page that Califia is in the process of completely eliminating carrageenan from all of their products. So that’s nice.

Oh, and that cute cloud-shaped cutting board is from Snug Studio, and the tea towel is from Bookhou.

overnight oats topped with blueberries

Yield: 1 serving

Overnight Oats

overnight oats topped with blueberries

Vegan overnight oats are an easy way to get some decent nutrients and fiber into your body with minimal effort!

Prep Time 2 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 2 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened dried coconut
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tsp maple syrup or agave
  • teensy pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup vegan milk of choice (oat, soy, almond, etc.)
  • small handful of berries

Instructions

You’ll need a container to prepare this in, preferably a glass jar with a screw-top lid. I use an 8oz jelly jar (I never throw away a good jelly jar!), but an 8oz mason jar (consider this another defense of the mason jar) would also be perfect.

Before bedtime, put everything in the jar. Put the lid on the jar, shake it all up really well, and stick it in the fridge. When you wake up, you’ll have delicious, creamy, cold oats. I guess you could heat them up if you wanted to, but I like them cold.

Notes

Overnight oats don't actually have to soak overnight—if you want them sooner, 2 hours of soaking time in the refrigerator is enough. Waiting for at least 6 hours yields the creamiest results, though!

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25 Comments

  • Reply Tricia August 6, 2015 at 11:36 am

    Oh yum! I use steel cut oats and toast them in a dry cast-iron skillet. Cool them and then proceed with the recipe. They may need a bit more of the milk, but you get more chew and the oats have a wonderful nutty taste. You could also toast the rolled oats. I toast the whole container of oats and then throw them into the freezer.

    • Anna @ D16 August 6, 2015 at 11:39 am

      This is how I’ve made overnight oats in the past, Tricia, but toasting the oats and waiting for them to cool is way too much work for me before bed (I know, I know). It never occurred to me that I could do a bunch in advance and freeze them, though!! You’re smart.

    • Tricia August 7, 2015 at 10:55 pm

      Lol, actually I don’t have the patience to do it every night. I do this kind of cooking on Sunday morning. I need easy peasy.

  • Reply jaclyn August 6, 2015 at 11:44 am

    I was so happy to find the Califia brand when it came to my local grocer. I had been looking for a truly unflavored, unsweetened almond milk and the shelf stable ones my grocer carries don’t offer that – they are all flavored and sweetened.
    Vegan Mushroom Lasagna with Vanilla Almond Milk will make you puke….speaking from experience sadly.

  • Reply Chris August 6, 2015 at 1:14 pm

    I really need to try overnight oats and I think you’ve convinced me! Thanks! I didn’t realize you could eat them cold. I’m used to steel cut oats but never want them in the summer. Which Califia Farms blend have you tried? I was so excited to try the Toasted Coconut Almond one but I can really taste the plastic (after pouring it into a glass). I was so bummed. Maybe it’s just this blend? Or me?

    • Anna @ D16 August 6, 2015 at 1:17 pm

      Chris, I’ve only tried the unsweetened/unflavored Califia farms milks and the coffees. I’m really not into sweetened or flavored stuff, so I can’t comment on that. I think the plain almond milks and the coconut-almond taste good by the glass, but I rarely consume milks that way—I either use them in cereals, coffee, or for cooking.

    • Chris August 6, 2015 at 1:36 pm

      Huh, maybe something is wrong with the bottle I bought then. The one I tried is the one you linked to above. Mine tastes like the plastic has leached into the milk.

    • Anna @ D16 August 6, 2015 at 1:46 pm

      Ah, sorry about that!! The word “toasted” threw me, and I thought you were talking about one of the flavored creamers. I didn’t realize that was part of the name of the one I’ve been using, haha. XD

      But yeah, it tastes good to me? I don’t get a chemical aftertaste at all. Hmmm.

    • Christina W. August 6, 2015 at 2:25 pm

      For what it’s worth, I worked at a natural foods grocery store for years and they would not carry the toasted flavor. They have a very strict food philosophy, and there were lots of brands where one or two flavor so would be left out because of an additive. They would not carry anything with an artificial flavor, artificial color, artificial preservative, artificial sweetener, radiated spices, bromated flour, hormones, steroids, antibiotics, etc etc. that flavor might have something weird in it, but we carried all the other ones (which are fantastic!)

  • Reply Shelley August 6, 2015 at 1:47 pm

    The cloud cutting board reminded me that your blog was one of the first places I heard of Skandicrush. I really looked forward to the monthly shipments and how they were curated, but they stopped without explanation in April, and I haven’t been able to get a response by email. They’ve gone quiet on most of their social media platforms too. Do you happen to have the inside scoop? Are they gone?

    • Anna @ D16 August 6, 2015 at 1:55 pm

      Hi Shelley, no, unfortunately I don’t know anything other than what Ana sent out in her last newsletter. If you missed that, here’s what she said:
      http://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/2015/03/skandicrush-subscriber-update-boxes-pausing-after-march.html

      I really hope she’s able to bring back Skandicrush. I loved it! In her most recent Twitter update (June 25), she said, “There are at least a few more months of work before we’ll be ready to resume shipping,” so…there’s hope!

    • Shelley August 6, 2015 at 2:27 pm

      Oh, I missed newsletter- thanks for the info! Sounds like it’s just growing pains. I really hope she can make the adjustments and come back soon!

  • Reply Christina W. August 6, 2015 at 2:18 pm

    CALIFIA FARMSSS! Legit the only almond milk I like enough to drink plain, plus bonus pretty packaging. Have you had their egg nog in fall/winter? It beats the crap out of the Silk nog, but it’s hard to find and sells out immediately.

  • Reply Ivana B. August 6, 2015 at 3:28 pm

    That’s the breakfast I’m still not bored of after nearly a year! I add some natural yoghurt in the morning that cuts through the sweetness of the maple syrup and balances it out perfectly. Also, for a bit of crunch I add some chopped Brazil nuts (or any other nut, toasted or not, will do) just before eating.

  • Reply RebeccaNYC August 6, 2015 at 9:06 pm

    Overnight oats are IT for me! I do Steel Cut oats, it does take time to boil the water in the kettle, but after that, I just measure 1 cup of oats, 4 cups of boiling water, bring it to a quick boil again, turn everything off and leave it on the stove overnight. I know it takes more time to boil the water, but I only need to make these once every 3-4 days because 1 cup of oats yields something like 4 servings…and I like steel cut better than rolled, don’t know why. Cold in the morning with blueberries, walnuts and a dash of honey (or if you’re vegan…maple syrup) is a really great start to the day! I’m a jar collector too, so it often gets packed up in a jar, thrown in my purse and eaten at my desk.

  • Reply miriam August 6, 2015 at 11:25 pm

    Hi Anna! You don’t even need to let them sit overnight. I make a huge container (starting with 7 cups of oats–it’s a doubled recipe from Mark Bittman’s VB6 cookbook) of the dry ingredients every 2 weeks or so (raisins instead of syrup and lots of cinnamon). I take about a cupful, add 1/2 cup of the almond milk and let it sit for 5 or 8 minutes. The oats have absorbed all the milk by then and are soft and delish. I do like the idea of adding berries though. Thanks for your blog!

    • Anna @ D16 August 7, 2015 at 7:18 am

      Hi Miriam, that’s how I’ve always prepared muesli (as you’re describing), but letting the oats sit overnight really does produce something very different—it really is like a cold pudding, the oats have completely broken down by then. Try it!

  • Reply Simone August 7, 2015 at 5:26 am

    Over here we call this Bircher muesli. It has been around for quite a while: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muesli

    • Anna @ D16 August 7, 2015 at 7:16 am

      As I said in the first line….it’s nothing new. 😉

      Typically when people over here refer to muesli, they’re not talking about something left to sit overnight but rather just for a few minutes.

  • Reply ann August 7, 2015 at 2:29 pm

    I make a similar version and add grated granny smith apple for some tartness. So refreshing on a hot summer morning!

  • Reply Laura August 7, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    Anna, I love it when you post recipes (even when you just re-post recipes like the vegan chili one). In fact I love when you write about food, condiments, weight, vegan diet… So personal.

  • Reply Kizzy August 11, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    Me too. I’ve always wanted to have a go but never have. I need to get a mason jar first.

  • Reply Kala August 13, 2015 at 1:52 pm

    Anna! I have to admit, I find overnight oats repulsive. But I am glad that they work and are enjoyed by others – get it! I just wanted to say that the caption under your second photo gave me a good chuckle. I read a lot of blogs for recipes and I always find myself rolling my eyes as I scroll past photo after photo of the same thing (OOTD posts are really bad for this, too). Anyway, I appreciate your humour, and your brevity. Keep it up!

  • Reply Karol September 2, 2015 at 7:00 am

    thanks so much for the inspiration, anna! i’ve been having this breakfast every morning and feel oh so fun and virtuous 🙂 the perfect way to start the day!

  • Reply Lynn September 8, 2015 at 7:16 pm

    I initially looked this post over, as i’ve had overnight oats in the past. I’m not vegan, so have always prepared them with yogurt. and to me, they’re just okay. But i’m really intrigued by this different take on them. I like yogurt, but something about the tart in the oats wasn’t right. I’ll have to pick up some nut milk (which makes the 12 year old me giggle to hear) next time i’m out!

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