I tend to pour myself a bowl of cereal for breakfast. I think I gravitate to this choice because it’s easy and I don’t generally feel like cooking as soon as I wake up in the morning. But I’ve been looking for more nutritious options to start my day right. I’ve been intrigued by a number of recipes I’ve seen floating around for overnight oatmeal and I decided to give it a try and put my own spin on it.
I hit up my local grocery store for everything I needed. I ended up with a huge bag of rolled oats for under $1! (Bulk foods is seriously the way to go!)
I found a few other ingredients in the bulk foods section that would work well – chia seeds, granola, dried fruit, and nuts.
Check out this bag of toasted coconut flakes from the baking aisle! I had to pick them up as an additional topping idea. It was time to assemble my oats.
Here’s what you’ll need for each serving:
- 1/2 cup dry rolled oats
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup milk (you could also use nut milk)
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- pinch cinnamon
- optional toppings (berries, bananas, nuts, toasted coconut, dried fruit, granola, etc.)
I used small Anchor Hocking jars (like these from Amazon), but you could also use small pint size or other small food jars with lids. I also decided to make a batch of four on my first go. I encourage you to make a few at once. It doesn’t take much more effort to make more than one and you’re set for multiple breakfasts!
Start by measuring out your dry ingredients in the bottom of each jar.
This includes the oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt.
Now I made a total splurge for my oats recipe! I picked up a container of this super creamy, delicious Ellenos Greek yogurt! It’s made locally at Pike Place in Seattle. I won’t go on and on, but let me just say it completely elevates this recipe.
Getting back to our oats! You’re now going to add the wet ingredients – the yogurt, milk, vanilla…
…and syrup. I should mention that you can change up the sweetness, depending on what you like. The 1 tablespoon I added to this recipe was enough for me, but my son would’ve preferred it sweeter. Other things you could do include upping the syrup, or swapping for honey or stevia. You could also use a flavored Greek yogurt, unlike the plain variety I used.
Stir and/or shake the ingredients in your jars. Then, let them sit in your refrigerator for at least 4 hours – overnight is ideal. Personally, I’d be apt to assemble these while I’m assembling dinner. I’m already cooking and prepping food and messing up the kitchen anyway. Why not just get it done then?
Here’s what the oatmeal looked like in the morning. I should mention, in case it’s not painfully obvious at this point, that this is a cold dish. It’s not your traditional hot oatmeal. It reminded me more of rice pudding in texture than oatmeal.
I decided to serve mine like a parfait. It was excellent with some bananas and berries. It’s also nice if you can add a little crunch – I added some granola. Get creative!
Not only was this a delicious breakfast, I felt good knowing all the boxes this dish ticks – it’s got Omega 3s (chia seeds), fiber (oats + chia seeds + fruit), protein and calcium (milk + Greek yogurt), and probiotics (Greek yogurt). I felt it stuck with me much longer than my normal bowl of cereal, too!
If you’re looking for a tasty breakfast alternative that’s convenient and budget-friendly, I hope you’ll give this a try. I’d also love to know what you’d add to my recipe. Enjoy!
PS – Looking for a convenient, healthy lunch idea now that breakfast is covered? Check out the recipe I shared last month:
