Overnight Oats

When I first heard of overnight oats, I actually cringed at the thought of eating cold oatmeal. Why would anyone want to eat oatmeal cold? I was breast-feeding at the time and since I had heard oats and oatmeal were good for milk production; I was willing to give anything a try to boost my milk supply. So, I bought a pre-made version of overnight oats from the store. One of those ones where you just add your own milk and refrigerate overnight. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious of a concoction is was! The cold mixture actually was refreshing for breakfast. Unfortunately, I was also unpleasantly surprised to read the nutrition label to find out much added sugar and unnecessary junk was in the pre-made, store-bought version.

I love simple and easy foods. I love foods that are convenient. What I don’t love is when I think that I’m eating something healthy and it turns out to be the complete opposite. I don’t know a lot about nutrition. I also do not follow any specific diet aside from intermittent fasting; I eat as I want but aim to be healthy 80% of the time. The other 20% you may catch me throwing down a pint of ice cream here and there. However, when I am aiming to be healthy and I find out that something “healthy” has 17 grams of added sugar in it; I’m incredibly disappointed.

When I realized that the nice convenient version of store-bought overnight oats weren’t as healthy or nutritious as I thought, I decided to make my own. Had I known how easy it was to make, or had I realized how much money I could save by making my own; I would’ve done it from the start. It may take me five extra minutes to put together the toppings or flavors, but at least I know exactly what I’m putting in the recipe and not loading up on unnecessary sugar.

The different directions you can go with overnight oats can be endless. You can go for chocolate-based, fruity, warm and nutty, or even make it with coffee for an extra boost of caffeine. I never turn down an opportunity for chocolate, so I usually make mine with nut butter, apples or bananas, and chocolate chips. (If I’m really in the mood for chocolate, I’ll even add cocoa powder to the overnight base.) It really takes on the flavor of whatever you want to put in.

Below is my recipe for chocolate peanut butter overnight oats. Option 1 is lighter on the calories, while option 2 has a few more calories but really packs the punch with flavor. If you’re not into the chocolate peanut butter flavor, you can just use the traditional base recipe and add you any toppings of your choosing. Enjoy!

Recipe

Toppings

1 TBSP Peanut Butter, melted

1 TBSP Dark Chocolate Chips

Cinnamon

Directions

1. Prepare the base for the overnight oats by combining the oats, milk, and sweetener in a glass or jar. (You really can use any bowl or container; it just looks prettiest this way) If you’re doing the stepped-up version, you will also add your PB2 or cocoa powder at this point.
2. Stir the mixture, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and store in the fridge overnight. (or for at least 2 hours- the lengthy process is what softens the oats and gives it the oatmeal consistency, so overnight is best)
3. The next day: melt the peanut butter in the microwave in 10 second intervals until it is runny.
4. Stir the overnight oats, you can add a bit more milk if it seems too dry.
5. Pour the melted peanut butter on top. Add the chocolate chips and a pinch of cinnamon. Stir everything together and enjoy!

*If you prefer the oatmeal warm, make sure you are using a microwave-safe container. Depending on what toppings you are adding; you can either add the toppings and microwave all together or heat the oats and then add your toppings after. I prefer to eat overnight oats cold. I use a different recipe for my warm oatmeal that I make in the fall and winter.