Wow you guys, I feel like I have really been neglecting the blog. Life has been crazy for the last few weeks; though I’m sure you know how that feels. We’ve had recent changes at work which has made for some pretty exhausting days. Not to mention there have been some late nights and the adult responsibilities don’t just stop because we have other things to do.
We are currently in my husband’s outage season at work, which means we are lucky to spend an hour together each day…and that’s if I get out of work on time, have no errands to run, and I’m making a simple dinner. He is working nights, and punches the clock for 12 hours, normally every, single day of the week. So basically our paths cross for a short time and he’s out the door.
Cooking is definitely one of my favorite ways to nurture and show love. When he is stressed out from the long days, it gives me so much stinking joy to put his favorite meal on the table. I tell ya, it’s hard to choose between taking the time to fix a nice meal versus spending face to face time with the hubby.
So when he’s crawling out of bed as I walk through the door, I’ve opting to put together a super simple, satisfying breakfast: overnight oats.
They don’t take many ingredients and the prep work is beyond easy. The best part is, I can create a variety of flavors in just a few minutes to keep breakfast exciting. With a few staple ingredients, you can create endless variations of overnight oats.
The base of overnight oats starts with oats and liquid. Then just add in your favorite topping to complete the meal.
Traditionally, overnight oats use rolled oats, but I will also switch mine up with oat bran. I prefer rolled oats personally but the hubby likes the creamier texture of the oat bran. I also find the oat bran takes a lot less time to soften making them a nice option if you don’t have all night for them to sit. Since I never like to eat the same thing over and over, I put my favorite variations below. Give a few of these a try, I’d love to hear your comments!
Pineapple Blueberry Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats or oat bran
- ½ cup milk of choice, I use unsweetened, vanilla almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup pineapple, fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or sweetener of choice
Instructions
- In a jar, add oats.
- Pour milk and vanilla extract over oats.
- Cover oats with yogurt and top with fruit. Drizzle with maple syrup.
- Place a lid on the jar and store in the refrigerator overnight.
- When ready to eat, stir oats well and serve cold.
Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats or oat bran
- ½ cup milk of choice, I use unsweetened, vanilla almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon PB2 or regular peanut butter
- ½ banana sliced
- 1 tablespoon chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a sealable container, add oats.
- Pour milk and vanilla extract over oats.
- Cover oats with yogurt and peanut butter. Top with fruit. Place a lid on the jar and store in the refrigerator overnight.
- When ready to eat, sprinkle with chocolate chips. Stir oats well and serve cold.
[/recipe]
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Overnight Power Oats
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats or oat bran
- ½ cup milk of choice, I use unsweetened, vanilla almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- ½ cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or sweetener of choice
Instructions
- In a sealable container, add oats.
- Pour milk and vanilla extract over oats.
- Cover oats with protein and cocoa powder. Top with fruit. Place a lid on the jar and store in the refrigerator overnight.
- When ready to eat, drizzle with maple syrup. Stir oats well and serve cold.
[/recipe]
Cinnamon Apple Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats or oat bran
- ½ cup milk of choice, I use unsweetened, vanilla almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 apple, diced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- In a sealable container, add oats.
- Pour milk and vanilla extract over oats.
- Cover oats with yogurt and cinnammon. Top with apple and drizzle with syrup. Place a lid on the jar and store in the refrigerator overnight.
- When ready to eat, stir oats well and serve cold.
