Delicious & Easy
Overnight Essentials
During the pandemic, I quickly realized how burned out I was on repeatedly eating the same meals each week, and how badly I needed to focus on variety and simplicity in the kitchen. Overnight oats are often lauded for their easy customization and preparation, allowing for countless toppings and requiring no cooking, plus they’re high in fiber and keep me feeling full longer than most cereals. To make them at home, I used LuckyBolt’s Overnight Oat Porridge (from the story Overnight Sensations) with some modifications to incorporate additional topping options and use less equipment. Diverse flavors and easy preparation? Sounds like a win-win.
Illustrations by Lulu Yueming Qu.
Ingredients for
Overnight Essentials
Main Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
4 teaspoons chia seeds
2 cups milk (option: use milk alternatives such as oat, coconut or almond)
Salt to taste
Optional Toppings
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoon peanut butter
2 tablespoon dried cranberries
2 tablespoon shredded coconut
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
1 tablespoon chocolate chips (or mini peanut butter cups)
1 tablespoon honey (or sweetener of your choice)
1 tablespoon jam or fruit preserves (orange or cranberry suggested)
Handful of fresh seasonal fruit (blueberries and peaches suggested)
Yields 4 servings
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Instructions for
Overnight Essentials
Add ½ cup of dry oats, 1 teaspoon of chia seeds, and a dash of salt to 4 sealable jars. Next, pour ½ cup of milk in each jar and use a spoon to combine all the ingredients in your mixture before sealing the lids. Don’t overfill the jars.
Place jars in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight to let the oats thoroughly soak and soften.
When ready to eat your oats, select a jar and add your desired toppings from the flavor combinations below.
Festive
Orange zest, cardamom, dried cranberries, a dollop of jam
Spiced
Vanilla, cinnamon, sliced almonds, shredded coconut
Fruity
Fresh blueberries, peaches*, honey
Nutty
Peanut butter, sliced almonds, chocolate chips
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Frequently asked
Questions About This Recipe
*Editor’s note: Who’s willing to bet frozen blueberries and peaches would work here too? Also, using dried fruits in overnight oats makes them kind of jammy in the best way.
Final
Notes & Thoughts
Should you have need to have someone take care of meal prep for you, try LuckyBolt.
Looking for a great way to start the day? Read Overnight Sensations by Kai Oliver-Kurtin and try the original recipe from LuckyBolt.
LuckyBolt's Overnight Oat Porridge
Read the whole story.
Overnight Sensations
