Breakfast Simplified! Overnight oats in a jar
I love oats for breakfast and overnight oats are a great addition to the regular muesli and hot oats porridge. This is an easy recipe for basic overnight oats in a jar. Today I have topped them with fresh figs, blueberries and some chocolate but you can top with any fresh fruits and toppings you desire. Try colourful sprinkles for kids or some crunchy trail mix for extra health boost.
Overnight oats kind of sprung up on me, all of a sudden. One fine day, when I opened my apple-cinnamon or banana-chocolate and also trying out new flavours like a key-lime overnight oats jar! A lot of them are actually popular cake or smoothie flavour combinations.
What I love most about Overnight Oats
They are healthy, delicious and highly customisable! But what attracted me to overnight oats was the ease of making them in a jar. They require no cooking, just mix everything up in a jar, close and keep them, well, overnight! They are perfect for us. I often set yogurt in small jars so that I can top it up with muesli in the morning, pack and take it on-the-go. Overnight oats just made it so much more easier!
I love old fashioned rolled oats but I always had to cook them in water or milk. So not ideal for a rushed up morning or to-go breakfast. Enter Overnight oats and my life is changed!
My basic recipe for overnight oats is simply oats, chia seeds, a few nuts, maple syrup and non-dairy milk. Mix everything together, close and leave in fridge. I love the texture with chia seeds. They bind the overnight oats together and make it more like a pudding. (by the way, I can anyway have them for dessert as an oats and chia pudding!)
Make a game out of toppings for overnight oats!
Like I said, you can add any flavour and toppings to this basic recipe. Feel like some blueberries? or strawberries? or carrot? or a chunky monkey with chocolate and banana? or like this one with fresh figs, blueberries and some chocolate :-). How about every member of the family choose their own toppings? I love to play. Usually, I take them out at least 10-15 minutes before eating so that they are not super cold.
play with the toppings!
If you haven’t tried overnight oats yet, you really have to. It is just so so simple to make them. Please take a moment to rate this recipe, it will really encourage me!
Easy Overnight Oats with fresh fruits and chocolate
Ingredients (1cup = 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1tsp = 5ml)
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ cup almond milk , (or any other non-dairy milk of your choice)
optional
- 1 tbsp mixed seeds , (sunflower, flaxseeds, and pumpkin seeds)
- 6-8 nuts , (mix almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, goji berries)
- 1 tsp dark chocolate chip
For the topping
- 1 fresh fig
- 8-10 fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Add everything (other than the topping ingredients) in a glass jar.
- Mix well.
- Close tightly and keep in fridge for the night.
- Top with fresh fruits and other toppings like chocolate or nuts etc.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- For even thicker texture, use ¼ cup non-dairy yogurt and ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- Preparation Time does not include time to chill the oats.
- Overnight oats stay well refrigerated for upto 2-3 days.
Connect with me
If you try this recipe, I would really love to know how it went. Tag your picture with #weekendkitchen on instagram or connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and/or Pinterest.
Would love to start a conversation, share recipes, cooking experiences and food stories from India and around the world.
I’ve been on a muesli kick lately, but I need to start making overnight oats again! It’s such a filling, hearty breakfast!
Hey Sarah,
I am totally addicted to overnight oats now! It truly is a filling and hearty breakfast.
Thanks for dropping by!
love,
ashima
Yummm almond milk overnight oats with figs and blueberries…. this is exactly my kind of overnight oats. I’m definitely making this!
Hey Dominique,
I love the versatility of overnight oats! I love the figs and blueberries (with a little chocolate :-p). I also keep trying out new combinations 🙂
Thanks for dropping by!
love,
ashima
Nice combination of flavors! Doing most of the preparation the night before is a bonus. 🙂
Thanks Lydia!
I really love that part of the recipe! No cooking and all prep done the night before 🙂
Overnight oats are the BEST. So easy to make and perfect for those rushed weekday mornings! Love it!
Hey Christine!
Have been following your overnight oats combinations since so long an finally happened to make one myself! 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
You had me at easy, this is what I need right now. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Tina,
These are the easiest 🙂 and best part is you can top them with anything!
Thanks for dropping by!
Rolled oats are my favorite too for over night oats. I tried something similar the other day but I used falooda seeds instead of Chia. It turned out great too. I am going to try your version sooner or later. 🙂
Hey Helene,
falooda seeds will serve the same purpose as chia! In fact I used to think they are the same 🙂
Thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts!
I’m a big fan of overnight oats and this looks amazing! I haven’t used chia and oats in the same breakfast mix before so I have to try this ASAP.
Hey Emily,
Apart from boosting the nutrition, Chia seeds give the overnight oats a pudding like thick consistency and I love them that way 🙂
Hope you will like it too.
Thank you so much for rating the recipe! It really encourages me 🙂
I love the convenience and the nutrition of overnight oats, but you’ve elevated them to a whole other level. That fig is gorgeous!
Thanks Abby! The fig is truly gorgeous. I love how it adds so much taste and texture and popping colour to these oats and my salads!
This is almost the last of the fresh fruits here.. I froze berries before they went out of season but can’t do much for figs except for waiting for them every season 🙂
Thank you for dropping by!
Wait, we’re allowed to add chocolate to our overnight oats??? No one told me before but I can’t wait to do it! Thanks for the idea!
Hey Jessica! Well surprise 🙂 Enjoy the new discoveries!
you are welcome!
These are by far the prettiest overnight oats I have seen. Love that gooey fig, just delicious!!
Hey Donna!
Thanks so much 🙂 I love figs and while they are still in season I try to add them to almost everything from salads to muesli and now to my overnight oats!
lots of love
I absolutely love oatmeal. I eat it every morning for breakfast hot. I haven’t tried the overnight oats yet but you can bet I will, it looks delicious!
Hey Mary,
I too enjoyed hot oatmeal till I tried these overnight oats and they completely dominate my breakfast menu now 🙂
I am sure you will enjoy them!
love
Nice recipe! I am usually not a fan of overnight oats because it is not thick enough for my taste, but with the chia seeds making this thick I will give it a try again cos it is really convenient.
Hey Lois!
Chia seeds really make them thick like a pudding. I hope you give it a try and I am sure you will like it!
Thanks for dropping by!
Hi Ashima, Great recipe. Tried it with instant oats and am hooked now. Just wanted to know if one could do the same with steel cut oats or would one need to cook them? Would you know? Love your blog!
Hey Nimisha!
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and also for loving my blog 🙂 I always always love it when people say that :-D.
I have never tried overnight oats with steel-cut oats. For a normal porridge steel cut oats take much longer than rolled oats.. but since overnight oats have all the time, I am guessing it should work with them. I think you cn try a small serving and check. Also let me know. I am yet to try them 🙂
Hope you keep finding more inspiration!
love,
ashima