Get Breakfast Ready With Overnight Oats

Written by Nessa Robins

Overnight Oats only take minutes to prepare but make for a convenient and delicious breakfast whether you’re at home or adding them to a lunch bag as you dash out the door.

The Basics:

As the base recipe for most overnight oats simply consist of porridge oats, a liquid (milk or fruit juices most commonly) and possibly a sweetener of some kind, the simplicity of its flavour lends to a multitude of options when choosing what toppings or ingredients to incorporate into the finished dish. We’re offering four delicious ideas here, but you can simply top the base recipe with whatever toppings you have to hand; nuts, seeds, berries, any soft fruit, and a drizzle of honey, make for nutritious additions to this delicious breakfast.

This base recipe is quite plain in flavour, so without the addition of any toppings it can still make for a nutritious breakfast which is easy to tolerate if you or a loved one is feeling a little under the weather.

Quantities:

The quantities we’re sharing are enough for two servings, but the recipe can be doubled if needed. The overnight oats base also keeps well in a sealed container in the fridge for at least four to five days, so can easily be added to a Sunday evening food prep if you find yourself with a little time on your hands to get ahead for the week.

Overnight Oats

Base Recipe:

• 150ml milk, of choice
• 50g porridge oats
• 1tbsp chia seeds
• 1tbsp maple syrup

Banoffee:

• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 2tbsp toffee sauce
• 2tbsp Greek yogurt
• 25g chocolate

Biscoff:

• 4tbsp Biscoff spread
• 2 Biscoff biscuits

Fruit & Nut:

• 30g blueberries, cut in half
• 30g pecans, roughly chopped
• 2tbsp Greek yogurt
• Drizzle maple syrup

Chocolate Orange:

• Juice and zest of ½ an orange
• 1tsp cacao powder
• 2tbsp Greek yogurt
• 30g chocolate, cut into chunks
• Zest of ½ orange, for the topping

Method:

To make the base, place the milk, oats, chia seeds, and maple syrup into a medium sized bowl. Stir to combine.

For the banoffee overnight oats; add a layer of base oats to two little jars or transportable containers, top each with a layer of mashed banana, add a drizzle of toffee sauce (pop in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen if very thick). Divide the remaining oats mixture between the two jars and finish with the remaining toffee sauce. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Before serving, top with a dollop of yogurt, grate over a layer of chocolate and a little drizzle of toffee sauce and enjoy.

For the Biscoff overnight oats; add a layer of base oats to two little jars or transportable containers, top each with a layer of Biscoff spread (the spread will need to be placed in a bowl in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen). Divide the remaining oats mixture between the two jars and finish with a good layer of the melted Biscoff spread. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Before serving, crumble over half a Biscoff biscuit and nestle the other half into the top. Enjoy.

For the fruit & nut overnight oats; add a layer of base oats to two little jars or transportable containers, top each with some of the chopped blueberries and pecans, reserving the rest for the topping. Divide the remaining oats mixture between the two jars. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Before serving, top with a dollop of yogurt, the remaining blueberries and pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup. Enjoy.

For the chocolate orange overnight oats; stir through the juice and zest of ½ an orange and the cacao powder to the base recipe. Divide between two little jars or transportable containers. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Before serving, top with a dollop of yogurt, some chocolate chunks, and a grating of orange zest. Enjoy.