Overnight Oats Recipe + Flavor Inspiration

With school and busy morning routines rapidly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about how to quickly and nutritiously feed those kids before they head out the door. Overnight oats are exactly that: A great way to fuel the body and microbiome to prep the brain to learn and grow. Eat them cold during the early fall or warm them up in the winter. You can also customize the flavors to eat seasonally, or to each child’s preference. Make it part of a fun night-time routine or make the entire week’s overnight oats on Sunday as an extra time-saver!

Overnight Oat Base:

¼ cup old fashioned oats

¼ cup milk or milk alternative of choice

1 Tablespoon chia or ground flaxseed

1+ Tablespoon plain Greek yogurt

Pinch of salt

0 – 2 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup

Topping Inspiration:

Peanut Butter & Jelly

1 Tablespoon peanut butter

1 teaspoon strawberry jam

¼ cup diced strawberries

Banana & Nutella

½ banana, sliced

1 Tablespoon Nutella

1 Tablespoon peanut butter (optional)

Key Lime

1 Tablespoon lime juice

Lime zest

1 Tablespoon full-fat coconut milk (from the can)

Crushed graham crackers

Chocolate Covered Coconut

1 Tablespoon additional maple syrup

1 Tablespoon full-fat coconut milk (from the can)

¼ cup unsweetened flaked coconut

1 – 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Ginger-Mango-Coconut

1 Tablespoon full-fat coconut milk (from the can)

1 Tablespoon honey

½ tsp fresh grated ginger

¼ cup fresh or frozen mango

Pumpkin Pie

1 – 2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

1. Put base ingredients in a mason jar or other sealable glass jar. Mix until smooth.
2. Cover and place jars in the fridge overnight.
3. In the morning, top with flavors of your choosing.
4. Enjoy as-is or warm by heating in a microwave or on the stovetop.

Tips & Tricks:

• It is important to use old-fashioned oats. They will keep them from becoming too soggy.
• Prep for the whole week. The oats will be good for about 5 days.
• Some toppings can be included during the overnight portion. However, stay away from the fresh fruits as they can become mushy.
• Remember, you can always add some honey or maple syrup in, but you can’t take it out. Feel free to sweeten to taste after the oats have soaked.
• Grinding the chia seeds will allow for even more nutrition to be made available for your body. Often, when kept whole, they just sneak right through the GI tract without being digested.
• Add in protein powder, collagen, or fruits and greens for an extra boost. Additional milk may be needed.
• You can also stir in your daily dose of Flourish living probiotics to cold oats if you wish!

Recipe and Inspiration ideas shared by Lorilyn Van Dyke