Overnight Oats

Name: Overnight Oats
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 10 min
Ingredients: 200 g (2¼ cups) rolled oats; 2 tbsp chia seeds, optional, for extra thickness; 1 pinch fine sea salt; 500 ml (2 cups) milk, dairy or plant; 250 g (1 cup) plain or Greek yogurt; 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey, to taste; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp ground cinnamon, optional; 250 g (2 cups) fresh or frozen berries, to serve

No-cook oats that soak into a creamy breakfast while you sleep

Makes: 4 jars
Hands-on: 10 min
Total: 8 h 10 min
Level: Easy

Oats soaked overnight in milk and yogurt soften into a thick, creamy, cold porridge. Make four jars on Sunday and breakfast is done until Thursday.

Ingredients

200 grolled oats (2¼ cups)
2 tbspchia seedsoptional, for extra thickness
1 pinchfine sea salt
500 mlmilk (2 cups)dairy or plant
250 gplain or Greek yogurt (1 cup)
2 tbspmaple syrup or honeyto taste
1 tspvanilla extract
1 tspground cinnamonoptional
250 gfresh or frozen berries (2 cups)to serve

Diet: Vegetarian
Allergens: gluten, milk

Method

In a large bowl or jug, mix the oats, chia seeds and salt.
Add the milk, yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon and stir well.
Divide among four jars or containers and cover.
Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. 8 h
In the morning, stir. Add a splash more milk if they're too thick and top with the berries.

Why it works

Rolled oats have been steamed and flattened, so their starch is already partly cooked and absorbs cold liquid slowly overnight, softening without heat. Chia seeds form a gel around themselves as they soak, thickening the mixture further. The yogurt's acidity and creaminess give a pleasant tang.

Common mistakes

Using steel-cut or instant oats: steel-cut stay hard and instant turns to mush. Use rolled oats.
Not enough liquid: they set too thick. Start with this ratio and adjust.

Variations

Peanut butter and banana: Stir 1 tbsp peanut butter and half a mashed banana into each jar.
Apple pie: Add 1 grated apple, ½ tsp cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg per jar.

Make ahead and storage

Keeps 4 days in the fridge; add fresh fruit on the day.

Notes

Use certified gluten-free oats and plant yogurt and milk for a gluten-free, dairy-free version.