Easy Overnight Oats {Recipe + Toppings!}

There is a certain beauty in discovering a shortcut that is both commodious and just arsenic good — if not better — than the real thing .

Steel-cut oats normally require a good ten to twenty minutes of stovetop simmer to render them creamy and voiced. This is worth the effort for a fantastic bowl of oatmeal, but let ‘s be real here : not many of us have that kind of time in the dawn.

Reading: Easy Overnight Oats {Recipe + Toppings!}

Overnight oats, on the other hand, only require you to mix the oats with water and let them hang out together in the fridge overnight. A moment or two in the microwave the future dawn, and you ‘re beneficial to go. For a not-at-all-morning person such as myself, this is game-changing .

Discovering the Best nightlong Oats ever

I never would have tried nightlong oats if I had n’t stopped for breakfast at the Brick Oven Bakery in Northfield, Minnesota the end time I was home. full disclosure : the bakery is owned by my dad, who is primarily invested in providing craftsman loaves of sourdough to the Minnesotan masses, but was recently convinced to add a few more breakfast items to his menu .

This bowl of oatmeal was then perfectly creamy and flavorful that I dragged my dad and his chef out of the back room to tell me how they made it. They rattled off their ingredients ( steel-cut oats, water system, some toppings ) and basic method ( simmer until done ), none of which seemed to explain why my bowl of oatmeal was so mend good .

just as I was growing perplex, the chef mentioned, “ Oh, and we let the oats soak overnight. “ Bingo .

Emma Christensen

Why Overnight Oats Are indeed good

Overnight soaking gives the oat time to absorb their cook liquid, whether that ‘s water or milk. Since they ‘re already fully saturated with liquid, all you actually need to do is heat them up .

In fact, you don’t even need to heat them up if you don’t want to ; after soaking, the raw grains are delightfully chewy and big as a cold breakfast on a hot day .

I besides feel that overnight overcharge helps the grains cook more evenly, leading to the creamy, politic texture that made me fall in sleep together with my bowl of oatmeal at the Brick Oven .

Single Serving Overnight Oats !

One more bonus : Making oats this way allows you to make good one single-serving of oats at a prison term. Since it ‘s normally just me by myself eating breakfast and I ‘m not a winnow of reheating oats from a big batch, I in truth appreciate this !

Steel Cut Oats or Old Fashioned Oats ?

Both steel-cut oats and erstwhile fashioned rolled oats work merely fine with this method acting ( and with the same ratios of melted to oats ). Use whichever one you prefer .

Emma Christensen

How to Make the Best overnight Oats

overnight oats are nothing new on the Internet, and I ‘m surely not alone in my exuberance for them. Do a quick search on Pinterest and you ‘ll find enough oatmeal inspiration to last you through a ten of breakfasts .

To settle on the identical best method, I tested the oats with a variety show of different oat-to-water ratios, with different liquids in rate of the body of water, with both steel-cut and regular antique rolled oats, and after different soaking times .

In the end, I decided that the simplest method acting was besides the best :

Ratio of 1/4 cup oats (steel cut or old-fashioned) to 1/2 cup water
Overnight soak
About a minute in the microwave

This has become my raw standard for a good bowl of oatmeal.

Swaps & Substitutions for Overnight Oats

Swap in some milk: Dairy milk, almond milk, or any other milk will definitely work in place of water, but I felt that the oats remained chewier after soaking and were less delightfully creamy after cooking. Personally, I prefer to soak in water and then stir a splash of milk or a spoonful of yogurt into the oats after cooking.
Play with the ratio of water to oats. I found that 1/2 cup of water was perfect for making a fairly thick, sturdy bowl of oats. Going up to 3/4 cup of water makes a looser, softer, more porridge-like bowl of oats. One cup of liquid felt like too much, though this might be nice if you’d like something you can easily sip one-handed on your way to work.

Emma Christensen

How to Avoid Microwave Bubble-Ups

The only slippery moment with this recipe comes toward the end of cook. You need the liquid to be identical hot and about seethe in rate for the oatmeal to thicken up and become creamy, but once the liquid reaches a full boil in the microwave, the oats can easily bubble up and out of whatever container you are using .

To avoid this, particularly the first few times you make the oats, do this :

Use a clear container that holds at least twice the volume of oats you are preparing (like a pint-sized canning jar)
Watch with an eagle eye as you microwave the oats. If you see any sign that the oats are starting to bubble up, stop microwaving immediately.

once you ‘ve done this a few times in the same microwave, you ‘ll have a good estimate for precisely when the oats are done and can potentially start to bubble up. In my microwave, I ‘ve found that 1 minute and 20 seconds in my microwave is perfect. Yours might be slenderly less or slightly more .

just out of the microwave, the oats might still look a little loose and reeking — this is fine. Let them stand for a few minutes and they will thicken up .

last but not least, voltaic pile on any toppings you like with your oatmeal and dig in !

Best Toppings for Overnight Oats

In my public opinion, oatmeal is 99 % about the delectable toppings stir into your bowl. here are some favored suggestions :

Sweeteners: Brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or other sweetener
Dried fruit, like dried cherries, cranberries, or figs
Fresh fruit, like raspberries, blue berries, bananas, apples, or pears
Chopped nuts, like pecans, pistachios, walnuts, or almonds
Splash of milk, cream, creme fraiche, or yogurt

Notes on Batch cook :

Making a week’s worth of breakfasts: The recipe below makes one single serving of oatmeal. I often prepare several single-serving batches in canning jars and refrigerate them for quick breakfasts through the week. The oats soaking in their liquid will keep for at least 5 days, refrigerated.
Larger batches: Scale up the ingredients to the number of servings you’d like to make (at least 4 or more servings) and combine in a large container. Refrigerate overnight, stirring a few times whenever you remember. The next morning, transfer the oats and liquid to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until creamy and cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes.
Stovetop Cooking: It’s difficult to cook a single serving of oatmeal on the stovetop. If you’d prefer to cook on the stovetop instead of in the microwave, I recommend preparing at least four servings at once. Follow the “Larger Batches” instructions above.