Breakfast is apparently the most important meal of the day but why do we skip it? I know I do. Even now when my schedule allows me to sit down and have a decent meal I still have days where my feet hit the ground, cup of coffee in hand, and next thing I know, it’s lunch time and my hunger pains are kicking in. Even in my last trimester of pregnancy, I’m still guilty of that! I know, don’t judge. That’s probably the worse thing ever. But I think it all comes down to time. At least for me and always has been about time.
I wish I knew about overnight oats when my days began at 5am and didn’t end until the sun went down also known as my previous workaholic life. Thing is, you don’t need to be a workaholic to enjoy these. Whether you’re an office robot, busy mom (or prego who should be better at eating breakfast) or a single person, you can make these the night before and have a tasty breakfast waiting for you the next morning.
I’ll show you today, how to prepare three types of oats (rolled, quick, and steel cut) overnight, with very minimal cooking. But in my book “microwaving” is not cooking so let’s just say there is NO cooking involved with these.
All you need is a jar/container with a lid. I personally like mason jars as you can take them with you on the go. Oats of your choice and milk. You mix the oats with milk in a jar and pop it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, they’re soft and ready to be eaten. Cold or warmed up. It’s that easy! Seriously. This method works on rolled and quick oats.
Preparing steel cuts oats is just a tid bit different. If you’ve ever tried cooking steel cut oats on a stove top, you know it takes buckets of liquid and all day to pretty much get them soft. Steel cut oats have a different texture even when cooked to the fullest, more chewy and grainy. And when I tried just soaking them in milk, it’s like I’ve never cooked them.
So what I did was mix the oats with milk, popped it in the microwave for 3 minutes, immediately closed the oats with a tight lid to trap all the hot air, and left it in the fridge overnight. That’s the only difference with steel cut. It takes three minutes longer to prepare but in return you get a healthy ready to go breakfast in the morning.
Then the fun part begins…TOPPINGS! You can do chopped nuts, dried and fresh fruits, maple syrup and honey, cinnamon, fruit preserves, coconut, and anything else that you like. That’s the best part about making your own oats vs. purchasing pre-flavored packets as you can customize your flavors to what your little heart desires. Love it! Don’t you?
Leave me a comment below telling me your favorite way to eat oats and if you enjoyed this post and want to see more yumminess like this one, leave me a rating!
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Three Types of Overnight Oats
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
Quick and easy breakfast on the go with these overnight oats! Learn how to prepare steel-cut oats, old-fashioned oats, and quick-cooking oats overnight.
Ingredients
Old-Fashioned Oats:
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup milk
Quick-Cooking Oats:
- 1/2 quick-cooking oats
- 3/4 cup milk
Steel-Cut Oats:
- 1/4 cup steel-cut oats
- 3/4 cup milk
Instructions
Old-Fashioned Oats
- In an individual food container with a lid, mix oats with milk. Refrigerator overnight.
- In the morning, stir the oats, add toppings of your choice or warm up the oats in the microwave before adding toppings.
Quick-Cooking Oats
- In an individual food container with a lid, mix oats with milk. Refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, stir the oats, add toppings of your choice or warm up the oats in the microwave before adding toppings.
Steel-Cut Oats
- In a microwave safe bowl, mix oats with milk. Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes, keeping an eye on the oats so the milk does not boil over. You may have to stop and stir couple times.
- Immediately, transfer the oats to an individual food container with a lid, close it shut, and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, stir the oats, add toppings of your choice or warm up the oats in the microwave before adding toppings.
Topping Ideas
- fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries); brown sugar; coconut chips; almond butter; peanut butter; raisins; almonds; fruit preserves; walnuts; cinnamon; dry fruit; maple syrup; honey
Notes
** if eating oats cold and you want extra creaminess, you can stir in Greek yogurt
Keywords: quick, on the go, snack
Selena Jackson says
I appreciate you what you did up there, I liked steel cut very much. Thanks
★★★★★
JC says
Ran out of long cooking so trying it with the quick cook oats this morning. Glad you had this info available TY
Natalia says
How would you go about doing the steel xut oats but without a microwave? I dont have or use one. Thanks!
Lia says
Hi there,
I used the quick oat and mix with dry muesli then the flavor yoghurt and keep in the fridge for a whole night. That’s the most healthy breakfast I had during my pregnancy.
Easy, simple but healthy.
★★★★★
Katya says
Dry muesli sounds delicious! Never tried it. Thanks for sharing Lia.
Laura says
I did it with steel cuts oats how you said to do it. I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk and it was perfect. This morning, I just put it in the microwave for another minute and added chopped bananas, slivered almonds, cinnamon, some truvia, and covered for like a minute and it tasted like banana bread….so hearty and yummy! Thank u!!
Samantha says
Can you use water instead of milk? If so would it still be 3/4 cup?
Katya says
Hi Samantha…I have not tried it with water so I can’t answer with 100% certainty but if you do try it, please let me know how it turns out as I would love to know!
Michelle says
Do u put the fruit the next day or can i prepare with it ahead of time and put in jar overnight?
★★★★★
Katya says
Hi Michelle, you would put the fruit right before serving (next day). Thanks!
Phyllis Ramsey says
Can you use frozen fruit or would it be to watery?
Katya says
Hi Phyllis, you should be just fine with the frozen fruit. Thanks.
Laura says
I’ve actually used frozen fruit microwaved for like 30 second then pour it on the oats. So good
Katya says
Oh wow! Thanks so much Laura! So glad they turned out well for you and you enjoyed them 🙂
Jojo says
Hi that’s a great idea. Just wondering if you know, could I make a few days worth up in advance? Or would they go too sogy?
Katya says
hi Jojo: I only tried making the oats the night before and it’s hard to say how they will turn out when made several days in advance. You may have to add more liquid as oats soak in all the liquid if left for too long. I would use your best judgement when making them and if you do, please let me know how they turn out!
dolores says
Do you sweeten your oats?
Katya says
Yes, you can top the oatmeal with maple syrup, brown sugar, fruit, etc. to sweeten it up.
Pixie says
I love the overnight oatmeal but I always do old fashioned with chia seeds for extra vitamins. I do half yogurt half milk with either maple syrup or honey for sweetner and of course lots of fruit.
★★★★★
Katya says
I have yet to try chia seeds! I love adding yogurt too for extra creaminess 🙂
Rhonda says
I started making overnight oatmeal a few years ago. I typically only eat it in the summer months, when it is warm and the thought of hot oatmeal is not so appealing. Also, I like to use fresh fruit and it readily available at the farmers market then. I typically add chia seeds and flax seed meal for extra protein and Omega 3. Thanks for the info on using steel cut oats. Never tried because I could not see how it would work. Will give it a whirl.
Katya says
I love fresh fruit on mine too and have yet to try chia seeds or flax seed. On my to do list 🙂 Let me know what you think about steel cut oats. I found that’s what works the best to get them soft. They still have a little of a rough texture but taste really good. Thanks for the comment Rhonda!
Mom's Dish says
I woke up today and checked IG, you have made me hungry instantly. I wanted to come join you for a cup of oatmeal.
Katya says
ha ha! that would’ve been perfect ….only if we lived closer. Maybe one day 🙂
Liz vingert says
oh Katya this is perfect, definitely great for a nursing mom. Will be trying this tonight. Thank you!
Katya says
Aww..congrats on your baby! Hopefully it’ll give you more time with the baby and less time in the kitchen 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!