Overnight oats basic recipe – with our tips, starting the day is easy and delicious. Do you know the problem when you just don't feel like making a healthy breakfast early in the morning, even before you go to work – not even a quick Bircher muesli? Yet the first meal of the day is important to start the day with plenty of energy. After a long period of rest, the body needs a good portion of energy. After all, it uses 50% of all calories while sleeping.
But what if you just don't have time? Overnight oats are the solution. Be happy, because the shopping list for overnight oats is pleasantly short. You can also add a personal touch to your breakfast with fruit, nuts or spices, to suit your mood. Overnight oats not only provide complex carbohydrates, but also, depending on the variety, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
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From seeds and dairy products to fruit and nuts, there are endless possibilities for preparation. The high fiber content of oats helps you feel full for longer, thus avoiding spontaneous food cravings.
This in turn has a positive effect on your weight. The long-lasting feeling of satiety also reduces the desire to snack. What's more, the protein in the flakes helps to build muscle in the body.
But overnight oats are not just for breakfast; the soaked oat flakes are also a great lunch snack. The container in which the oats are prepared is then simply closed tightly and put in your bag with a spoon so that you can enjoy it on the go or in between meals.
The basic overnight oats recipe
It really couldn't be easier! All you need for the base are oats and liquid. Mix these ingredients together in a ratio of 1:2 in a container, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. The ratio naturally depends on how firm or runny you want your porridge.
A normal portion of oats is between 40 g and 60 g on average. For the liquid, we recommend milk (whether animal or plant-based) or water, depending on the flavor you want in the end. But don't forget: toppings are also used to add extra flavor to your meal.
Overnight Oats Basic Recipe – no added sugar
Prepare your overnight oats with our basic recipe and add ingredients according to your personal preferences. From fruity toppings to nuts and seeds to honey – try them all and find your favorite combination.
When and how do I prepare overnight oats?
Overnight oats are oat meals that require steeping. The flakes are placed in the refrigerator overnight with liquid such as milk, yogurt, or water.
This allows the flakes to swell, absorb the flavor of the liquid, and develop a creamy consistency. The longer the soaking time, the creamier and more flavorful the porridge will be. It's best to prepare the basic overnight oats recipe the night before and let the oats soak overnight.
Even those who are grumpy in the morning and those who have little time in the morning will love overnight oats. You can prepare several jars of breakfast in advance. It only takes a few minutes: chop the ingredients, put everything in a jar or bowl and put it in the fridge. It will do the rest. That's why it's called a healthy breakfast overnight.
The perfect breakfast – how do you add variety to overnight oats?
While some people like to start their day with their favorite breakfast every day, others quickly get bored of the same old dish. To make sure that doesn't happen with overnight oats, you can add variety to your oat breakfast in a variety of ways.
Different types of oats
You can get normal oats in any supermarket and they are the classic oats for overnight oats. They are available as wholegrain or quick-cooking oats. The only difference is that the oat grain remains whole in wholegrain oats, whereas it is not in quick-cooking oats. However, if you want a little variety or are generally not a fan of rolled oats, you can choose from a variety of alternatives.
Try buckwheat or spelt flakes, for example, which give the healthy breakfast from the fridge a nutty flavor. You can also add nuts (e.g. walnuts or hazelnuts) to your overnight oats. Or you can use kamut flakes, also known as an ancient grain. You can even make your own gluten-free version with rice, quinoa and millet flakes.
Your breakfast will get even more fiber if you add seeds (e.g. flax seeds or chia seeds).
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Different liquids
Liquid can also be replaced with different options to adapt your food to your individual lifestyle. The use of cow's milk is quite typical.
Instead of using animal products, you can also use vegan milk alternatives such as soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk or other plant milks. Even water or juices are perfect for soaking overnight.
Overnight oats with yogurt and quark
These two ingredients can be used in two different ways. On the one hand, you can use the quark or yogurt as a substitute for the base liquid to get an even creamier consistency than in the basic recipe above.
On the other hand, you can also use them as a topping. Adding quark or yogurt automatically provides extra protein.
Toppings
Apart from the flakes and liquid, there is also the option of varying the toppings. Seeds are very high in fiber and aid digestion. These include flax, chia, and even hemp seeds. They contain calcium, vitamins, iron, and protein.
Fruits such as apricots and fresh berries (e.g. blackberries or blueberries) can be cut into small pieces or pureed to add to the porridge. Adding regional and seasonal fruits provides the body with vitamins, antioxidants and minerals, such as unsaturated fatty acids. Dried fruits, such as dates or raisins, are also suitable as a topping.
Nuts and seeds give the soft porridge a particularly crunchy texture. They also provide valuable proteins and unsaturated fatty acids, such as omega-3 fatty acids.
Spices such as cinnamon, cocoa or poppy seeds give the food an additional sweetness and an intense flavor. If you want it even sweeter, you can add a teaspoon of agave syrup or maple syrup. But you should definitely make sure that your breakfast is not too sweet.
Our top tips: try one of these three recipe ideas
Do you need ideas on how you can creatively vary the basic recipe with toppings and other ingredients? Our recipe ideas will help you.
Our tips range from the absolute classic with Bircher muesli to chocolatey cocoa-banana overnight oats and an extravagant carrot cake version. All recipes can be expanded with toppings of your choice. For example, cocoa-banana overnight oats taste particularly good with crunchy cocoa nibs or creamy peanut butter.
What are the benefits of overnight oats?
One of the great things about this healthy breakfast is its flexibility. With just a few basic ingredients, you can create a variety of delicious breakfast options. And because the basic ingredients are rolled oats and liquid, you can incorporate all your dietary preferences.
Are you vegan? Then simply replace milk or yogurt with almond milk or rice milk. Do you want to add more fruit and fiber to your diet? Then go for it. Can't do without chocolate? It can be added as a topping or in the form of cocoa powder.
The straightforward preparation means that the basic overnight oats recipe can be made in a few spare minutes and then left to steep overnight.
But overnight oats have even more advantages
- Long-lasting feeling of satiety: the complex carbohydrates in the oat flakes ensure a long-lasting feeling of satiety. They are only broken down slowly in the digestive process and therefore keep you feeling fuller for longer.
- Energy booster: overnight oats are not called “power breakfasts” for nothing.
- Super healthy and super tasty: the topping options that overnight oats offer make the oat meal a healthy and delicious breakfast.
- Child-friendly: making overnight oats is the perfect family activity. This healthy breakfast is quick and easy to prepare, so you can make it with the kids.
- varied: You can vary overnight oats as you like. For example, swap the milk for plant-based milk, the oats for another type of flake, and add fruit that you like.
- quick and easy to prepare: Prepare the night before, leave them in the fridge overnight, and enjoy the next morning. With overnight oats, there's no excuse not to eat healthily, even on stressful days.
- are ideal for meal prep: If you don't want to eat your oats until you get to the office or for lunch, simply pour them into a sealable container while you prepare them, and you'll literally have a to-go jar ready to take with you to work.
- Vegetarian or even vegan: adding fresh fruit as a topping is an easy way to increase the proportion of plant-based foods. And for those who want to go one step further and avoid animal products altogether, there are plenty of vegan alternatives to quark, milk and yoghurt – the variety is huge.
- affordable: At Verival you will find a variety of high-quality basic products and toppings for your overnight oats. Oat flakes, wholegrain flakes or the flake base muesli with a mix of different flakes and seeds. You can also save with quantity discounts. So you can easily eat healthily and still keep to your weekly budget.
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Frequently asked questions
Why are overnight oats so healthy?
This snack is extremely healthy due to the vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids and few calories it contains. In addition, oats provide us with important minerals, iron and folic acid, which a healthy and vital body needs. Overnight oats keep you full for a long time. This in turn has a positive effect on your weight. The long-lasting feeling of satiety also reduces the craving for snacks. In addition, the protein in the flakes helps to build muscle in the body.
What is the difference between overnight oats and porridge?
Overnight oats are made from the same oats as porridge. You could say they are the cold version of porridge. Overnight oats are made by soaking oats in milk or water overnight to allow them to swell. This gives them a unique, melt-in-the-mouth consistency. You can refine both versions with the same toppings: nuts, fruit, seeds, etc.
Can you eat overnight oats in the evening?
Because of their valuable nutrients, eating oats in the morning or evening is very healthy. The high proportion of complex carbohydrates keeps you feeling fuller for longer, keeping your blood sugar level constant and reducing the likelihood of those evening hunger pangs that we are all familiar with.
Why should you soak rolled oats overnight?
Soaking the flakes overnight reduces the phytic acid content – and you can absorb more nutrients from the oats as a result. Experts estimate that soaking increases the nutrient yield by an average of about 20 to 30 percent.
What is better, oats with milk or with water?
In principle, both are good options. However, if you combine the oats with milk, the body cannot absorb the iron contained in the oats as well. The reason for this is the calcium in the milk, which inhibits the absorption of iron.
What happens if you eat porridge every day?
Regular breakfasts not only get your digestion going, but also give it a healthy rhythm. This helps to prevent bloating and constipation. Warm oatmeal is particularly good for your gut, warming it from the inside and giving you a pleasantly satiated feeling.
How many oats can you eat in a day?
300 grams of oats is enough to meet the recommended daily requirement.
Are uncooked oats healthy?
Oats are among the healthiest types of grain there are. So, if you incorporate oats into your diet, you are definitely doing your body some good, regardless of whether you eat the flakes raw or cooked – both options are good. However, the warm version is even more beneficial for the body and often much easier to digest.
