In my Lemon-Dill Tuna Salad recipe that I posted last Friday, I talked about how lunch is my least favorite meal of the day to deal with. Which is true. But the hardest meal for me, like me personally, is breakfast.
I’ve never been a breakfast-hater, even when I was in high school and middle school and it was cool to hate breakfast. If breakfast doesn’t happen for me, I become beastly around 10:00. Hanger is real, people.
But the problem for me, particularly on weekdays, is that I have a 7-year-old and a 10-year-old that still need a little nudging/assistance in the morning, a 2-year-old who needs a lot of nudging/assistance in the morning, and two dogs who are adults but who will act like the 2-year-old forever and ever. So by the time everyone else’s needs have been at least semi-adequately met, we’re rushing out the door and I haven’t had time to make myself a healthy breakfast. My big kids go to school on the other side of town (actually, it’s not even in the same town), so then I often find myself running errands while we’re out and then I’m getting hungry and grumpy and the fast food breakfast places are calling out to me.
My best solution has been to have something I can grab and eat while I’m combing hair, packing lunches, or signing last-minute papers. But those frozen breakfast sandwiches are spendy and I don’t love them that much.
Overnight refrigerator oatmeal is kind of making its rounds around the interwebs, so I decided to give it a shot. And I loved it. It’s a little different from cooked oats–it’s (obviously) not cooked and lacks that kind of cohesive consistency of cooked oatmeal. But it doesn’t bother me, and when I pair it with a few slices of precooked bacon (I use that Hormel precooked bacon that’s 70 calories for 4 slices), it keeps me full until lunchtime. One thing I love about it is that you can totally customize it however you want to–you just need equal amounts of oats and liquid, then you can round it out however you want. Fresh fruit, dried fruit, peanut butter, chocolate, nuts, seeds, however you like it, you can make it work! I’ve had a lot of fun the last few weeks playing around with different combinations and finding things that we love.
You’re going to need 2 cups oats (regular or quick-cooking, but not steel-cut or instant), 2 cups of milk (I use 1%, but you can use whatever kind you like; I’m not hip enough to like almond milk, but lots of people use it and seem to like it), vanilla extract, cinnamon, a tiny bit of salt, raspberries, almonds, almond extract, 2 tablespoons of sweetener (I’m using brown sugar here. My favorite non-sugar sweetener is called Z-Sweet and it is the only artificial sweetener I’ve found that doesn’t taste like artificial sweetener. Yes, I do know that artificial sweeteners are gateway drugs to Satan’s kingdom. I also know that Z-Sweet is ridiculously, ridiculously expensive. At $18 a bag, you may have to consider selling kidneys on the black market to fund it. That said, I only use it for stuff like this; I don’t bake with it, I just sprinkle it on top of berries, in oatmeal, etc., and this two-pack has lasted me for over a year–in fact, I’m still on my first bag.)
In a medium bowl, combine the oats,
milk,
extracts, brown sugar,
ground cinnamon, and the salt (if using).
Gently add the raspberries,
then divide evenly among 4 8-ounce jars or containers.
Refrigerate overnight (and up to 3 days–the consistency actually gets better with time). In the morning, stir it up and top with sliced almonds and serve cold. Makes 4 servings.
Overnight Raspberry-Almond Refrigerator Oatmeal
Description
Wonderfully delicious and great to whip up ahead of time for those busy mornings!
Ingredients
- 2 cups oats (regular or quick-cooking, but not steel-cut or instant)
- 2 cups milk (I used and calculated the nutrition with 1%, but you can use whatever milk you like, including things like unsweetened almond or coconut milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or your favorite sweetener)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt (optional)
- 1 6-ounce package raspberries
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the oats, milk, extracts, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and the salt (if using).
- Gently add the raspberries, then divide evenly among 4 8-ounce jars or containers. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with sliced almonds and serve cold.
Notes
Nutritional Information
- Calories: 193
- Fat: 4
- Carbs: 31
- Fiber: 5
- Sugars: 16
- Protein: 8
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Questions & Reviews
Thank you for posting an overnight oats recipe that doesn’t involve yogurt (which gives the oats a sour, really gross taste and texture). One of the few (only?) I’ve seen that doesn’t involve yogurt or chia seeds (both things I love in other ways, but definitely not in my oatmeal)). Can’t wait to try it.
We just moved back home from American Samoa. There was a smoothie place that made similar oatmeal concoctions in a blender…it was weird not having the oatmeal hot but it was really yummy! Going to have to try this recipe out!
Is it weird I wasn’t a fan of the creaminess? I watered the milk down by half (I used almond) and I liked it better. I like bland food though so just consider me strange. But yum and super convenient!
I love oatmeal both hot and cold. I’ve been making refrigerator oatmeal for about 10 years, but we call it Swiss oats. I let the oatmeal soak overnight and add fruit and nuts the next morning. It’s great with fresh or dried fruit. I usually use whatever is in season. I add about as much fruit as oatmeal.
I got a recipe for Swiss oatmeal a while back and it is very similar to this, only instead of the same ratio of milk to oatmeal, you do 2 cups oats, 1 cup milk, and then stir in 1 cup yogurt in the morning. If you do Greek yogurt you get a good protein source. We eat it a lot in the summer. I will have to try this version and see how it compares! Thanks for sharing!
I ❤️ Oatmeal and I ❤️ Kate! Can’t wait to try this!
I haven’t tried this type of oatmeal and I just bought raspberries. So this was perfect timing. Looks tasty!
I actually really like mixing this with nonfat yogurt or regular yogurt. It gives it a slightly thicker consistency, a little more liked cooked oatmeal. Also, I don’t need to add any sweetener thanks to it being in the yogurt. Unless you use plain yogurt.
I have been eating this for years. I love to do half oats half 6-grain rolled cereal (Honeyville) for a little more texture and frozen raspberries mixed in the night before. Fresh peaches, in season, are divine added right before serving. This is a great timesaver that most of my family loves.
I wonder if my freeze dried raspberries would work if they would plump up over night (maybe add a couple more table spoons of milk?
You could definitely try it! If you do, let us know how it goes! 🙂
This is good. I have tried it. I ALSO like (for one serving) one-quarter cup homemade granola, one-quarter cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt, and one teaspoon of raspberry jam stirred together, placed into the 8-ounce glass jar, covered, and refrigerated overnight. So good in the morning. A lot less sugar than most cereals and yogurts. Also VERY delicious. The grains, nuts and seeds in the granola soften to a lovely consistency. Add fresh or frozen fruit if you want before putting into jar in the evening.
Is it okay to use frozen fruit, or will that change the consistency?
Totally fine! 🙂
I can never seem to finish a bowl of cooked oatmeal, but I LOVE overnight oatmeal! Just threw this together for tomorrow’s breakfast, but with blueberries! Sometimes I even add a spoonful or two of yogurt to it just before eating to add some creaminess. Yum!!
It looks like this oatmeal is not cooked right?
Yep, no cooking involved! 🙂
So, I can heat it and it will be ok.
What size jars did you order?
Yep, just pop it into the microwave for about 90 seconds or so. 🙂
I used 8 ounce jars, but going a little bigger, especially if you’re reheating, wouldn’t hurt.
Good luck! 🙂
Thanks. I’ll get the jars and try it. I need a quick breakfast for school mornings, and my 90 year old Mom, too!
I’ve made something similar before and some of us eat it cold, some of us warm it up. Everybody’s happy! 🙂 You can quickly slice bananas into it in the morning, if you’re worried about them turning yucky.
I absolutely ADORE cooked oatmeal. Regular cook, never instant. I grew up on it. But, I’m having a hard time wrapping my old brain around COLD oatmeal. Tell me I will love it!
I know. It’s crazy, haha. If you don’t like it cold, you can always warm it up, but it turns out I love it cold–kind of like cold rice pudding. 🙂
I understand that there are plenty of people who just can not drink dairy milk health wise, but the very idea of blending almonds and water together and drinking the strained “milk” or actually paying to buy that stuff amazes me. I cannot understand how they can even call it milk. Milk comes from mammals, only. sheesh! Thanks for allowing me a short rant, and now I will thank you for the great fill in for boxed cold cereal, which I also refuse to buy. Homemade granola is good but it is nice to try something a little different.
My insides cannot tolerate milk anymore; I have tried soy milk, almond milk, and various other milks but I could never get use to the tastes, even with vanilla added to them BUT I do like lactose- free milk and tolerate that well. So that is what I use. And this recipe is delicious!
I love some good oatmeal and can’t wait to try this recipe!
I actually tried this recently with steel cut oats. Very bad idea. I wish mine turned out at pretty as your.
Cooked oatmeal makes me gag but I think I could eat this especially if I add some nuts and things to give a little more texture.
Totally!! My oldest son is this way and he likes overnight oats a lot.
I tried one of these from pinterest that promised to taste like brownie batter the next morning. It did not. It was super gross.
Raspberries and almonds seem like a much more realistic expectation.
Yeah, anything that proclaims to taste just like brownie batter or a Wendy’s Frosty or cookie dough but is paleo or vegan or fat free or whatever is pretty much always a disappointment, hahaha! I’ll stick to brownie batter for my brownie batter needs. 🙂
This sounds yummy. We always eat our oatmeal like cold cereal and my friend thinks I’m totally weird, but I don’t like the texture of cooked oatmeal. I will definitely try it this way.
gateway to satan’s kingdom – LOVE IT! 🙂
For Gluten free – make sure your oats are certified gluten free. Bob’s Redmill has some and now Chex has come out with some too.
I love overnight oats but my jars aren’t fancy like yours – where are they from?
I get my weck jars from Cost Plus World Market.
Yep, they’re Weck jars–the best price is from World Market, but you can buy them from Amazon or directly from the Weck website. 🙂
Love this recipe and can’t wait to try it! Also love the jars, but having trouble finding the exact ones you use – do you have a description you can share to make my online search easier? THANKS! :o)
Hi, Shirley! Here’s the link to the ones at World Market: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/weck-mini-jar-7oz.do
And here’s the link to Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N36UI9G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00N36UI9G&linkCode=as2&tag=oubebi-20&linkId=AIL2KIFQMUKTVWI3
(They’re cheaper from World Market, but not available online; however, if you have a WM nearby, you might be able to snag some in the store. 🙂 )
Thanks for the idea! For another one that works great for me (keeps me full but takes no time in the morning), I make a super simple/easy crustless quiche once a week (originally got the recipe from South Beach but have changed it quite a bit). I make it in a pie plate & cut it in 6 slices, and it lasts all week (I sometimes freeze part also). 🙂 You can play with the veggies, cheeses, etc. but here’s my go-to recipe:
6-8 oz frozen chopped broccoli (or spinach) – I thaw in the microwave in a glass mixing bowl and then add in:
5 eggs
1/4 c frozen chopped fire roasted peppers & onions (Trader Joe’s – I cut these a bit while frozen as they come in strips, but don’t bother thawing)
1/2 c cottage cheese (optional – you won’t know it’s in there, but adds protein & calcium!)
3/4 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I put 1/2 c inside and sprinkle 1/4 c on top).
few drops of hot sauce
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
P.S. you will want to drain/squeeze if you use spinach, but with broccoli, it’s not needed
What other fruits would work? Raspberries are one fruit I don’t like much. I’m thinking bananas would get brown and weird. Strawberries? Or blueberries?
Yep, totally!! And I actually think bananas would be good–I’ve seen other recipes that use them. Just make sure they’re completely submerged and they should be fine (maybe not for the three days, but definitely overnight. :))
I use bananas often – usually when I have them leftover from making banana bread. I always eat them the next day, so I don’t know if they brown. I also use blueberries with maple syrup as a sweetener, and add greek yogurt and chia seeds for an extra healthy kick!! I eat this all the time!!!
I made this recipe with strawberries and almond milk, no salt and it was delicious. I ate mine cold bc i am usually in a hurry so i eat breakfast in the car or quickly at work. This is perfect!
I am not hip enough to like almond milk either, glad I am not the only one!
Looks yummy! It may say something about me though that I was most drawn to the picture of a scoop of brown sugar. Healthy
Brown sugar is my ultimate weakness, hahaha!
I actually do this with steel cut oats and I like the texture they bring. They can be pretty chewy though, so some tips are to just warm the milk mixture a little bit in the microwave before you add the oats and also to add a little wheat flour (like a tsp. for this sized batch, probably) because it has enzymes that help to break down the oats a little bit more (or so I’ve been told). With the steel cut oats, you can toss your serving in the microwave each morning and eat them warm as well (I’m not sure how rolled oats would hold up to the soaking plus heat). In the winter, I add chai spices to steep in there while it’s in the fridge…delicious. Sorry, that was a lot of unrelated information. I decided to start my own blog in your comments section; hope you don’t mind!
LOL!! Your cracking me up! Thanks for saying you do this with steel cut oats, I wanted to go make it, but steel cut is all I have on hand! Gonna try this now for breakfast tomorrow!