Monday, August 6, 2012

Maple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

I hate breakfast. Well, not really; I hate the effort to make breakfast on workday mornings. It's bad enough I have to get dressed and shower- I'm supposed to COOK too??

I used to get sick if I ate too soon, but I actually have a morning appetite since cutting out most meat in favor of meat-free protiens and adding back in more complex carbs. So, what's a hungry, unmotivated-to-cook girl to do?

Overnight oats. Instead of boiling the oats and eating them hot, you let them soak in liquid and your seasonings overnight. They're light, tender and you exert no more effort in the morning other than cutting a bit of fruit if you want. I've experimented for a few days on this, and here's my favorite version. I use real Maple Syrup (I like Grade B- it's richer in taste and cheaper. Score.) good Cinnamon and fresh Nutmeg here. Good ingredients make a difference!

You'll need:

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup milk (3/4 cup if using Greek Yogurt)
1/2 plain, unsweetend yogurt
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash salt

  1. In a regular soup or cereal bowl, combine all the ingredients.
  2. Cover and chill overnight. 
  3. Serve with fruit or whatever you'd like!
Stupidly easy. It takes me all of 3 minutes to get this whipped up after dinner. It's fast and very customizable. Basically, the 1/2 cup each formula of milk, yogurt and oats works the best for me. You can season and sweeten however you'd like! Just please use the dash of salt. Bland oats will destroy us all.