Ahh, fall! I love pulling out my sweaters, adding pumpkin spice to everything, twirling in the falling leaves, and waking up to brisk mornings. However, as soon as September hits, my go-to weekday breakfast – a cold smoothie or fruit and yogurt parfait – just don’t cut it. Instead, I crave warm, spiced, comforting breakfasts like oatmeal. Can you blame me?
Unfortunately, oatmeal for breakfast isn’t always as simple or quick to make as a smoothie or parfait. If it’s an on-the-go oatmeal you’re looking for, it typically comes in a tiny packet full of sugar, preservatives, and artificial flavors. Or, if you like to make it from scratch in the morning, oatmeal can take 15-20 minutes to prep and cook on the stovetop, which, let’s be honest, no one has time for on a busy weekday morning.
Enter: overnight oats! I made this recipe for 2 years straight while working a nine to five seven desk job in PR and I never got sick of it. Now that I’m back in grad school, this recipe still saves the day on busy mornings before class or volunteering, so I just had to include it as one of my first and favorite recipes.
Made with simple and wholesome ingredients, these overnight oats could not be easier to prep, or a better option to fill you up first thing in the morning. The whole oats, hemp hearts, and chia seeds provide 10g of protein and 7g of fiber to keep you fuller for longer – a serious bonus when you’re too busy to stop and eat a midmorning snack. You can also check off one of your daily servings of fruit thanks to the blueberries which also offer memory-boosting antioxidants. The cinnamon gives you a hint of flavor and sweetness so you can skip the added sugar, and cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant, helps regulate blood sugar, and has anti-inflammatory properties.
I usually make a batch of three 8oz mason jars on Sunday night and have breakfast in the bag for the first half of the week. Then, every morning, I just put a jar in my backpack, pop it in the microwave at the library, and pour the overnight oats into a bowl or eat straight from the jar. It can also be eaten cold or at room temperature like a chia pudding. Cheers to fall!
- 1⁄4 cup organic whole rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
- 1⁄2 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 dash cinnamon
- 1⁄2 cup skim milk (can substitute coconut, almond or soy milk)
- Into an 8oz mason jar, pour the oats, chia seeds, hemp seeds, blueberries, cinnamon and milk.
- Close lid tightly and shake gently.
- Place in refrigerator overnight or up to 3 days.
- When ready to eat, pour into bowl and microwave for 2 minutes, or eat chilled like a chia pudding.