Overnight oats basic recipe – with our tips, the start of the day is easy and tasty. After all, do you know the problem when you just don't feel like making a healthy breakfast early in the morning, even before going to work – not even a quick Bircher Muesli? The first meal of the day is especially important to start with a lot of energy. The body needs a decent dose of energy after a long period of rest. After all, it consumes 50% of all calories while sleeping.
But what if you just don't have time? Overnight oats are the solution. Rejoice, because the shopping list for overnight oats is pleasantly short. With fruits, nuts, or spices, you can also add a personal touch to your breakfast and make it the way you want it. Overnight oats not only provide complex carbohydrates but also, depending on the variation, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
From seeds and dairy products to fruits and nuts, there are endless ways to prepare them. Due to the many fibers from the oats, you feel full for longer and thus avoid spontaneous cravings.
This in turn has a positive effect on your weight. Due to the long feeling of satiety, you also have a lower desire for snacks. In addition, the protein from the flakes helps to support the body's muscle building.
Overnight oats can not only be eaten for breakfast; the soaked oatmeal is also a great lunch snack. The container in which the oats are mixed is then simply closed well and put into the bag together with a spoon so that you can enjoy it on the go or in between.
The Overnight Oats Basic Recipe
It really couldn't be easier! All you need for the base are oatmeal and liquid. In a container, these ingredients are mixed together in a ratio of 1:2 and then placed in the refrigerator covered overnight. Of course, the ratio depends on how solid or liquid you want your oatmeal to be.
A normal portion of oatmeal is on average between 40 g and 60 g. For the liquid, milk (whether of animal or vegetable origin) or water is recommended, depending on how the taste should end up. But don't forget: toppings also come to add extra flavor to your meal.
Overnight Oats Basic Recipe – No Added Sugar
Prepare your overnight oats with our basic recipe and expand the ingredients to your personal liking. From fruity toppings to nuts and seeds to honey – try it out and find your favorite combination.
Overnight Oats Basic Recipe – No Added Sugar
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp oatmeal (approx. 45 g oatmeal) or Verival Overnight Oats
- 80 ml milk, water, or a plant-based alternative (e.g. milk from soy)
- Toppings of your choice: berries (blueberries, raspberries,...), nuts, nutmeg, dried or fresh fruits, bananas, apples, grated coconut,...
Preparation
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Water, milk, or a plant-based alternative comes together with the oatmeal in a glass and is stirred well.
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The mixture is put in the fridge overnight until the next morning or for at least 2 hours.
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Then stir well again and enjoy.
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If necessary, you can refine your overnight oats with toppings of your choice.
Tip
Nutritional values
When and how do I prepare overnight oats?
Overnight oats are oatmeal meals that require steeping time. The flakes are placed in the fridge overnight together with liquid such as milk, yoghurt, or water.
This allows the flakes to swell, absorb the taste of the liquid and develop a creamy consistency. The longer the swelling time, the creamier and more intense the taste of the porridge. It is best to prepare the overnight oats basic recipe the night before and let the oatmeal soak overnight.
Even morning muffle and those who have little time in the morning will love overnight oats. You can prepare several glasses of the fixed breakfast at once. All you have to do is take a few minutes: chop up the ingredients, put everything together in a screw jar or bowl and put it in the fridge. It will then do the rest. That's why it's called: healthy breakfast overnight.
The perfect breakfast – how do you get variety into the oats?
While some people start the day with their favorite breakfast every day, others quickly get bored with the same 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 flakes
You can get regular oatmeal in every supermarket and they are the classics for overnight oats. It is available as gritty or tender oatmeal. The only difference is that in the case of gritty oatmeal, the oatmeal remains whole, and in the case of tender oatmeal, it does not. However, if you want some variety or are generally not a fan of oatmeal, 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 taste. By the way, you can also mix nuts (e.g. walnuts or hazelnuts) into your overnight oats. Or you can grab Kamut flakes, also known as primeval cereals. You can even make a gluten-free version yourself with rice, quinoa, and millet flakes.
Your breakfast will get even more fiber if you also use seeds (e.g. flaxseed or chia seeds).
Miscellaneous Liquids
The liquid can also be replaced with different options to adapt 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 milk. Even water or juices are perfect for soaking overnight.
Overnight oats with yoghurt and curd
These two ingredients can be used in two different ways. On the one hand, you can use the quark or yoghurt as a substitute for the base liquid, so that you get a creamier consistency than in the above basic recipe.
On the other hand, it can also be used as a topping. Adding quark or yogurt automatically brings in extra protein.
Toppings
Apart from the flakes and the liquid, there is also the possibility to vary the toppings. Seeds are very high in fiber and stimulate digestion. These include flax, chia, or hemp seeds. They contain calcium, vitamins, iron, and protein.
Fruits such as apricots, fresh berries (e.g. blackberries or blueberries) can be chopped or pureed to be added to the porridge. By adding regional and seasonal fruits, the body is supplied with vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals, such as unsaturated fatty acids. Dried fruits like dates or raisins are also suitable as a topping.
Nuts and seeds give the soft porridge a particularly crispy touch. In addition, 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 extra sweetness and an intense taste. If you want it even sweeter, you can add a teaspoon of agave syrup or maple syrup. But make sure your breakfast doesn't get too sweet.
Our top tips: Try one of these 3 recipe ideas
Need ideas on how to creatively vary the basic recipe with toppings and other ingredients? Our recipe ideas will help you with that.
Our tips range from the absolute classic with Bircher muesli to chocolatey cocoa banana overnight oats to the unusual carrot cake variant. All recipes can be expanded with toppings of your choice. The cocoa banana overnight oats, for example, taste particularly good with crunchy cocoa nibs or creamy peanut butter.
Cocoa Banana Overnight Oats without Sugar
Ingredients
- 80 g cocoa banana sport porridge
- 140 ml milk or plant drink
- 1 tsp agave syrup or similar for sweetening (optional)
- Choice of toppings: bananas, berries, nuts, nutmeg, cocoa nibs, dried fruits
Preparation
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Pour water, milk, or a plant-based alternative into a glass together with the Verival Sport Porridge and stir well.
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Your mixture will be in the fridge overnight or for at least 2 hours. As a result, the mixture is properly soaked and gets its delicious consistency.
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The next day, take your overnight oats out of the fridge and stir them vigorously again.
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If necessary, you can refine your overnight oats with toppings of your choice.
Recipe: Bircher Muesli Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 50 g Bircher Porridge
- 120 ml (vegetable) milk or water
- Some nuts of your choice , e.g. pecans or almonds
- A little apple of your choice
Preparation
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Place the Bircher Porridge in a mason jar.
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Then add 120 ml of a liquid of your choice and mix the ingredients together well.
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Place the mason jar overnight or for a minimum of 3 hours in the fridge.
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Stir the porridge mixture well again before eating.
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When your overnight oats are nice and creamy, they're ready.
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Now you can refine your overnight oats with nuts of your choice, flaxseed, or chia seeds and an apple.
Tip
Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 50 g oatmeal
- 150 ml plant-based drink
- 1 grated carrot
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tsp cashew butter (optional)
Preparation
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Grate the carrot first and then put it in a jar, such as a mason jar.
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Then add the oatmeal, the plant drink, the cinnamon, the pinch of salt, and the cashew.
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Mix all the ingredients in the glass well and then put the overnight oats in the fridge overnight or for at least 3 hours.
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The next day, the oats and carrots have soaked up the liquid, and the overnight oats are now nice and creamy.
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You can then eat the overnight oats like this or refine them with various toppings. Nuts, in particular, go particularly well with the Carrot Cake Overnight Oats.
What are the benefits of overnight oats?
A big advantage of a healthy breakfast is its flexibility. With a few basic ingredients, varied and tasty breakfast variations can be created. Because the basic ingredients are oatmeal and liquid, all dietary preferences can be implemented.
If you eat vegan, simply replace milk or yogurt with almond milk or rice milk. Would you like to incorporate more fruit and fiber into your diet? Then do this. You just can't do without chocolate? As a topping or in the form of cocoa powder, it will also find its way into your breakfast.
Thanks to the uncomplicated preparation, the Overnight Oats basic recipe can be completed in a few free minutes and can then be cooked overnight.
Overnight oats offer even more advantages
- Long feeling of fullness: The complex carbohydrates in the oatmeal ensure a long feeling of fullness. They are only slowly broken down in the digestive process and therefore keep you full for longer.
- Energy booster: Overnight oats are not called "power breakfast" for nothing.
- Super healthy and super tasty: The topping options offered by overnight oats make the oatmeal a healthy and delicious breakfast.
- child-friendly: Preparing overnight oats is a real family activity. Since the healthy breakfast is prepared quickly and easily, this can also be done together with the children.
- varied: You can vary overnight oats as you like. For example, swap the milk for plant milk, the oats for another type of flake, and grab fruit that you like.
- quick and easy to prepare: prepare the evening before, let it taste one night in the fridge and the following morning. With Overnight Oats, nothing stands in the way of healthy eating even on stressful days.
- are ideal for meal prep: If you first want to eat your oatmeal in the office or for lunch, simply fill it into a sealable container when preparing it, and you will literally have a to-go glass ready that you can easily take with you to work.
- vegetarian or even vegan: Fresh fruit as a topping makes it easy to increase the proportion of plant-based foods. And for those who want to go one step further and do without animal products altogether, there is also a vegan alternative to cottage cheese, milk, and yogurt – the variety is great.
- cheap: At Verival, you will find a variety of high-quality basic products and toppings for your overnight oats. Oatmeal, pure grain flakes, or the flake base muesli with a mix of different flakes and seeds. You can save extra in the quantity discount. This way, you can easily eat healthy and still save on your weekly budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are overnight oats so healthy?
Due to the vitamins it contains, the unsaturated fatty acids, and the few calories, this snack is extremely healthy. In addition, the oatmeal provides 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. Due to the long feeling of satiety, you also have a lower desire for snacks. In addition, the protein from the flakes helps to support the body's muscle building.
What is the difference between overnight oats and porridge?
Overnight oats are made from the same oatmeal as porridge. They are, so to speak, the cold version of porridge. In Overnight Oats, the oatmeal is soaked in milk or water overnight and is said to swell overnight. This gives them a unique delicate melting consistency. You can refine both variants with the same toppings: nuts, fruit, seeds, ....
Can you also eat overnight oats in the evening?
Because of its precious nutrients, eating oats is very healthy both in the morning and in the evening. The high proportion of complex carbohydrates saturates for an above-average period of time, keeps blood sugar levels constant, and thus also reduces the likelihood of evening cravings, which we are all familiar with.
Why should you soak oatmeal overnight?
Soaking the flakes overnight reduces the content of phytic acid – and you can absorb more nutrients from the oats. Experts estimate that the nutrient yield increases by about 20 to 30 percent on average as a result of soaking.
Which is better oatmeal with milk or with water?
Basically, both are a good option. If the oatmeal is combined with milk, the body cannot absorb the iron contained in the oatmeal as well. The reason for this is that the calcium in the milk inhibits iron absorption.
What happens if you eat porridge every day?
The regular breakfast not only gets the digestion going well, but it also establishes a healthy rhythm. This helps to prevent bloating and constipation. Especially a warm oatmeal porridge is good for your belly, warms from the inside, and gives a pleasantly satiating feeling.
How much oatmeal can you eat per day?
300 grams of oatmeal is enough to meet the recommended daily requirement.
Are oatmeal also healthy when uncooked?
Oats are one of the healthiest cereals. If you include oatmeal in your diet, you are definitely doing something good for your body, whether you eat the flakes raw or cooked – both variants are good. However, the warm version is even more beneficial for the body and often much better digestible.
