We just had our first day of school. The kids were up by 6:30 AM … and so was I. Coffee creamed, homemade waffles waffled, children tucked into a carefully set table with real plates and forks. I was feeling like I’d hit my mommy groove. It seemed this year was off to a rocking start.
Until the second day of school. Kids slept in … and so did I. Cold bowls of cereal were haphazardly smudged across the kitchen as we tried to do hair, pack backpacks, and make it to the bus on time. It was a reminder that no matter how together I want to have it, wicked-fast mornings happen. And the best way for me to counteract them is to be prepared. And preparing breakfast before the chaos of school day mornings is a total game-changer.
The next day after school (yes, they finally made it), we stirred together a big batch of Overnight Oats. Ever made them? They’re divine!
The idea behind this quick-and-easy, no-bake recipe is that you stir together oats, coconut milk, and a few other ingredients, then leave it all in the fridge overnight. The oats soak up the flavor and soften. Then, add your fave topping and you’ve got a fast, healthy, filling breakfast ready to eat in an instant. You can make a big batch of oats in mason jars at the beginning of the week, then store in the fridge for up to five days.
With this idea, you can stir together a basic ingredient for vanilla-scented Cake Batter Oats, upgrading in less than two minutes with any number of customized flavors — from Strawberry Shortcake to Blueberry Muffin. If you love eating something different for breakfast every day, adding flavors to your Overnight Oats is a fun way to offer variation without adding prep time.
The bottom shelf of our fridge is now full of 20 mason jars filled with overnight oats. Total time to make an entire week of breakfasts? About 30 minutes. Can’t beat that!
Tomorrow, whether we wake up on time or happen to hit the snooze button one too many times, I’m delighted to know we’ll all have time to eat a delish, healthy, homemade breakfast.
Ready to stir up some of your own? Here’s how easy it is to make a batch (or five!) for your house:
Cake Batter Overnight Oats
Makes: 1 mason jar-sized serving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours, 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch cinnamon
Special equipment: 1 pint mason jar
Directions:
Stir all ingredients together in a pint-sized mason jar. If desired, stir in additional mix-ins (below) to flavor your oatmeal. Cover with lid and store in fridge overnight.
In the morning, top with your favorite fresh, diced fruit. Serve and enjoy!
Optional Flavor Mix-Ins:
Strawberry Shortcake: Stir 1/4 cup fresh diced strawberries (or 2 tablespoons strawberry jam) into the recipe above. To serve, top with 1/3 cup fresh diced strawberries.
Orange Roll: Stir 1/4 cup mandarin oranges (or 2 tablespoons orange marmalade) into the recipe above. To serve, top with 1/3 cup mandarin oranges.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake: Stir 1/4 cup fresh or canned diced pineapple into the recipe above. To serve, top with 1/3 cup fresh or canned diced pineapple.
Kiwi Colada: Stir 1 diced kiwi and 2 tablespoons toasted coconut flakes into the recipe above. To serve, top with 1 fresh diced kiwi.
Blueberry Muffin: Stir 1/4 cup fresh blueberries (or 2 tablespoons blueberry pie filling) into the recipe above. To serve, top with 1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries.