Overnight Oats

Y'all. Let's chat about overnight oats. 

Oatmeal has always been one of those "tease" foods that I've tried at least twice a year to like because the idea is so comforting - thick, warm and hearty with a rustic appeal, but alas, they've never really pleased my palate. 

Until this morning. When I tried overnight oats for the first time. I'd read about them for weeks on my favorite fitness/health blog written, coincidentally by my favorite hot yoga instructor and former coworker, Peanut Butter Runner. Girlfriend looks incredible and feasts on overnight oats on the reg, but they just never held appeal. Last week, a fellow yogi and coworker had me try a bite of hers, and I knew I needed to try them for myself. And I did. This morning. And I rushed to my computer to blog about them after inhaling every last bite.

Here's the beauty of them: They are ridiculously easy to make, perfect to grab and go in the morning, versatile and incredibly delicious... Please do me and yourself a favor and try these pronto. I wanted to take a picture of them, but I couldn't put my spoon down long enough to snap one. They are eaten cold, and the possibilities for combinations are truly endless. 

Here is Peanut Butter Runner's recipe that I followed...

OVERNIGHT
1/3 cup oats
1 tablespoon chia seeds (or ground flax – for Omega 3s)... optional
1/3 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
1/3 cup almond milk (or soy or skim)

1/2 banana, diced (I love banana in my overnight oats – it also adds some natural sweetness to the mixture)
Handful of blueberries
Dried cranberries... optional
Cinnamon... optional

TOPPINGS
Almond, peanut, sunflower butter
Fresh fruit (peaches, strawberries, blueberries, etc – this can also be stirred into the overnight mixture!)
Jam (like Crofter’s)

Directions:

Mix together all of the “overnight” ingredients. Mixture will be soupy but remember it will thicken in the fridge as the oats absorb the liquid. Cover and place in fridge overnight (or at least 30 minutes)

In the morning, add desired toppings and enjoy!

Last night I mixed the oats, Greek yogurt, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1/2 banana and blueberries. And this morning I mixed in strawberries, a dollop of organic flax peanut butter (from Target, and seriously amazing), and a spoonful of organic sugarfree triple berry jam. Y'all. Y'all. I have no other words.