I’M TERRIBLE ABOUT NOT MAKING TIME TO EAT BREAKFAST.
Call it classic mom syndrome: I take the time to feed my toddler breakfast, but usually, skip out on it myself. I can hear the grandmothers of the world shouting “breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” from here.It’s all about to change though because I’ve discovered the beauty of meal prep Overnight Oats. While I love my Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats, rolled oat oatmeal has never been my thing texturally.But pulling out a jar of creamy overnight oats infused with tropical goodness right out of the fridge? Yep, that’s my jam.
If you’re new to the world of overnight oats, let me be the one to tell you: It’s a revelation. I whip up batches in mason jars and it’s as easy as tossing the ingredients in them and kissing them goodnight. No stovetop cooking required, these meal prep wonders give you all the great benefits of an oatmeal breakfast without the fuss.
Now you can eat overnight oats warm or cold, but I prefer these right out of the fridge! The creamy homemade greek yogurt packs loads of protein and the oats and chia seeds keep you going until lunch. Don’t like pineapple of coconut? You can easily swap for another fruit and nut combo!
SOME OF MY FAVOURITE COMBOS:
Cherry Almond
Honey Walnut Raisin
Mango Coconut
You could also add a spoonful of your fave nut butter or Nutella, bananas or even do a carrot cake version with shredded carrot, raisins & cinnamon!
[click_to_tweet tweet=”Breakfast for the whole week sorted in 10 minutes? Pina Colada Overnight Oats for the win!” quote=”Breakfast for the whole week sorted in 10 minutes? Pina Colada Overnight Oats for the win!”]
The basic concept of Overnight Oats is to get the ratio of oats to moisture right. In this recipe, the moisture comes from the frozen fruit, the coconut water and the greek yogurt. If you are switching your flavourings around, you could swap out the coconut water for any sort of dairy or plant milk. Be mindful that if you aren’t using a particularly juicy fruit, you may need to add more moisture to get the consistency right. I do 1/2 cup of oats per jar, 1/3 cup coconut water, 1/3 cup fruit, 1/3 cup greek yogurt.
OVERNIGHT OATS RATIO: 1 part oats to 2 parts moisture
I find a half cup of oats per mason jar yields a full jar which is 2-3 portions depending on how hungry you are. I tend to whip up two jars at a time which gives me breakfast for the week and makes for easy meal prep.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND PLANT-BASED OPTIONS: Most Overnight Oats recipes call for greek yogurt and some sort of milk. I’ve already taken the first step to plant-based by using coconut water in this recipe, and have been known to use plain old filtered water if I don’t have coconut water on hand. You could use cows milk, almond milk, or if you’re wanting to get a bit more fat in the recipe you could use coconut milk. I wouldn’t suggest oat milk, purely due to the fact that is can be a bit slimy and there is already an abundance of oats here 😉
Along a similar vein, if you wanted to substitute a coconut or soy yogurt, I would consider that often they aren’t as thick in texture as traditional greek yogurt, so I would cut back on the liquids a touch to reflect that.
Lastly, honey is used as a sweetener in this recipe, but maple syrup or agave would work just as well.
A super simple, tropically infused pineapple and coconut overnight oats recipe packed full of flavour and good for you ingredients
Ingredients
1 CUP Instant Oats
2 TBSP Chia Seeds
1 CUP Coconut Water
1 CUP Frozen pineapple
2 TBSP Honey
½ CUP Greek Yogurt
½ CUP Shredded Coconut
Instructions
1. Put pineapple, yogurt, coconut water and honey in a blender and puree until smooth2. If using mason jars, divide oats ½ cup in each3. Divide coconut ¼ cup in each jar4. Divide pineapple mixture equally between jars5. put 1 tbsp of chia seeds in each jar. 6. Still well so ingredients are well dispersed in the jar, seal with a lid and put in the fridge overnight or at least 8 hours.
Notes
I used two 500ml mason jars for this recipe, but you could easily make individual servings in smaller jars.
For the purpose of photography aesthetic, I kept the yogurt and pineapple layers separate, but they end up getting mixed anyways so it's easier to blend the yogurt with the pineapple, honey and coconut water in the first step.
It's important to stir the jars up well before refrigerating so the chia seeds can disperse and do their job.
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Whether you prefer whole milk, rice milk or coconut milk, you can use it. Just make sure to add twice as much milk as oats. Note: You can also use whey, buttermilk or thinned yogurt for a tangier flavor.
Overnight oats can last up to five days in the fridge before becoming soggy and gross. Thankfully, that's the perfect amount to get you through the workweek. You can either make a big batch and store it in an airtight container, or split your oats into five small containers for convenience in the morning.
We recommend storing overnight oats in the refrigerator in airtight containers for up to five days. That means if you're meal-prepping on Sunday, you can make a work week's worth of overnight oats and not have to think about breakfast again until Saturday.
Overnight oats is a true power breakfast that provides plenty of strength and energy. This is because of its high natural protein and fiber content that stimulate metabolism. They're complex carbohydrates break down slowly and keep you full for longer.
A bowl of overnight oats might help to strengthen your immune system. The inclusion of beta-glucan in oats aids in increasing the activity of our body's white blood cells (WBCs), which are responsible for defending us from sickness. Because oats are high in zinc and selenium, they help fight infections.
Overnight oats are perfectly safe to be eaten every day. You may even eat them every morning if you like. However, some say that they feel oats give them digestive issues; overnight oats are not unsafe for those without medical conditions that affect digestion.
Chia seeds thicken the mixture as it sits, and they offer a healthy dose of fiber and omega-3 fats. Store these oats in individual airtight containers (like a mason jar) for an easy breakfast on the go.
Since overnight oats have made their way on the scene, they have been traditionally eaten cold. You simply take old-fashioned oats (rolled oats), milk, fixings (fruit, nuts, seeds, a sweetener), and mix it all together. Then store in the fridge overnight (hence overnight oats) to enjoy in the morning---cold.
But, anything from whole to skim milk works, or a non-dairy option like soy milk, almond milk, or another option that you prefer. Here you can see (on the right) the more soupy-liquid version is the overnight oats before they have soaked overnight.
Overnight oats offer a range of health benefits, due to their rich fibre and protein content. They also contain a number of vitamins and minerals, some of which include manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. This makes overnight oats healthy for your gut, as well as for overall health and well-being.
They provide sustained energy and can help keep you full throughout the morning. Oats are particularly rich in soluble fibre, specifically beta-glucans, which can help lower cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar levels. Fibre also supports digestive health.
The intensity of heat while cooking is the contributing factor, lower the heat better the nutrient availability. When you soak the oats overnight, it's almost like you're cooking them, but the process is much longer and slower, and it's done without heat. Hence, it is more nutrient rich than cooked version.
Greek yogurt: Not only does Greek yogurt make overnight oats more filling, but it also gives the oats a super-creamy texture. To make the oats vegan, swap in an equal amount of your favorite dairy-free yogurt. Chia seeds: While chia seeds are an optional ingredient, they add a boost of fiber, protein, and omega-3's.
But, anything from whole to skim milk works, or a non-dairy option like soy milk, almond milk, or another option that you prefer. Here you can see (on the right) the more soupy-liquid version is the overnight oats before they have soaked overnight.
Introduction: My name is Arielle Torp, I am a comfortable, kind, zealous, lovely, jolly, colorful, adventurous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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