22/08/2019

Overnight Oats with Raspberries, Yogurt & Coconut

Name: Overnight Oats with Raspberries, Yogurt & Coconut
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 45 g rolled oats; 1 tbsp desiccated coconut; 1 tbsp chia seeds (optional); 100 ml plain full fat yogurt; 100 ml coconut milk; 1 tsp maple syrup, honey or other sweetener (optional); 80 g raspberries (fresh or frozen); 1 tbsp coconut shavings (optional); 1-2 tsp hemp hearts (optional)

Overnight Oats are a nutritious, easy breakfast. This creamy and tart, beautifully pink version with raspberries, yogurt, coconut and optional chia seeds will have you springing out of bed to enjoy it. Perfect whether you need a quick, healthy breakfast at home or a grab-and-go one to take to work.

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OVERNIGHT OATS

I first started making overnight oats when I worked in an office. Usually rushed for time in the morning and not fancying breakfast first thing, I would just grab a pot made the night before and take it with me to eat later. I’m home-based these days but still appreciate, after walking the dog, coming back to a healthy breakfast with zero work to do.

If you’ve never made them before, don’t worry that overnightoats are anything like cold porridge. Soaked in milk or yogurt with your chosen flavourings, plus a little sweetener if you like, in the morning they’re wonderfully creamy, not stodgy.

You can flavour the oats any way you like with spices such as cinnamon or add things like nuts, seeds, fresh or dried fruit. I sometimes even include vegetables: take a look at my Carrot Cake Overnight Oats here.

I’m mad on coconut, so until recently had been using just coconut milk to soak my oats. But since I started on my Homemade Yogurt I often incorporate some of that into the soaking liquid. Besides its nutritional benefits, I love the tangy element it brings.

I still use half coconut milk to soak the oats, as well as a tablespoon of desiccated coconut. But feel free to use any type or combination of milk and/or yogurt you fancy.

If I’m not having oats for breakfast, then quite often it will be Chia Pudding. To get a hint of that, I usually whisk a few chia seeds into my Overnight Oats too. But leave them out if you prefer.

FROZEN FRUIT

While it’s great to enjoy juicy, seasonal fruit such as cherries, peaches and plums, I’m also a fan of frozen fruits.

I especially like that there’s no waste as you just take out what you need. And, when you want something quick (like adding to Overnight Oats), I think the fact that there’s no prep to do is a real bonus.

I always keep a few bags of different fruits in the freezer and they will almost always include raspberries. I love their tartness and also the pretty pink colour they add to smoothies and breakfasts like this.

If you decide to use frozen raspberries instead of fresh, there’s no need to defrost them before incorporating into your oat mixture. Just stir them in and pop a lid on.

BREAKFAST IS READY

In the morning the fruit will be defrosted and you’ll have a wonderfully pink mixture. I take a fork and break up the bigger raspberries. That way you get lots of fruit in every mouthful, balancing the creamy, coconutty mixture with the fruit’s acidity.

All that’s left to do then is serve. I like to add a few extra goodies to the bowl, upping the coconut flavour with a sprinkle of coconut shavings. These also give some satisfying texture, as do a teaspoon or two of hemp hearts.

Whether you eat these Raspberry, Yogurt & Coconut Overnight Oats at home or put them in a pot to take to work, you’ll have a nutritious, satisfying breakfast that doesn’t take much longer than making boring old toast.

Better still, even the tiny bit of work needed is all done the night before.

If you like these Overnight Oats, try swapping in blueberries or strawberries.