These blueberry vanilla overnight oats are my go-to breakfast to bring to work — they take just a couple of minutes to throw together and taste so much better than boring oatmeal. A little bit of maple syrup makes them taste like a treat, without any of the added sugars or artificial sweeteners that you’ll find in a lot of packaged options. As a whole-grain food, oats are a great source of protein, fiber and a bunch of other nutrients, plus you get an extra boost from chia seeds (see my Super Seeds post). If you find yourself desperately thinking about lunch at 10 am, you need these oats!
I use frozen blueberries because they’re easy to always keep on hand and you can throw them straight in. And I think wild blueberries add the perfect little sweet-and-tart bite, plus they pack in twice as many antioxidants as regular blueberries, but you can use either kind.
For those who are new to overnight oats, the ‘technique’ basically just takes the hassle out of traditional oatmeal. After soaking for several hours (or even less — see my note below in the recipe), the oats become nice and soft — but not mushy! — and they’re tasty either cold or warmed up. By the way, after about a year of making regular oatmeal everyday at work and having it boil over/explode in the microwave half the time, carrying a scalding hot bowl back to my desk, etc., I’ve fully converted. So get ready for lots of O.O. recipes!
Buying Oats
I’ve found that Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats have more protein (7 grams) and fiber (5 grams) than others, so I buy them in bulk on Amazon (of course). But any kind of old fashioned oats will work; I wouldn’t use quick oats, which are more processed, because the texture probably won’t be the same. I’d recommend organic to avoid any risk of pesticide residue, especially since it should be easy to find at a pretty low price.
Slightly sweetened with maple syrup and topped with some crunchy toasted nuts, this is the most satisfying, easy desk breakfast around.
Wild Blueberry Vanilla Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (I like Bob's Red Mill Organic)
- 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries (or regular)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla protein powder*
- 1/2-1 tsp pure maple syrup (or honey)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Optional toppings:
- toasted nuts, drizzle of nut butter, dollop of yogurt, flax or hemp seeds, other fresh fruit
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a small (approx. 2-cup) container and refrigerate overnight**. Add toppings and enjoy cold or warmed up for 1-2 minutes in the microwave. They'll also keep in the fridge for an extra day or two.
- To toast nuts: Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add raw unsalted nuts of choice (I like walnuts, slivered almonds and pecans) in a single layer and cook for 4-6 minutes, shaking the pan a few times, or until toasted to your liking. Don't walk away - they'll burn! I keep nuts in the freezer and toast them in batches for max freshness.
Notes
Nick A
I love this recipe! I make it every day now. One fun thing I did was used mixed berries instead of just blueberries! Thanks for sharing, Chef!
Siobhan
Woohoo welcome to the oats club!!
cameron
so easy to make and yummy! i’ve used both honey and maple syrup— prefer with maple and heated up. a perfect start to the day, and keeps me full through teaching all morning. thanks, chef shiv!
Siobhan
Woo! So glad to hear!
Mila
Great start to my morning! Delicious and filling. I used fresh blueberries instead of frozen. The oats didn’t get that rich purple color, but it still tasted great!
Jan
This is so easy and delish! Not sure how healthy it is, but I added blackstrap molasses, instead of the maple syrup.
Siobhan
I do that sometimes too! I have a gingerbread oats recipe with molasses that I’ll share soon.