Overnight oats are the easiest breakfast ever. Just mix oats and water in a jar and pop it in the microwave the next day. Make a week’s worth of breakfast in about five minutes.
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There’s a certain beauty in discovering a shortcut that’s both convenient and just as good – if not better – than the original.
Overnight oats, on the other hand, require only you Mix the oatmeal with water and let them hang together in the fridge overnight. A minute or two in the microwave the next morning and you’re good to go. For a non-morning person like me, this is groundbreaking.
Discover the best overnight oats ever
I would never have tried overnight oats if I hadn’t stopped for breakfast on my last homecoming at the Brick Oven Bakery in Northfield, Minnesota. Full Disclosure: The bakery is owned by my father, who is primarily invested in supplying the Minnesotans masses with artisanal sourdough loaves, but has recently been persuaded to add a few more breakfast items to his menu.
This bowl of oatmeal was so perfectly creamy and flavorful, I dragged my dad and his chef out of the back room to tell me how they made it. They rattled off their ingredients (oatmeal, water, some toppings) and their basic method (simmer until done), none of which seemed to explain why my bowl of oatmeal was so damn good.
Just as I was stunned, the chef said, “Oh, and we soak the oats overnight.“Bingo.
Soaking overnight gives the oats time to absorb their cooking liquid, be it water or milk. Since they are already fully saturated with liquid, all you have to do is heat them.
Actually, You don’t even have to heat them if you don’t want to; After soaking, the raw grains are deliciously chewy and make a great cold breakfast on a hot day.
I also find that soaking overnight helps the grains cook more evenly, resulting in the creamy, smooth texture that made me fall in love with my bowl of oatmeal in the Brick Oven.
A portion of overnight oats!
Another bonus, if you make oatmeal this way, you can only make a single batch of oatmeal at a time. Since it’s usually just me eating breakfast by myself and I’m not a fan of reheating oatmeal from a large batch, I really appreciate it!
Steel cut oats or old fashioned oats?
Both steel-cut oats and old-fashioned rolled oats work well with this method (and with the same liquid-to-oat ratios). Use what you prefer.
How to make the best overnight oats
Overnight oats are nothing new on the internet and I’m certainly not alone in my enthusiasm for them. Do a quick search on Pinterest and you’ll find enough oatmeal inspiration to last a decade of breakfast.
To decide on the best method, I tested the oats with various oat-to-water ratios, with various liquids in place of the water, with both steel-cut and regular old-fashioned rolled oats, and after varying soaking times.
In the end I decided that the simplest method is also the best:
- Ratio of 1/4 cup oats (steel cut or old fashioned) to 1/2 cup water
- Soak overnight
- About a minute in the microwave
This has become my new standard for a good bowl of oatmeal.
Swaps & Substitutions for Overnight Oats
- exchange milk: Milk, almond milk, or any other milk definitely works in place of water, but I found that the oatmeal stayed chewy after soaking and less deliciously creamy after cooking. Personally, I prefer soaking in water and then stirring a splash of milk or a spoonful of yogurt into the oatmeal after cooking.
- Play with the water to oat ratio. I found 1/2 cup of water was perfect for making a fairly thick, sturdy bowl of oatmeal. Adding up to 3/4 cup of water will result in a fluffier, softer, and mushy bowl of oatmeal. A cup of liquid felt like too much, although that could be nice if you want something you can easily sip with one hand on your commute.
How to avoid microwave bubbles
The only tricky moment with this recipe comes towards the end of cooking. The liquid needs to be very hot, almost boiling, for the oatmeal to thicken and become creamy, but once the liquid is fully boiling in the microwave, the oats can easily rise and spill out of the container you’re using.
To avoid this, especially the first few times you make oatmeal, do the following:
- Use a clear container that will hold at least twice the amount of oatmeal you are preparing (like a little mason jar)
- Watch as you microwave the oats with an eagle eye. If you see signs that the oats are beginning to bubble, stop microwaving immediately.
If you’ve done this a few times in the same microwave, you’ll have a good idea of exactly when the oats are done and possibly starting to bubble. In my microwave I have found that 1 minute and 20 seconds in my microwave is perfect. Yours could be a little less or a little more.
The oats may still look a little fluffy and watery straight out of the microwave – that’s okay. Let them sit for a few minutes and they will thicken.
Last but not least, stack any toppings with your oatmeal and dig in!
The best toppings for overnight oats
In my opinion, 99% of oatmeal is about the delicious toppings you stir into your bowl. Here are some popular suggestions:
- sweeteners: Brown sugar, maple syrup, honey or other sweeteners
- dried fruitsuch as dried cherries, cranberries or figs
- Fresh fruitsuch as raspberries, blueberries, bananas, apples or pears
- Chopped nutssuch as pecans, pistachios, walnuts or almonds
- Splash of milk, cream, creme fraiche or yoghurt
Notes on batch cooking:
- Prepare breakfast for a week: The following recipe makes a single serving of oatmeal. I often make several individual servings in mason jars and refrigerate them for a quick breakfast later in the week. The oat flakes soaked in their liquid can be kept refrigerated for at least 5 days.
- Larger batches: Scale up the ingredients to the number of servings you wish to make (minimum 4 or more servings) and mix in a large container. Refrigerate overnight, stirring a few times whenever you remember. The next morning, add oatmeal and liquid to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until creamy and cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Cooking on the stove: It’s difficult to cook a single batch of oatmeal on the stovetop. If you prefer to cook on the stovetop rather than in the microwave, I recommend making at least four servings at a time. Follow Larger Batches instructions above.
Do you love oatmeal? Try these recipes!
- How to make the best oatmeal
- Pressure Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
- Oatmeal chia mug to go
- Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes
- Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins
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Check out this recipe for overnight oats
Easy overnight oats
This recipe makes a single serving. You can make several single servings in mason jars and keep them in the fridge for a quick breakfast later in the week. Rolled oats soaked in their liquid can be kept refrigerated for up to 5 days.
To make a large batch of overnight oats: Scale the ingredients for the number of servings you want to make and combine in a large container. Refrigerate overnight, stirring a few times whenever you remember. The next morning, add oatmeal and liquid to a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until creamy and cooked through.
ingredients
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1/4 Cup steel-cut oats or old-fashioned oatmeal (not instant oatmeal; use gluten-free oatmeal if needed)
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1/2 to 3/4 Cup waternon-dairy milk or milk
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prize Salt
To serve – pick a few!
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Brown sugarmaple syrup, honey or other sweeteners
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dried fruitsuch as dried cherries, cranberries or figs
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Fresh fruitsuch as raspberries, blueberries, bananas, apples or pears
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Chopped nutssuch as pecans, pistachios, walnuts or almonds
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splashes of milkCrème fraîche or yoghurt
method
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Combine oatmeal, water, and salt in a glass:
Use 1/2 cup water for thick, spoonable oats or 3/4 cup for softer, mushy oats. (You can also stir in liquid later to thin it out, so don’t add too much here.) Secure the lid and swirl the contents a few times to soften the oatmeal.
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Pack your toppings:
Combine a handful of choice oatmeal toppings in a small container. (If you make multiple servings for breakfast during the weekday, wait until the evening before you want to eat the oatmeal to assemble the toppings.)
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Store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 5 days.
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Microwave the oatmeal:
Remove the lid from the container and set aside. If desired, place the rolled oats and their soaking liquid in a separate microwave-safe bowl. Place the container on a microwave-safe plate (to catch accidental spills) and place in the microwave.
Microwave on high power for 30 seconds, then remove the oatmeal and stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds, then remove and stir again. If the liquid is not quite hot, heat for an additional 15 to 30 seconds, or as needed, until the liquid is very hot. Cooking time may vary from microwave to microwave; In my microwave, the total cooking time of 1 minute and 20 seconds was perfect.
Be very vigilant when heating in the microwave for more than 1 minute. The liquid will begin to foam and flow out of the container as it begins to boil. Be especially careful with smaller containers.
At this point, the oats probably won’t look quite like rolled oats yet; There will still be a thin layer of frothy liquid on top of the oats. That’s fine.
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Let the oatmeal sit for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken:
After letting them sit for a few minutes, stir the oatmeal. The oatmeal should get thick and creamy as you stir. If it still seems runnier than you’d like, microwave it for another 15 to 30 seconds, but Be very alert for foamy liquid.
If the oats seem too stiff and thick, stir in a splash of milk, water, or other liquid to loosen them up again.
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Stir in toppings and serve.
Enjoy!
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 152 | calories |
| 3g | Fat |
| 27g | carbohydrates |
| 5g | protein |
