Part 1 - Soaking
Prep time: 10 minutes
Clean up time: 5 minutes

Part 2 - Blending
Prep time: 15 minutes
Clean up time: 5 minutes
Serves: 5
Stored in fridge for 5 days

Mornings are usually a frazzled scramble in our house, rushing to get everyone fed and out the door on time. I really enjoy having porridge for breakfast but on weeks that are particularly busy, making a batch of overnight oats makes mornings just that much easier. They are also super nourishing and delicious, resembling something between porridge and a smoothie. Topped with fresh fruit, it’s almost like dessert for breakfast, now that’s what I call winning!

Joey’s Nourishing Overnight Oats

- based on Griff Whalen’s Overnight Oats

INGREDIENTS

3 3/4 cups of rolled oats
4 cups oat milk (or other plant-based milk)
3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons cacao powder
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
5-10 dates (soaked - see tips)

INSTRUCTIONS

Part 1 - Soaking

-Place the dates in a bowl and cover with water.

-Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine.

-Add the oat milk to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

-Cover both the soaking dates and oat mixture and place in the fridge overnight.

Part 2 - Blending

-Removed soaked dates and oat mixture from the fridge.

-Spoon half of your oat mixture into a blender.

-Add half of the dates to the blender - if the mixture is quite dry add a few tablespoons of the date water.

-Blend until mixture is smooth. You may need to use the blender damper to push down the mixture until it blends easily.

-Transfer the blended mixture to glass jars or containers that will be stored in the fridge. (This half of the mixture should equal two and half servings.)

-Add the remaining oat mixture and dates to the blender (no need to wash or rinse in-between) and blend until smooth.

-Pour into the remaining jars/containers for a total of five servings of overnight oats.

-Each morning top with fresh chopped fruit and enjoy a quick, easy, nourishing breakfast.

Ingredient Tips:

- The great thing about this recipe is it really doesn’t matter what you put in with the oats. Not a fan of sunflower seeds? Try a different nut or seed that you prefer. I’ve tried various combinations and this is the version I like the most.

- I find having a base of 3/4 cup of oats per serve makes for a fulfilling breakfast but isn’t too much. When I was nursing Jensen more regularly I used 1 cup of oats per serve. Just like the ingredients you can experiment with the amount to create the perfect breakfast that suits you.

- I usually use oat milk but any plant-based milk will work. When I made this batch for the recipe breakdown the supermarket only had coconut milk. It added another layer of flavour which I quite enjoyed.

- I don’t use a lot of salt in my diet and tried this recipe without the salt and it tasted really bland. The original recipe calls for two teaspoons of salt which I found totally overpowering. 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt is enough to bring out the chocolate flavour of the cacao which could be argued is the best part of the recipe!

-The original recipe only allowed for one date per serve but they were using medjool dates. These are ridiculously expensive in New Zealand so I use regular dates. They aren’t as large or soft as medjool dates, which is why I soak them, and this makes them easier to blend. Two regular dates per serve works out about the same as one medjool date. You could use more or less depending on how sweet you would like the oats. I use 10 dates and soak them separately so I can make sure each half of the blended mixture has the right amount of dates mixed in. The oats still aren’t that sweet but adding fresh chopped fruit enhances the flavour and sweetness. You could also add some liquid natural sweetener like maple or rice malt syrup.

Preparation & Clean Up Tips:

-I usually make my oat mixture on a Saturday and blend it up on a Sunday ready for the week. You could also prepare the mixture on Sunday morning and blend that evening, or even the next day if you have a bit of time on a Monday morning to finish preparing. I was unsure at first how the oats would taste five days later, but they tasted even better as the flavours had more time to infuse with each other (another added bonus of plant-based food, it lasts so much longer in the fridge!).

-The first time I made these I blended the entire mixture up in one go and overheated my blender! It’s much easier to do it in two batches and also makes for a smoother finish as the blender isn’t working so hard.

-I save most jars we buy and have a collection of small ones that are perfect for storing overnight oats. It would be great to have a jar or container with a slightly wider mouth so I don’t need to spoon the oats into a bowl each morning. That would mean even less dishes which is the name of the game for me!

Nourishment

These overnight oats really cover all the bases in nourishment for the start of your day.

Oats - Oats and oat milk are a great source of fibre, protein, magnesium, zinc and iron.

Sunflower seeds - Are a great source of polyunsaturated fats, especially for infants and children. They also contain Vitamin E, selenium, fibre and iron.

Chia Seeds - Are also a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids and are packed with loads of other nutrients including fibre, protein and calcium. Chia seeds have a particularly high nutrient content for the amount of calories consumed.

Cacao - is a true super food and contains antioxidants, flavonoids, fibre, magnesium, calcium and iron. Although cacao doesn’t contain caffeine it does contain stimulating compounds, so may not be suitable for very small children. It could easily be substituted for carob.

Dates - are a great natural sweetener and come packed with other nutritional goodies. They are super high in fibre, contain antioxidants, and are a great source of vitamins and minerals including potassium, niacin, and iron.

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or health professional. I have completed a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell and have done in-depth research about plant-based living. The information I trust is mostly sourced from medical professionals that are leading the way in this plant-based revolution. Check out my recommended page for more info.