Strawberry Overnight Oatmeal

Strawberry Overnight Oatmeal is the healthy, socially acceptable way to have strawberry shortcake for breakfast.

A nutritious meal so rich and creamy that you might actually forget that you aren’t eating dessert, this east Strawberry Overnight Oat recipe will fuel your all morning long.

This is one of those great breakfasts that you can prep ahead of time. Make up a big batch and keep it in the fridge all week for a grab and go breakfast. It can be eaten right out of the fridge, at room temperature, or warmed up with a splash of milk.

Secret to Making Strawberry Overnight Oats

Strawberries are a tricky ingredient when it comes to overnight oats. They can disintegrate and get really mushy when they soak overnight with the oats. For that reason, I like to add strawberry jam to the oats to infuse it with delicious strawberry flavor. Then add the fresh strawberries right before serving, 

What is Overnight Oatmeal?

Overnight oatmeal is exactly as it says in the name – oatmeal that is made overnight – and no, I’m not talking about putting it in the slow cooker and leaving it there!

Overnight oatmeal is made through a process called cold soaking in which you leave your oats and everything that will flavor them in a base liquid to soak for many hours, during which time the oats will “cook” by soaking up all the liquid – in this particular case, we’re going to be using unsweetened almond milk, though you can use the liquid of your preference (even water) – and then the oatmeal sits in the fridge overnight soaking up the milk, and all that wonderful fruit juice and jam!

The result is an amazingly deep flavor that gets into every bite of your oatmeal. It also means softened oats that are ready to eat without any cooking.

Are overnight oats filling?

If you’re looking for a solid meal that will fuel your body for the day ahead, then overnight oatmeal is a great option! Incredibly filling thanks to all the fiber and whole grains. Plus it is relatively low in calories to boot, making oats a quality that makes oatmeal a powerful tool for weight loss!

So the answer is an emphatic yes – overnight oatmeal is most definitely filling, making it hands down the perfect option if you know you’re going to have a late lunch or you have to skip it altogether.

Just keep in mind how filling it is when you decide how big of a portion to have since my eyes are always way bigger than my stomach when oatmeal is involved!

Tips for Perfect Oats

Leave Some Fruit and Nuts Out: If the overnight oats recipe you’re using calls for fruit or oats, then consider leaving some – if not all – of them out to add in the morning, since the fruit and nuts will soak up some of the almond milk to make them soft and mushy. Leaving some or all of them out will allow you to enjoy their texture!

Stir Your Oatmeal Well: Be sure that all ingredients in your oatmeal are well stirred before you leave it to rest in the fridge, as this will ensure the milk and sweeteners reach every oat in the jar. Then, before you eat it, give the oatmeal another stir to once more make sure that everything is evenly distributed.

Use the Right Oats: The success of your overnight oats will begin with the oats themselves, as only the right oats will make overnight oatmeal of a consistency worth eating – the instant oats that you would typically buy to make oatmeal with definitely won’t work in this instance, as the oats will suck up all the liquid and your oatmeal will come out the consistency of gluey concrete.

Instead, look for rolled oats; some brands have even started marketing overnight oats as their own thing, though they’re really just rolled oats.

Add Some Creaminess: If you want your oatmeal to be even creamier than it would be with almond milk alone, consider adding some yogurt - Greek yogurt is my go-to, but any yogurt will work.

Making Flavor Substitutions

This overnight oatmeal is possibly the easiest to change up of them all – just switch the strawberries for another berry or fruit, and you’re done! You can leave the strawberry jam or change it to just about any other jam you can find; however, I don’t recommend using marmalade or jelly, as the consistency can be off-putting when mixed in with your oats.

Other Overnight Oatmeal Recipes

• Pumpkin Spice Overnight Oats
• Blueberry Overnight Oatmeal
• Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oatmeal
• Vanilla Latte Overnight Oatmeal
• Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oatmeal