The flavors of fall are definitely very unique. Pumpkin, caramel, spices, and cranberries come to mind. Oh, and don’t forget the indulgent Thanksgiving Day feast! Now, I’m salivating. However, I do tend to feel that fall foods are very heavy, filling, and quite literally leave me bloated. This fall, let's shift gears to more healthy foods. The word “healthy” carries a bad rep, but I’m here to assure you that just because something is healthy doesn’t mean that it is so because it sacrificed flavor.  

I present to you my family’s version of overnight oats!  

If you’re new to the whole healthy food thing, let me first explain to you what overnight oats are. Basically, it is a simple grab-and-go healthy breakfast food option that consists of a base made up of rolled oats, almond milk, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, and maple syrup. This is all thrown into a cute little mason jar, shaken, and placed in the fridge to expand overnight. No cooking, baking, or dirtying the kitchen here! The next morning, you simply add fruits/nuts/spices as topping and you’re ready to go. Overnight Oats are not only a nutritious breakfast food alternative, but it is equally as filling as the typical eggs, protein, and toast. It is also incredibly customizable, thus satisfies any and all cravings. It also just tastes so good.  

Here are some benefits to overnight oats:  

  1. First and foremost, overnight oats are super simple to make and cheap too. Preparation for this takes a maximum of 5 minutes! Considering I just like to roll out of bed in the mornings and not cook a five-course meal, this is my go-to breakfast in college. Plus, I'm a broke college student so cheers to ballin' on a budget! 
  1. Oats contain a huge variety of vitamins and minerals, as well as are rich in protein, antioxidants, and fiber. The fiber makes you feel full longer thus promoting weight loss and the antioxidants may help lower blood pressure levels. All of this comes together to support a happy and healthy gut! 
  2. Overnight oats contain a large amount of resistant starch, which is a natural carb that helps with digestion, weight loss, and increasing feelings of fullness, among other things. Because overnight oats are a cooled starchy food, they have a higher amount of this lifesaving-resistant starch as opposed to cooked or baked foods. 
  3. Oats are very easy to digest because soaking overnight speeds up the breaking down of starches and reduces phytic acid. Perfect for people who are gluten-free, have irritable bowel syndrome, or any other digestion problem! 

Now that I’ve piqued your interest, let’s get shaking! 

Here’s the recipe! I hope you enjoy! 

First off, let’s list the ingredients. You’re going to need:

  1. Rolled oats
  2. Almond milk
  3. Greek yogurt
  4. Maple syrup
  5. Chia seeds
  6. Two 14 oz mason jars (this recipe shows measurements of one so you can make however many you want)
  7. Measuring cups and spoons
  8. Your choice of topping

For this particular fall-themed recipe, I’m going to top the overnight oats with: 

  1. Bananas
  2. Cinnamon
  3. Dates
  4. Cacao nibs
  5. Almond butter
  6. Mixed nuts

If you can’t tell, my family loooooooves Trader Joe’s. Practically all of these ingredients can be purchased at your local TJ’s for very cheap which makes me uber-happy.  

Start by adding 5 oz of almond milk, 2 oz of plain Greek yogurt, a ¼ a cup of chia seeds, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon, and ½ a cup of rolled oats into each of the mason jars. Then close the lid tightly and shake it up!

 

Now, simply place the jars in the fridge to chill overnight. What happens while you sleep is that the oats absorb the liquid and soften up making it possible for you to eat the oats technically raw. This is almost like an uncooked, microwave-free “oatmeal” with the consistency being almost pudding-like. You can attribute that thick and creaminess to the chia seeds, which expand when exposed to liquids. 

 

Now you can wake up and put almost no effort into breakfast. Simply slice the bananas and dates and drizzle some cinnamon, almond butter, mixed nuts, and cacao nibs and voila! Your Fall healthy breakfast is ready! You can even eat the overnight oats right out of the jar to not dirty any unnecessary dishes.  

The best thing about overnight oats is that although they need at least 2 hours to soak in the fridge, they can remain in your fridge for up to a week, perfect for Sunday night to last you the whole work week. You can also customize your oats and add any toppings you’d like. My favorite has strawberries, bananas, blueberries, almond butter, a dash of cinnamon, and a little drizzle of agave! Yummy! 

I hope you all love this healthy and yummy recipe just as much as I do! Share to social media and tag us with your finished product and we’ll repost!  

xoxo, 

Bella Falero