Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Ever since trying the Vegan Overnight Oats found in the Oh She Glows cookbook, I have been in love.  I eat these oats nearly every morning, enjoying every bite of the creamy, refreshing, pudding-like breakfast bowl.  I’m not alone in my obsession.  My husband agrees, they are his number one favorite breakfast.  Every person I’ve fed them to has gone home with the recipe and informed me they’ve been making them religiously ever since.  So join the overnight oat revolution! You’re going to be hooked after the first bite!

Not only do these oats taste great, they are also the most convenient and easy make-ahead breakfast I can think of.  It literally takes about 2 minutes to prepare the night before, and then lasts for days in the fridge for your eating pleasure.  What a nice way to wake up, knowing a bowl of healthy and satisfying porridge is waiting for you in the fridge.  If you are wondering about eating oats cold, don’t waste another second on that thought.  They are fantastic, I promise!

I came up with my own version of overnight oats that uses apple sauce rather than mashed banana as a base for the oat mixture.  I have always loved apple-spice oatmeal, so I wanted to try incorporating those flavors into my new favorite oat dish.  It worked perfectly! I added raisins to the mixture to soak overnight, and they became incredibly plump and juicy and paired perfectly with the apple.  Part of the fun of overnight oats is playing around with the toppings, and it was nice to try new ones that went well with the apple-raisin theme.  I went with fresh apples and walnuts.  I’m excited to have this new way of making overnight oats, especially because I occasionally find myself out of bananas but I pretty much always have a jar of apple sauce in the fridge.  And hey, variety is always nice. I’m already dreaming up my next version of overnight oats and I have some pretty exciting ideas…

Ingredients

(Serves 3)           Prep time: 2 minutes

• 1/3 cup apple sauce
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup raisins

Directions

Stir everything together in a large bowl or an airtight container. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 hours.  Enjoy the oats on their own or topped with any of your favorite add-ins like nuts, granola, fresh fruit, maple syrup, etc.