Super Easy Overnight Trail Mix Oats

It seems everyone has a recipe on their blog for overnight or refrigerated oats or oatmeal. Using  just about every fancy ingredient out there that might not be a pantry staple. I’m hopping on the bandwagon with my recipe for super easy overnight trail mix oats.

My first experience with putting oatmeal in the fridge overnight was 10 or 15 years ago. The recipe called for oatmeal, yogurt, and peaches. Put them all in a bowl, stir, stick in the fridge overnight, and enjoy for breakfast.

I only remember making it once.

If you’re not familiar with it, overnight oats require no cooking on the stovetop or microwave. The oats cook (or rather soak up liquids) overnight in the fridge. You’re enjoying cold oatmeal instead of hot oatmeal or porridge.

Every now and then I come across an overnight oatmeal recipe that calls for a bunch of fancy ingredients that I might occasionally have in my cupboard or fridge, but more than likely don’t. Things like yogurt (or yikes Greek yogurt!), chia seeds, flax, maple syrup, and mason jars. There must be hundreds if not thousands of recipes out there on preparing oats in your fridge. I’m not here to reinvent the wheel, just telling you what I like.

My recipe is simple. You can change up the milk and the fruit and nuts to suit your taste.

I’ve recently discovered a new product by Silk – Dark Chocolate Almond Milk! Need I say this now takes the starring role in my overnight oats.

Every night at 9:30pm I have a reminder on my computer’s calendar to make oatmeal for my dog’s breakfast. Yikes! That does sound like a dog’s breakfast. My Black Lab, Chica, tends to be a bit on the chubby side, and on the vet’s recommendation I put her on a high fibre diet. I cut back her dried dog food and she gets oatmeal with her most of her meals. It’s a cinch to put my overnight oats together while Chica’s breakfast is cooking in the microwave.

No mason jars for me. I use a soup bowl. You use whatever container you like.

I put half a cup of oats into the bowl. I usually use quick oats, sometimes called one minute oats. You can also use the large flake oats, sometimes called 5 minute oats. I prefer the quick oats, but taste is subjective. Either oats work. Don’t stress too much about what’s in your pantry.

Then I add a scant handful of chocolate chips, probably a tablespoon or so. I toss in about the same amount in craisins, and sprinkle in shredded coconut, probably not even a teaspoon. I just kind of do the eyeball thing! Then I add ¾ cup of chocolate almond milk to the bowl. Stir and then put it in the fridge. I leave the spoon in the bowl for overnighting in the fridge too. One less utensil to wash.

Then I forget about it until I wake up the next day and wonder what I should eat for breakfast and then I remember “oh, yeah – I put overnight oats into the fridge”.

My choice of chocolate almond milk is usually because I have it in the fridge. And what can I say. I’m a chocoholic! As a single I find almond milk lasts longer than regular milk. If I’m out of chocolate I put in regular almond milk. I talk a bit more about my milk choices in my post 10 Easy ways to save Cash on a Vegetarian Diet.

And there you have it. Super easy overnight trail mix oats. Enjoy!

How about you? Do you make overnight oats in your fridge? Do you have any fun variations to share?

SUPER EASY OVERNIGHT TRAIL MIX OATS

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 tablespoon chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon craisins
• 1 teaspoon flaked coconut
• 3/4 cup chocolate almond milk

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a bowl or soup cup, adding the milk last. Stir. Put in the fridge overnight.