Overnight Oats- Hot or Cold?

They are meant to be eaten cold. But I'm a rule breaker so I make mine following a recipe and then warm it up for a minute or minute and a half in the microwave before eating it. This helps solve the texture issue plus I just like them warm. This way you get the benefits of old fashioned rolled oats (whole grain, I think?) without all the extra work to cook them.

lporter229 wrote: »

I have attempted to make overnight oats three times now, using 3 different types of oats (rolled, steel cut and quick) and I have not been happy with the results on any of them. I have been under the impression that they are to be eaten cold, but maybe that is my mistake. Do you eat your overnight oats hot or cold? How do you make them for best results? Mine have been either too chewy or too grainy.

I thought that too and thought they were disgusting until a friend suggested warming them up. It made all the difference, imo. For reference, I only use steel cut oats. I find the texture of rolled too squishy even when prepared traditionally.

The recipe I use is 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats, 1 tsp chia seeds, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. Put in Mason jar and shake to mix then leave in fridge overnight or at least 8 hours. Sometimes I put a tsp of honey or syrup or a tbsp of peanut butter or almond butter and mix it in before warming. Again warming them to me makes all the difference with taste and texture. Also goes well with fruit mixed in before or after warming.

Cold. If you want to treat yourself because they are pricey, try maker's oats or you can make your own variation on a theme. I don't use rolled oats either. I like bare oats organic. They come in portable indv. servings, reasonably priced. The sky is not the limit and it never was. You can add absolutely everything. Dried fruit, nuts, protein powder, yogurt, fresh fruit, dried bananas, dried peanut butter, some use a tad of instant coffee and you can add some homemade granola to give it a crunch. They are great.

Shake it all up in a jar and you're good to go. I don't even wait for the overnight thing, I do it fresh in the morning. I find I get more grain bang for my bucks. I like the fiber content and it's the cereal that keeps on working, working, working every day.

I use rolled oats with a splash of milk but main wet ingredient is Strawberry Skyr or Greek Yoghurt (sometimes add strawberry protein powder for the macros)...frozen or fresh berries on top and it's delicious. I don't like the texture when it's just milk or water as the wet ingredient - kind of slimy.

I made some today using single serve packet oats (Oat so simple) I added the recommended amount of skimmed milk and chilled overnight. In the morning I added fresh mango and strawberry, It was great, the oats were really creamy, it was like having a bowl of Strawberries and Cream.

I just started with the Quaker brand and LOVE them. I want to make them on my own because while I got a good deal on these, they are expensive. I thought I would hate them cold, but actually I love it. I can't wait to make my own.

lporter229 wrote: »

I have attempted to make overnight oats three times now, using 3 different types of oats (rolled, steel cut and quick) and I have not been happy with the results on any of them. I have been under the impression that they are to be eaten cold, but maybe that is my mistake. Do you eat your overnight oats hot or cold? How do you make them for best results? Mine have been either too chewy or too grainy.

Try upping the liquid to make sure they're properly hydrated. Barring that, try adding some yogurt to increase the richness of the cereal.

That said, they're not for everybody. I feel the same way that you do about them. I prefer my oatmeal more like a traditional porridge. If I want something chewier, I'll go with steel cut instead of rolled.

Basically, it took me a while to realize that overnight oats are exactly what you think overnight oats would be. There is no radical amazing transformation in texture or anything. They're not horrible - I just don't prefer them to cooked.

I have to warm them a little. Chilled thick chunky oatmeal is vile. The texture makes me gag. Warmed with a little fresh milk or whatever liquid used makes them a little smoother and not so thick.

I always heat mine up. Just did not care for them cold because soggy oats are different than COOKED
oats.

I eat mine cold, with fruit and granola. Delicious!!

From Oh She Glows cookbook

4.9 from 45 reviews

Overnight Oats

Overnight Oats are the time-crunched person’s breakfast secret weapon, since they take just a couple minutes to make at night before bed. When you mix together rolled oats, chia seeds, and almond milk, the chia seeds absorb the milk and the oats soften, creating an effortless chilled porridge. Place it in the fridge at night and forget about it until morning, when you’ll wake up to a cool, creamy bowl of oats that’s just perfect in the spring or summer. This is my go-to overnight oats recipe, but feel free to change up the fruit and other mix-ins as you like.

Yield
1 bowl
Soak time overnight or 2 hours
Prep time 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 large ripe/spotty banana, mashed
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
Suggested Toppings:

Granola
Fresh fruit
Coconut flakes
Pure maple syrup
Cinnamon
Nuts and seeds

Directions:
In a small bowl, mash the banana until almost smooth. Now stir in the chia seeds and cinnamon until combined.
Stir in the oats, almond milk, and vanilla (if using). Cover and refrigerate overnight, or a minimum of 2 hours.
In the morning, stir the oat mixture to combine. If your Overnight Oats have a runny consistency even after they soak, simply stir in an additional 1 tablespoon chia seeds and place the mixture back in the fridge until it has thickened up. If the oat mixture is too thick, simply add a splash of milk and stir to combine.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size 1 large bowl | Total Fat 16 grams
Saturated Fat 2 grams | Sodium Fat 230 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates 78 grams
Fiber 21 grams | Sugar 16 grams | Protein 14 grams
* Nutrition data is approximate and is for informational purposes only.
Tips:

Not a banana fan? Try swapping the mashed banana for 1/4-1/2 cup of your favourite yogurt and liquid sweetener, if desired.

I wasn't a fan of overnight oats until I tried making them again this summer when we had a long stretch of really hot weather. It was refreshing to have them cold in the morning and I finally found a recipe that worked for me and was really creamy and tasty.. Here it is:
1/3 cup whole oats
1/3 cup yogurt (I use plain but vanilla would work too)
1/3 cup almond milk
1 tsp chia seeds
1/3 -1/2 of a banana, mashed up (necessary for a bit of sweetness and nice texture)
Pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Mix everything up in a jar or container and put it in the fridge overnight. I have been topping them with either fresh peach slices, fresh blueberries or strawberries. You can also add frozen blueberries on top the night before.

Stir the next morning and enjoy.

Is there a particular reason or benefit of not cooking oats? I eat oatmeal often, different kinds of oats, i love it with yogurt and frozen or fresh fruit. It keeps me relatively full until lunch, so just wanted to know.

I hated them cold too, but they are pretty good heated up. I'd make mine in a mason jar with almond milk + protein powder (or greek yogurt) and fruit. One of my favorites was a chocolate peanut butter flavored protein powder with bananas. I'd actually nuke the sliced banana in the jar before adding the other ingredients and throwing in the fridge overnight. It gets all bubbly and (IMO) makes it taste sweeter.