Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Oat Base
- 45 g rolled oats
- 140 ml whole milk, chilled
- 2 ml almond extract
- 1 g sea salt
Fruit and Sweetener
- 55 g frozen blackberries
- 8 g wildflower honey, liquid
The Crumble Topping
- 15 g almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 339 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 43 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 23 g
- Sodium
- 635 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 14 mg
- Potassium
- 430 mg
- Calcium
- 253 mg
- Iron
- 2.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 82 mg
- Phosphorus
- 258 mg
- Zinc
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 68 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 12 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.6 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.32 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.57 mg
- Niacin
- 3.6 mg
- Folate
- 75 mcg
- Water
- 190 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a clean 350ml glass jar, combine the 45g of rolled oats with 1g of sea salt. Ensure the dry ingredients are leveled at the bottom.
Pour 140ml of chilled milk and 2ml of almond extract over the oats. Add 8g of honey and stir vigorously with a spatula to ensure no dry pockets remain at the base of the jar.
Gently fold in 55g of frozen blackberries. Press them slightly with your spoon to encourage the release of juices, which will marble the oats as they hydrate.
Seal the jar tightly and place in the refrigerator at 4°C (40°F) for at least 8 hours, or overnight, to allow the oats to fully hydrate and the flavors to meld.
Just before serving, top the mixture with 15g of toasted chopped almonds. This preserves their crunch, providing the essential 'crumble' contrast to the soft oats.
Chef's Notes
- The secret to a Michelin-quality overnight oat is the salt—it bridges the gap between the earthy oats and the floral honey.
- Always add the nuts at the last possible second. Texture is the hallmark of a great chef; soggy nuts are a failure of technique.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Best consumed within 24 hours for optimal oat texture; blackberries will continue to soften over time.
Troubleshooting
Oats are still gritty or swimming in liquid.
Cause: Insufficient hydration time or incorrect oat type (e.g., steel-cut instead of rolled).
Fix: Stir in 5g of chia seeds and wait 30 minutes, or microwave for 60 seconds to force hydration.
Prevention: Ensure at least 6 hours of chilling and always use rolled/old-fashioned oats.
Overpowering medicinal taste.
Cause: Excessive almond extract measurement.
Fix: Dilute with an additional 20g of oats and 40ml of milk, then rest for 2 more hours.
Prevention: Measure almond extract precisely; it is highly concentrated.
Cultural Context
While 'overnight oats' gained modern popularity via Swiss Bircher muesli, this version leans into the American 'Crumble' tradition, treating the cold oat base as a custard-like foundation for summer stone fruits and berries.
