Equipment
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 50 g old-fashioned rolled oats
- 15 g chia seeds
- 120 ml unsweetened almond milk
- 15 ml maple syrup
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 1 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 165 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 22 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 12 g
- Sodium
- 502 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Potassium
- 228 mg
- Calcium
- 399 mg
- Iron
- 1.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 61 mg
- Phosphorus
- 140 mg
- Zinc
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 10 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 7.7 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.10 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.24 mg
- Niacin
- 1.4 mg
- Folate
- 9 mcg
- Water
- 124 g
- Alcohol
- 2 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the rolled oats, chia seeds, and salt into a mason jar. Use a spoon to gently stir the dry ingredients together until evenly combined.
Pour the almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract into the jar. Stir thoroughly to ensure there are no dry pockets of oats or chia seeds stuck at the bottom.
Seal the jar tightly with its lid and place it in the refrigerator. Allow it to rest undisturbed overnight, or for a minimum of 8 hours, so the oats and seeds fully absorb the liquid.
Remove the jar from the refrigerator, unseal, and give the thick oat mixture a final stir before serving cold.
Chef's Notes
- Always stir your oats a second time about 5 minutes after the initial mix. This prevents the chia seeds from swelling and cementing into a solid clump at the bottom of the jar.
- For the best texture, strictly use old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats will turn unpleasantly mushy, and steel-cut oats will remain far too tough and chewy without cooking.
- If you prefer a warm breakfast on chilly mornings, you can heat the finished oats in the microwave for 60 seconds. Add an extra splash of almond milk beforehand, as the heat will thicken them further.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Keep tightly sealed in an airtight jar or container.
Troubleshooting
Oats are too liquidy or runny after resting
Cause: Insufficient resting time or an inaccurate ratio of liquid to dry ingredients
Fix: Stir in an extra 10g of rolled oats or 5g of chia seeds and wait 30 minutes
Prevention: Ensure a minimum 8-hour rest time and measure oats and milk carefully
Oats are too thick or cement-like
Cause: The oats and seeds absorbed all available liquid, often due to adding too many chia seeds
Fix: Stir in an additional 15 to 30ml of almond milk until you reach your desired creamy consistency
Prevention: Measure chia seeds precisely as they absorb up to ten times their weight in liquid
Cultural Context
Overnight oats trace their structural origins to the Swiss dish Bircher muesli, developed around 1900 by physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for his patients. In recent years, they have evolved into a staple of modern American breakfast culture, prized for their endless adaptability and incredible meal-prep convenience.
