Don’t have time to make breakfast? Before you skip the most important meal of the day or reach for those instant oatmeal packets, give my Refrigerator Oatmeal a try. All it takes is a couple of minutes the night before and you’ll have breakfast on demand ready to eat with your morning coffee!
There are lots of recipes for this morning gold mine all over the place, but here’s how I do it. In a bowl with a tight-fitting lid, combine:
- 1/2 C old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 C milk (I used soy)
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 2 Tbsp dried cranberries
- 2 Tbsp chopped nuts (I used slivered almonds)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup (to taste)
Put the bowl in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, breakfast is ready! You can top it with fresh fruit if you like.
Did I mention that this recipe boasts over 20 grams of protein (when you use soy milk) and more than 16% of your daily iron requirement? Use molasses to sweeten and you hit a whopping 36%. Booyah.
To customize the recipe, start with the oats, milk, and chia and add whatever flavors and textures make you happy. Have some fresh blueberries? Stir ‘em in! Craving the texture explosion of crunchy peanut butter? Do it to it.
Hello Michael, I’ve recently stumbled upon your site and am enjoying the ‘earthy’ vibe and fairly easy and healthy recipes. Looking forward to trying the White Bean and Basil Stew. Anyhoo, I’ve done a very similar refrigerated oatmeal recipe and wanted to know your thoughts on switching the maple syrup ingredient for molasses. Thanks in advance for the feedback and for your site! Best
I LOVE MOLASSES! It is an amazing source of B6, manganese, magnesium, potassium, and iron!