Overnight, No-Cook Refrigerator Oatmeal
A healthy breakfast made in mason jars in six different flavors!
| http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal |
Apparently this kind of cold yogurt & oatmeal mixture has been around for awhile. I don't know where I've been, because I'd never heard of it until I saw a recipe on Pinterest by Christie at PepperLynn.com (her blog link is longer active). We eat a lot of steel-cut oatmeal in the winter months, but it never appeals to me once the weather heats up. Learning about refrigerator oatmeal excited me, because it offers a way to enjoy oatmeal year round. Yummy reader, Kelly, called this "Summer Porridge" in a comment on my Facebook page--I'd never heard of that either. After some googling, I discovered that refrigerator oatmeal, yogurt oats, and summer porridge are all names for the same thing. Whatever you call it, this stuff is delicious!
I played around with some different flavor combos, and created single portion recipes that will fit in a half-pint mason jar. I've been pulling these out of my fridge and eating them for breakfast all week. LOVE the convenience of having them made ahead. They are filling and packed with nutrition, too.
ch-ch-ch-CHIA seeds. I followed Pepper Lynn's lead and included chia seeds in my refrigerator oats recipes. I've been hearing a lot of buzz about the nutritional powerhouse in these teensie little seeds, and this is a great way to sneak them into your diet. Chia seeds:
- have more Omega 3 fatty acids than flax seed (important for heart health)
- are the richest non-marine whole food source of Omega-3 (better than salmon)
- absorb 10 times their weight in water and transform into a gel-like substance--great for athletes for maintaining hydration and helps with weight loss by making you feel full longer
- are as high in protein as quinoa
- are loaded with calcium, potassium, Vitamin B, and anti-oxidants
- help balance blood sugar via the gelling action of the seed and it’s unique combination of soluble and insoluble fiber that slow down your body’s conversion of starches into sugars
- have a neutral taste so they will take on the other flavors in a recipe
- can be eaten whole (unlike flax seed); they don't have to be ground before adding them to food in order to digest them and benefit from their nutrients
- have a two year shelf life, stored at room temperature (flax seeds quickly become rancid and lose their nutritional value)
Basic Formula for Making Refrigerator Oatmeal
I had fun experimenting with different flavor combinations and settled on six favorites. They all start with the same basic ingredients and procedure.Step 1. Assemble these ingredients & supplies:
- old fashioned rolled oats (not instant, quick, or steel-cut)
- Greek yogurt (regular yogurt is thinner; if you use it, you'll need to reduce the amount of milk); read my post for easy instructions for straining regular yogurt to make Greek yogurt.
- milk (I used skim, but any kind will work)
- chia seeds; I bought mine at Whole Foods; also available on Amazon
- half pint (1 cup) mason jars, find them at Walmart and grocery stores; also available on Amazon
Specific amounts of ingredients are listed with the individual recipes for
each of the 6 varieties of flavored refrigerator oatmeal ; they are
further down in this post. Click on the big teal bar below each flavor
and that links to the recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.
Step 2. Add oats, milk, yogurt, and chia seeds to jar, along with desired sweeteners or flavors (see options below).
Step 3. Put a lid on the jar and shake to combine. I use white plastic jar lids sized to fit canning jars--they last longer than the metal tops and rims that come with the jars, and they are easier to screw on and off; some Walmarts carry them, and they're available on Amazon.
- view on Amazon: white plastic jar lids
Step 5. Place in fridge overnight and up to 2 days; maybe longer depending on the type and ripeness of the fruit. The non-banana varieties have been good after 4 days for me.
During the overnight soak, the oats and chia seeds absorb the liquid and soften. They have a great eating texture by the next day.
Here are my six favorite flavor varieties.
1. Mango Almond Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with fresh mango, honey, and almond extract. (If you don't know how to cut a mango, check out my previous post.)
207 calories, 4g fat, 47g carbs, 7g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7
2. Blueberry Maple Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with fresh blueberries and maple syrup.
215 calories, 4g fat, 48g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7
3. Apple Cinnamon Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with unsweetened applesauce, cinnamon and honey.
210 calories, 4g fat, 48g carbs, 8g fiber, 11g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7
4. Banana Cocoa Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with bananas, cocoa powder, and honey.
(A healthy way to eat chocolate for breakfast. Feel free to squeal with delight!)245 calories, 5g fat, 56g carbs, 10g fiber, 13g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 8
5. Banana Peanut Butter Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with bananas, peanut butter (or PB2), and honey.
264 calories, 5g fat, 55g carbs, 8g fiber, 15g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 8 (using PB2 and no honey or sweetener)
- What is PB2? I recently discovered this amazing powdered peanut butter. It's simply peanut butter with 85% of the fat removed. With all of the flavor and protein of regular peanut butter, PB2 is recommended as a great way to reduce calories in all of your favorite peanut butter recipes. My local grocery story carries it. You can also find it at some Whole Foods, health food stores, and on Amazon.
6. Raspberry Vanilla Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with fresh raspberries, raspberry preserves or spread (I used a no-sugar added fruit spread), and vanilla extract.
230 calories, 4g fat, 51g carbs, 8g fiber, 11g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7
Flavored with canned mandarin oranges and orange marmalade. You may use chopped fresh oranges in place of the canned ones, if you prefer. (If you don't know how to section and cut fresh oranges, check out my previous post.)
236 calories, 4g fat, 53g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7
Cherry Chocolate Chunk Refrigerator OatmealIf you like Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream, you'll like this recipe. Flavored with cherries (fresh or frozen), honey, and chopped dark chocolate. I use a cherry pitter to make quick work of removing the cherry pits. Chop the chocolate so it's in small pieces but still chunky enough to bite into it. (You may also use chopped chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips.)
274 calories, 8g fat, 55g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 9
Mocha Refrigerator OatmealFlavored with cocoa powder, honey, and instant espresso powder (widely available in grocery stores; also on Amazon).
207 calories, 4g fat, 47g carbs, 7g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7
Pineapple Coconut Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with coconut milk beverage (plain or vanilla), honey, and pineapple (fresh, frozen, or canned). It's like having a pina colada for breakfast!
198 calories, 5g fat, 43g carbs, 7g fiber, 10g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 6
Flavored with pureed pumpkin (I use the canned kind.), maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. (You can purchase pumpkin pie spice or make your own. Here's my recipe.)
216 calories, 4g fat, 48g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7
Peach Melba Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with peaches (fresh, frozen, canned), raspberry jam, and vanilla extract.
234 calories, 4g fat, 53g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7
Cranberry Pecan Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with whole berry cranberry sauce (may substitute jellied), chopped pecans, and ground cloves. (You may purchase cranberry sauce, or make your own; here's my recipe.)
285 calories, 9g fat, 54g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 9
Apricot Ginger Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with dried apricots, crystallized ginger, almond extract and honey.
243 calories, 4g fat, 56g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 8
FAQs
There have been over 670 comments & questions (Yowzer!) on my original refrigerator oatmeal post. To save you the time of reading through all of them, I've answered some of the most frequently asked questions here.
Can these jars of oatmeal be frozen? Yes, these freeze well. Prepare it in the jars as directed in the recipe, put on the lid, and freeze it. Be careful not to overfill the jars; 3/4 inch of space is needed at the top of the jar to allow for expansion when frozen (and avoid exploding jars!). Move frozen jars from the freezer to the fridge the night before, and your oatmeal should be thawed and ready to eat for breakfast. I've frozen them for up to a month. You may be able to freeze them longer than that, but I haven't personally tested it.
Can you heat them? Yes. Although the recipe is designed to be eaten cold, if you prefer, you can heat these jars of oatmeal. Remove the lid from the jar and heat in microwave for approx. 1 minute (assuming they aren't frozen) to take the chill off and warm it slightly. Microwave longer, if you prefer it hotter. Microwaves and heating times required may vary.
Do I have to make these in mason jars? No.
You can use any container you like that holds at least 1 cup. Half pint
(one cup) mason jars or containers are the perfect size to hold one
full recipe (1 serving) and are convenient for a quick, grab-and-go
breakfast or snack. Yummy readers have also recommended these plastic
freezer jars and drinking glasses that come with lids.
Is this the same thing as muesli? Yes. I've heard
from a number of readers from around the world who say this cold, soaked
oatmeal is known by a variety of names: muesli, Beechers muesli, Birchermüesli, summer porridge, yogurt oats, and most likely more!Can I make substitutions in the recipes? Sure, feel free to experiment. Although I haven't personally tested these, here are some suggestions of Yummy readers:
- substitute ground flax seeds for the chia seeds
- omit the chia seeds ( you may need to reduce the liquid a bit, since they absorb liquid as they soak)
- substitute regular plain or flavored yogurt or non-dairy yogurt (soy, coconut, rice) for Greek yogurt
- omit the yogurt (you may need to experiment with the amount of oats and liquid to achieve a consistency you like)
- substitute other liquids for the skim milk: coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, juice, etc. (this may change the flavor, but it can still be good with these substitutions--taste and make necessary adjustments to get it to your liking)
- substitute agave syrup for honey, or any sweetener you prefer
- substitute fruits (use fresh, frozen, dried, or canned); swap out different fruit flavors to create your own favorite variety
- Substitute quick, instant oats or steel-cut for rolled oats. The quick and instant oats aren't quite as healthy, but they'll still work just fine. Steel cut oats are much harder and don't soften as much when soaked, so the resulting texture is nuttier and chewier. Some have left comments indicating that they can use steel cut oats if they're pre-cooked, or if only a small quantity of raw steel-cut oats are mixed into the rolled oats.
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