Strawberries are one of my all-time favorite breakfast ingredients, and with my current overnight oats obsession, this healthy strawberry cheesecake overnight oats recipe was inevitable. As great as cooked oatmeal is, overnight oats (i.e. an overnight oatmeal recipe) are a fantastic option for busy mornings – great to meal prep the night before and ready to eat in the morning. These strawberry overnight oats combine yogurt and vanilla for a delicious strawberry cheesecake/ strawberries & cream flavor. Plus, you can boost it with even more flavor by topping with some sliced banana. As with all my healthy overnight oats recipes, I love to add in some chia seeds for some additional protein to the meal. I’ve also chosen to top the breakfast jar with some almonds, for additional healthy fats. Personally, I don’t see why you can’t have food that’s utterly delicious and nutritious at the same time. As the name suggests, these are great for making in the evening, ready for the next morning. However, if you want to eat them sooner than that, then there is a quick soak method too.
The Quick Soak Method
This method is literally in the name. Overnight oats are soaked for an extended period of time, to help emulate the porridge’-like consistency. This is because the oats soak up the milk overnight and become softer. Meanwhile, the milk gets more gelatinous – giving you a creamy oats mixture. The quick soak method simply leaves you soaking the oats in the milk for 30 minutes minimum ( I like to leave them for an hour – as the sweet spot). This way the oats keep their bite and haven’t soaked in as much liquid. Thus, the overall effect is a bit more ‘cereal’-like. It’s great for people who don’t like the ‘mushier’ consistency of overnight oats/porridge ( or those who have just forgotten to make them the night before – as I do. In terms of liquid choice, overnight oats with almond milk are always delicious. However, you can choose the milk of your choice – coconut milk, soy milk, or any of these dairy-free milk options will work. Each one adds its own distinct flavor to the dish, so I like to experiment to see which flavors I love together.
The Recipe How-To
Layer 1: Oats – almond milk, rolled oats, chia seeds, honey ( for non-vegan option) or maple/agaveLayer 2: Strawberry – strawberries, fresh or frozenLayer 3: Yogurt – yogurt and vanilla bean (or homemade vanilla extract)Decoration: (optional) – almonds and strawberries, you could also drizzle some almond butter.
Note* You can use your preferred milk and yogurt. I like to use a thick ‘greek yogurt’ style dairy-free yogurt for this- which makes it super rich and creamy. You could also use coconut yogurt or almond yogurt.
The Steps
Firstly, mix the rolled oats with the chia seeds. Then add the milk and sweetener of choice and stir well. Set aside to soak for at least 30 minutes (read more about the quick soak method above) or, for best results, keep in the fridge overnight. Note* This doesn’t need to be soaked before preparing the other layers. After mixing the oats ingredients, simply spoon into your jars and top with the following two layers then leave to soak for your preferred amount of time. To prepare the yogurt layer, open one vanilla bean, and scrape out the seeds. Add them in the yogurt and stir well. Alternatively, you can use a bit of homemade vanilla extract. This makes it take on a delicious dessert-like quality so definitely shouldn’t be skipped. To prepare the strawberry layer, just mash well using a fork or a blender. If you opt to use frozen berries, let them thaw out a bit before mashing them. (Optional: add a very tiny bit of sweetener to this mix if you have a sweet tooth!) You can slice one strawberry into very thin slices to decorate your breakfast jars. If the strawberry slices are not sticking to the glass, you can use a bit of syrup to help them. Next, layer the strawberry mash with the vanilla yogurt, then top with the overnight oats. Finally, sprinkle some shredded almonds and add a couple of strawberries on top. Enjoy your overnight oats jar!
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If you have any questions, then you can ask them in the comments. I also love seeing your recipe recreations, so feel free to tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie.
