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Hi, everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! Today I'm all about overnight oats. There have been millions of overnight oats recipes out there in cyberland for so long! How could I have gone THIS MANY YEARS without ever making them?! Especially when they don't require ANY cooking (The oats soften overnight while being stored in the refrigerator)! This week I finally decided to get with the times and give in to making overnight oats (Hey at least I'm now on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Baby steps)!
As I thought about which ingredients I wanted to combine with these heart-healthy oats, my mind turned to pumpkin puree and cinnamon as starters. Yep, I usually turn to this fruit in the fall/early winter. But it's cold outside and pumpkin sounds good! So why not have more pumpkin?
During the winter I prefer hot oatmeal. But as it warms up, cold overnight oats will be calling my name - now that I'm a believer. So my pumpkin cinnamon overnight oats combo serves as my transition breakfast for the change of seasons. This close-out-the-winter-in-style breakfast offers the subtle sweetness of the pumpkin puree combined with a touch of aromatic cinnamon, creamy almond coconut milk, sweet agave nectar, crunchy pecans, and homey old-fashioned oats. It's pure yum!
I should add that using 1/2 a cup of pumpkin puree will generate a stronger pumpkin flavor (I love pumpkin, so I really want to taste it). But if you prefer a more subtle pumpkin effect, you can always try using 1/4 a cup of pumpkin puree as you first mix the wet ingredients together (The milk, agave nectar, and pumpkin puree), and taste it. Then if you decide that you'd like to have even more of a pumpkin flavor, you can add one tablespoon at a time until it meets your pumpkin preference - prior to mixing the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients (The oats and cinnamon). But I prefer using 1/2 a cup of pumpkin puree since I prefer stronger flavors. If you do end up using just 1/4 a cup of pumpkin puree, then you'll probably want to stick with 1/4 a teaspoon of ground cinnamon so that the cinnamon is not overpowering. And then if you prefer to add more cinnamon, you can adjust the amount to your liking.
Below is how these vegan, gluten-free pumpkin overnight oats looked when I first mixed the ingredients together. For overnight oats, I prefer the texture of old-fashioned oats more than steel-cut oats. Steel-cut oats are a bit chewy, but some people do use them. It's also worth noting that instant oats won't hold up in this mixture overnight (They'll literally disintegrate).
If for some reason you have yet to try overnight oats, it's the BEST when you wake up in the morning and remember that you have a bowl/jar of this pumpkiny porridge-like deliciousness waiting for you in the refrigerator. And these overnight oats can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days! So convenient! Just know that if you store the overnight oats in the refrigerator for a few days, they'll continue to soften (I prefer their texture more within the first couple of days). If you decide that you would prefer to warm these oats up a bit, feel free to heat them up in the microwave right before serving them for a minute or two! To read more about oats, click here.
And if you enjoy eating oats or pumpkin in something besides oatmeal, check out my freezer-friendly Black Bean Burgers with Pico de Gallo and Guacamole and Fiery Pumpkin Hummus! In the future I'll post some spring/summerish overnight oats recipes. But for now, I'm going to savor my pumpkin version! Happy cooking and eating!
Yield: One serving (Allow yourself to listen to your hunger/fullness cues)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Califa Farms Toasted Coconut Almondmilk Blend (Or your favorite type of milk)
1/4 to 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (Adjust to taste) (NOT the pumpkin pie filling)
1 tablespoon agave nectar (Or maple syrup, adjusting the quantity to your preference)
1/2 cup of gluten-free old-fashioned oats
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Adjust to taste)
Raw pecans or walnuts, whole or chopped for garnish (Optional)
Directions:
1. Pour the milk, pureed pumpkin, and agave nectar into a small bowl or mason jar, and stir until well combined.
2. Next, add the oats and cinnamon to the bowl/jar, and stir well.
3. Cover the bowl/jar and refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours.
4. Wake up and celebrate the fact that a delicious breakfast is already made - and is waiting for you in the refrigerator! When you work your way to your bowl/jar of overnight oats, if you find that you desire more liquid, add some more milk. Stir a few times. Next, garnish your oats with pecans or walnuts (It's better to add the nuts right before you eat the oats so that their texture remains crunchy). Enjoy!