Overnight Oats: The Perfect College Breakfast

By: Hannah Skinner ‘23

I’m a big fan of overnight oats. They’re nutritious, cheap, convenient, and yummy which keeps them at the top of my favorite breakfasts list. As long as you have a few ingredients in your kitchen, the endless flavor combinations will never bore you. If you don’t know how to make them, I’m here to help. Now you’ll never have an excuse to skip breakfast! 

Ingredients

Get yourself a container with a lid and a stirring spoon because the first step to overnight oats is making a solid oat-base. Technically, this only requires water and oats, but non-dairy milk, chia seeds, a sweetener, and a pinch of salt can boost the flavor and texture.  

• ½ cup of oats (rolled oats are the best for overnight oats)

• ¾ cup of water (or non-dairy milk, I like the creamy consistency of oat milk)

• 1-2 tablespoons chia seeds

• Sweetener to taste (brown sugar, agave, maple syrup, honey. My favorite is brown sugar for the richer flavor)

• Small pinch of salt

• Optional: Protein powder

Next comes adding flavor. Chocolate, peanut butter, vanilla, and cinnamon are what I consider the four classic options. The beauty of these flavors is that they can work well on their own and together in any combination and are also the perfect backdrop for toppings galore.

• Cocoa powder

• Peanut butter (or any nut butter)

• Vanilla

• Cinnamon

Lastly, it's time to pick some toppings, which can add texture and extra nutrients. At this point, the combinations and permutations of oat ingredients become so limitless that your favorite oat combo is almost like a fingerprint. Toppings can be added right before you eat your breakfast in the morning or stirred in to sit overnight. Here are some of my favorites:

• Chopped pecan or walnuts

• Sliced almonds

• Chocolate Chips

• Bananas, apples, or any fruit

• Berries

• Granola

• Dried coconut

• Peanut butter (melted and drizzled)

After you’ve stirred and measured to your heart's content, cover your concoction and stick it in the fridge overnight. Eight hours seems to do the trick for maximum absorption, but if you are in a pinch after your 1 a.m. study session, 5 hours seems to be sufficient. 

Recipe Ideas

As you’ve probably gathered, making overnight oats is a creative art. To the oat base, you can add flavor and toppings at your own discretion and put a unique touch on your recipes. But regardless, let me share some of mine!

*All recipes first start with the oat base ingredients above*

Chunky Chocolate Peanut Butter:

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 1.5 tablespoons peanut butter

• Splash of vanilla

• 1 tablespoon chocolate chips

• 1 tablespoon walnuts

• Add a sliced banana in the morning 

Cinnamon Apple:

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon walnuts 

• Add freshly cubbed apples in the morning

Chocolate Strawberry:

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

• 1 tablespoon chocolate chips

• Add freshly cut strawberries in the morning

Cost per Bowl Breakdown:

I always had the notion that overnight oats were a cheap breakfast. You buy your ingredients up front but make many more bowls before they run out. But what if they were more expensive than I thought? I realized there was no better way to find out than to calculate the exact cost myself. To get a high estimate, I used maximum ingredients possible and the cost per bowl turned out to be only $3.19! Here is the breakdown. 

• ½ cup of rolled oats ($0.50)

• ¾ cup of water (free)

• 2 tablespoons chia seeds  ($0.74)

• 2 teaspoons agave sweetener ($0.10)

• Small pinch of salt (negligible cost)

• 1/2 scoop (.5oz) protein powder ($0.60)

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder ($0.30)

• 1 tablespoon peanut butter ($0.07)

• Splash of vanilla ($0.30)

• 1 tablespoon chocolate chips ($0.12)

• 1 tablespoon walnuts ($0.27)

• 1 banana ($0.19)

Total: $3.19

Not bad for a homemade meal. 

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