Your search is over! Get ready for delicious, immune-boosting and super easy-to-whip-up overnight oats.
There’s no better way to start your day than waking up and having a healthy and delicious breakfast ready for you.
No cooking necessary, just grab and enjoy.
That’s what you get with these overnight oats. Because they’re prepped the night before, it’s almost like waking up to someone who surprised you with breakfast (well… almost).
The best part? You can make enough for your kids and, just like that, a homemade breakfast — without any work or pans to wash in the morning.
Woohoo! Count me in.
Immune-Boosting Overnight Oats
This healthy overnight oats recipe is supercharged with immune-boosting elderberry syrup and balanced with gut-building ingredients like oats, bananas, yogurt and chia seeds.
So basically, if you need a breakfast that’s quick but also packed with nutrition, you just met your match.
Breakfast — Don’t Skip It
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it all day, every day if I need to. Breakfast is essential! It sets the tone for your entire day.
Breakfast gives your body the nutritional value it needs to get up and move without depleting yourself before you’ve even gotten out the door.
Did you know that eating breakfast:
- Boosts your metabolism
- Improves energy levels
- Helps with weight loss
- Can impact the way you eat the rest of the day
That last one… really?
Yup! The biggest hurdle isn’t if we should eat breakfast, but what we actually eat.
If you get up and eat a processed muffin full of artificial ingredients and sugar, you're more likely to crave sugar throughout your day. But if you wake up and eat a balanced breakfast with vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy fats, you'll crave more nutritious foods.
Quick and easy breakfasts usually mean processed and lacking in nutrition. A granola bar, a bowl of cereal, even if you pick a piece of fruit — it’s not enough to properly kickstart your day.
But I’m here to tell you that quick and easy can equal nutritious, satisfying, and absolutely delicious — all in one. With just 5 minutes of prep before bed, your overnight oats will be ready for you as soon as you wake up.
What Are Overnight Oats?
Overnight oats are a bit different from regular oatmeal.
With regular oatmeal, you cook them when you’re ready to eat, but with overnight oats, you soak the oats in milk overnight to slowly soften them.
The process of soaking instead of cooking is actually better for you. So many vitamins and nutrients deplete when cooked. When you soak the oats, you’re not losing any nutritional value, instead, you absorb even more from the milk, yogurt, cinnamon, etc.
For most typical overnight oats recipes, you need:
- Oats — old-fashioned oats work best
- Milk — non-dairy works great
- Fruit — bananas, apples, berries
- Sweetener — maple syrup, elderberry syrup, honey
- Toppings — cacao nibs, shredded coconut, and sliced fresh fruits
I’ve tried so many of these recipes and finally came up with my own that surpasses them all.
Don’t believe me? Give it a try, and you’ll see for yourself!
The Benefits of Elderberry
Now that you know what overnight oats are and why they are an answered prayer for busy moms (or tired moms, let’s be real), let’s get into why I choose to sweeten these oats with my Organic Elderberry Syrup.
As you can tell by my business name, Elderberry Queen, I’m a huge fan of elderberries.
Why? Because elderberries are gorgeous, immune-boosting berries chock full of antioxidants, flavonoids, nutrients and vitamins.
They also help:
- Tame inflammation
- Improve immune health
- Decrease stress
- Protect your heart
But they’re most known for their ability to lessen symptoms and shorten the duration of colds and the flu.
Here’s a fun fact most people don’t know: Elderberries are also linked to your gut health.
Fascinating, right? They aid in digestion due to the high amount of fiber they contain. A healthy gut means a healthy immune system.
That’s why I founded Elderberry Queen — to help you and your family get a boost of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants in just one simple dose of my Organic Elderberry Syrup.
Also, to live every day healthy and with passion.
I use my elderberry syrup in cooking all the time. A flavor booster and natural sweetener at its finest. Since my syrup is made with simple ingredients like honey, cinnamon, and cloves, I knew it would work perfectly with this overnight oats recipe.
And it did! Sooo good.
Why My Family Loves These Overnight Oats
Not only are these oats absolutely delicious, but they’re also easy to whip up and convenient for busy (or lazy, we’ve all been there, don’t worry) mornings.
Top Benefits of Overnight Oats:
- Whole Grains — getting a healthy serving is a great way to start your morning and can keep you feeling full longer.
- No Added Sugar — there’s absolutely no added sugar because we’ve chosen to sweeten these oats with organic elderberry syrup.
- Immune-Boosting — because of the organic elderberry syrup, this oatmeal is full of antioxidants and nutrients that boost your overall immune health.
- Fiber Full — oats contain around 5g of fiber per serving, another great way to give your body what it needs first thing!
Lazy mornings are full of guilt, I know, I’ve been there too.
But with these immune-boosting overnight oats, you can ditch the guilt and feel proud and energized for the quick, delicious breakfast.
Ingredients for Healthy Immune-Boosting Overnight Oats
For this super simple recipe, you’re only going to need:
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup milk (non-dairy works great)
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- ¼ cup Organic Elderberry Syrup (don’t have any on hand, grab some here)
- ½ banana sliced (or your choice of fresh fruit)
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
Remember, this recipe will make one serving. So if you’re prepping for the entire family, plan accordingly.
How to Make These Overnight Oats
Start with using a wide-mouth 16 oz mason jar. Each jar will be one serving, which makes it super easy to grab and go!
You can choose to mix the oats, milk, yogurt and elderberry syrup in the jar or a small bowl first, then transfer it to your jar. Whichever is easiest for you. I typically mix everything in the same jar — fewer dishes, am I right?
After you’ve mixed these base ingredients:
- Add your chia seeds.
- Give it a gentle stir.
- Top with sliced bananas or your preferred toppings.
- Put the lid on the jar.
I recommend adding any toppings that give a crunch, such as granola and cacao nibs, right before eating, or they can become soggy.
Refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 hours. Pretty easy! The following morning, open the jar, add any additional toppings you’re craving and dig in.
Get Creative With Variations
What I really love about these overnight oats is that once you have the base ingredients put together, like the oats, milk, yogurt and elderberry syrup, you can play around with all sorts of variations.
- Stir-ins: try stirring in a tablespoon of peanut butter, almond butter, sunbutter and even your favorite jam.
- Fruits: try slicing different types of fruit to add on top and figure out what you like best, from berries to apples or even fresh mango.
- Toppings: drizzle peanut butter, or sprinkle coconut flakes, cacao nibs, extra chia seeds, granola or nuts to boost textures and flavor.
Should Overnight Oats Be Eaten Hot or Cold?
Typically overnight oats are eaten cold straight from the fridge.
But if that doesn’t sound appealing to you, they can easily be heated. If you choose a glass jar for your prep, just pop that bad boy in the microwave and enjoy it within minutes.
So it really comes down to your preference, either way, you’ll love these overnight oats!
How Long Are Overnight Oats Good for in the Fridge?
Overnight oats can be saved in the fridge for 3-5 days. After that, they start to get a bit too mushy. It’s a texture thing, I suppose.