Sweet Strawberry and Dried Cherry Overnight Breakfast Oats

I’m definitely a breakfast person. The sooner I can start eating each day, the better. Sometimes this consists of cold leftovers or cake, but nonetheless, I never skip out on the most important meal.

I’ve been seeing a lot of hype recently about overnight oatmeal, or refrigerator oatmeal. I first saw it on Swinny in the City who adapted her version from Oh She Glows, and wanted to give it a try. Although you would typically think of this as being a hot food, I love the idea of not having to turn on the stove on these scorching summer mornings. (You do have the option of warming this in the microwave if you desire, but I think it defeats the purpose.) Plus, having something waiting for me is a really fun feeling to wake up to. I love that it took the guesswork out of what to make for breakfast, and it cut my prep time when getting ready to leave the house. Any extra minute counts, doesn’t it?

Monday mornings can be a drag sometimes so this seemed like the perfect way to start the week. This recipe is so simple and can be incredibly versatile so feel free to put your own twist according to what you have in the house. Give your breakfast donut the day off and try this healthy make-ahead instead!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup rolled oats (not instant or quick cooking)

2/3 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 strawberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon agave syrup (plus more for drizzling)

1/8 cup dried cherries

2 teaspoons shredded coconut

Instructions:

Combine oats, milk and vanilla in a bowl.

Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and sautee the strawberries on medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar and agave. Cook until it forms a compote.

Allow strawberry mixture to cool and stir into oats with dried cherries.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, the milk will have absorbed and the sweet fruit will have infused into the oats! Top oatmeal with coconut and drizzle with more agave syrup.