Overnight Oats with Raisins, Apple and Pumpkin Seeds
Porridge was a breakfast mainstay when I was growing up and it’s given me a love of oats that’s never left me. I use them in porridge, in my smoothies and in baking. But I rarely think about soaking them overnight and having a bowl of raw goodness for breakfast. Bircher muesli or overnight oats, call them what you will, is another tasty addition to have in one’s breakfast repertoire.
Spurred on by the bircher muesli I tried recently and a parcel of organic goodies from Suma, I finally got around to making overnight oats once again. I was particularly excited by this as I’ve been buying products from Suma for more years than I care to remember. They are a workers cooperative, sourcing and distributing a wide range of ethical and organic wholefood products. I am especially pleased as I am now part of the Suma Blogger Network.
I wanted to keep my overnight oats simple, so mostly used the ingredients I received from Suma. Sprouted raw oats for easier digestibility, chia seeds for omega 3 and 6 (amongst a whole heap of other benefits), ginger for its paradoxical stimulating and soothing properties, raisins for sweetness and apples from my mother’s garden. Pumpkin seeds are meant to be good for thyroid health, so a few of those went in too. I used kefir as the soaking liquid, because we always have it on the go and it’s good for you. If you’re not sure what kefir is, you’ll find a bit more about it in my recipe for spiced kefir pancakes. However, you could use coconut milk, apple juice, a mixture of yoghurt and water or whatever else grabs your fancy instead. The important thing is that the oats have enough liquid to plump up and become creamy, both in texture and flavour.
- 3 heaped tbsp sprouted oats
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp pumpkin seeds
- 9 tbsp kefir - can use apple juice, or coconut milk for a vegan version
- 1 organic apple - or at least unsprayed
- Place all of the ingredients, bar the apple, into a bowl and give a good stir. Cover and leave in a cool place to soak overnight.
- Quarter the apple and core. Grate the apple with skin on and stir into the oats just prior to eating.
- Requires overnight soaking.
- Kefir can be swapped for a mixture of yoghurt and water.
- Use any dried fruit instead of raisins and the ginger can easily be omitted or swapped for a more favoured spice.
This overnight oats is my first recipe for the Suma Blogger’s Network.
I’m also sending this to Credit Crunch Munch. We make our own kefir. Once you’ve acquired the initial grains, the only cost is the milk, so it’s a thrifty way of getting your probiotics. Hosted this month over at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary, it originally comes from Fuss Free Flavours and Fab Food 4 All.
Other recipes for overnight oats you might like
- Banana peanut butter overnight oats via Nadia’s Healthy Kitchen – complete with video
- Bircher muesli with berries and nuts via Family Friends Food
- Overnight oats with apricot purée via Rough Measures
Angie@Angie's Recipes
15th November 2015 at 12:01 pmThis is a perfect dish to kick start the day!
Choclette
15th November 2015 at 1:03 pmThanks Angie. Never quite sure why I don’t make it more often.
Sus @ roughmeasures
15th November 2015 at 12:56 pmNothing like a good bowl of oats to kick the winter blues away! These sound perfect 🙂
Choclette
15th November 2015 at 1:04 pmThanks Sus. Definitley feel I need something to kick those blues away – it’s so dark here.
Kavey
15th November 2015 at 3:41 pmI’ve never made oats overnight before, I must try it!
Choclette
15th November 2015 at 7:49 pmIt’s even nicer with copious amounts of cream, as I first had it in Switzerland, but that doesn’t quite tick the health boxes.
Dom
15th November 2015 at 4:25 pmI’m a recent concert to the goodness of porridge and I’m now pretty much addicted to the stuff. Never heard of this overnight doohickey but I’m game!
Choclette
15th November 2015 at 7:46 pmDom, I’m open mouthed in amazement – you’ve always been so rude about porridge! What happened?
the caked crusader
15th November 2015 at 4:41 pmI used to work in Switzerland and the bircher muesli used to be more creamy and calorific than any dessert – sinful stuff! But great!
Choclette
15th November 2015 at 7:46 pmHaha CC, I think that’s why I liked it so much 😉
Food Glorious Food
15th November 2015 at 7:25 pmDelicious, would love to try this for my breakfast one day 🙂
Choclette
15th November 2015 at 7:48 pmThanks. It’s such a simple breakfast, but it does mean you have to think about it before going to bed.
Janice
15th November 2015 at 8:12 pmThat’s a great looking breakfast, never thought of adding chia seeds to my muesli.
Choclette
16th November 2015 at 4:07 pmChia seeds work really well when soaked, but I can’t quite work out how to describe it without it sounding like gelatinous, or gloomy – so much better than those.
manu
16th November 2015 at 7:51 amI use to make it for breakfast…
Delicious!!
Have a great Monday
Choclette
16th November 2015 at 4:09 pmThanks Manu. I hadn’t made it in far too long, although it has to be said at this time of year I prefer porridge.
Alida
16th November 2015 at 5:01 pmI was one of the few children growing up eating porridge in the 70s in Italy. Back then very few people ever had porridge. My parents used to love wholemeal food including oats. That’s why I still love my porridge and I make it often for breakfast. Looove your recipe!
Choclette
16th November 2015 at 8:20 pmThanks Alida. Well now there’s a thing. I’d never have thought of Italians eating porridge 🙂
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs
16th November 2015 at 10:28 pmYay for Suma they are fab aren’t they!
I just can’t get my head around overnight oats though…cold porridge to me is just like, well, porridge you forgot about and came back to when it was cold lol. I love the sound of the flavours in this and the extra benefits of the chia seeds but I really do think I’d want it warm!
Choclette
17th November 2015 at 9:01 amThink muesli rather than porridge Emma, that might help. Although I have to say at this time of year, my thoughts turn to porridge. Indeed, I’m eating a bowl of it right now.
Prateek
17th November 2015 at 12:01 pmDelicious and healthy recipe, but can it be had with milk? Will definitely give a try!
Choclette
17th November 2015 at 2:43 pmThanks Prateek. You can use pretty much any liquid you like to soak the oats in. Milk would be fine 🙂
What Kate Baked
17th November 2015 at 1:29 pmI’ve just dug out the porridge oats for the first time this winter just this morning but this sounds a far more exciting version that my bananas and honey I plonked on top!
PS: Thank you for your comment; yep, I’ve been a bit quiet on the blogging front as we’ve had our hands full with our baby daughter! Hope you’re well? I love the new blog and look!
Choclette
17th November 2015 at 2:45 pmPorridge is really what I want at this time of year, though it’s always nice to ring the changes. I’m not in the least bit surprised you’ve been a bit quiet online Kate – such lovely news.
Paola
17th November 2015 at 1:32 pmOh yum! Will definetly make this for hubby, he is a bit sick and this will help him quite a bit.
Choclette
17th November 2015 at 2:45 pmOh no, I hope he makes a quick recovery Paola. There are plenty of good nutrients in this bowl of oats, so definitely recommended.
Amy Beeton
18th November 2015 at 11:32 amThanks for your first contribution to the Suma Bloggers Network Choclette! It’s a great way of using chia seeds. I bet it’s really good with the ginger in there. Just perfect for this time of year 🙂
Choclette
18th November 2015 at 12:03 pmThanks Amy. It’s just lovely to have good ingredients to use. Those sprouted oats make the most fabulous porridge too.
Janie
20th November 2015 at 8:30 amUmmm, what time do you tend to have breakfast Choclette…? 😀
Janie x
Choclette
20th November 2015 at 4:12 pmHaha Janie. Looking at some of the scrummy things you’ve been serving up recently, I think it will be me knocking on your door for breakfast 😉
Nayna Kanabar
22nd November 2015 at 10:25 pmI have never made overnight oats its about time I need you have some great recipe ideas for them.
Choclette
23rd November 2015 at 8:30 amOats are really delicious when soaked for a while Nayna – well worth doing.
Glamorous Glutton
23rd November 2015 at 4:05 pmI love Bircher meusli and with all your wonderful healthy extra ingredients these are a perfect way to start the day. GG
Choclette
24th November 2015 at 10:48 amThanks GG. It’s gone so grey and miserable now, I’m sticking to porridge for the moment, but bircher muesli will be back on the agenda at some point 🙂