the friday feed: overnight oatmeal {may 19, 2023}

The other day I made too much coffee. Is there such a thing as too much coffee? Let me explain. 

T went out of town, I got up the next morning, went to the kitchen, and made 8 cups of coffee. Waaaaayyyyy too much for one day. It was a good coffee and the thought of dumping it down the drain just really hurt. What to do with this leftover half pot of goodness? Save it to drink for the next day? Leftover coffee...meh.

There are so many articles and so many Instagram cooking accounts praising overnight oatmeal, how easy it is to make, how delicious it is, but was hesitant to try it. In a very basic nutshell, you soak oatmeal in whatever kind of milk you prefer (animal or plant based), add some sweetener, a touch of vanilla, put it in the fridge overnight, and voila! Cold oatmeal for breakfast. Meh.

And then, a serendipitous moment. An overnight oatmeal recipe came across my Instagram feed using  leftover coffee. Why not? Nothing to lose but a half cup of oatmeal, a half cup of coffee, and a couple other ingredients.

Before going to yoga the next morning, I took the oatmeal out of the refrigerator to get it to room temperature when I got home. It was really good! No meh at all. It has a more dense and creamy texture than warm oatmeal and it's more chewy, too. I added some blueberries and blackberries. This is a tasty and easy way to eat oatmeal, especially in the warm summer months.

Coffee Overnight Oats

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup (60 ml) plant milk
1 tablespoon nut or seed butter
½ cup (120 ml) strong black coffee
½ cup (50 grams) rolled/old fashioned oats
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla
small pinch sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS
Add the milk and nut/seed butter to a jar or other lidded container. Mix to combine them as well as you can.

Add all of the other ingredients and stir, or put the lid on and give it a good shake.

Put in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 5 days before enjoying either straight from the jar/container or spooned out into a bowl with toppings of choice.

Customize your oats in the morning with:

Fresh fruit

Toasted nuts

Dried fruit

Coconut

Chocolate chips

Seeds

A dollop of yogurt