Why do my overnight oats taste chalky?
If your overnight oats come out chalky or bland, it's because you're not getting the ratios right.
Add Enough Liquid…
While oatmeal consistency is mostly a personal preference, not adding enough liquid to your overnight oats can result in a thick, pasty substance. Keep in mind that overnight oats absorb the liquid around them.
At their best, they're creamy, spoonable porridges. But if the oats-liquid ratio is off, the grains will absorb all of the milk and lose their spoonable consistency; they'll be less creamy and more akin to freshly-mixed concrete.
Do not use steel cut oats! You'll be left with a gritty texture in the morning as their tough shell keeps the liquid from soaking in easily. I like to use a mixture of rolled oats and quick/1-minute oats for the perfect texture – all the liquid soaks in and it's a bit fluffy, too.
Add extra flavor.
In addition to tasting toppings, you can keep your overnight oats from tasting like a bland mess by adding a little extra flavoring. Try mixing vanilla extract into your oat mixture, or spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom. (Check out the recipes below for some more fun spice add-ins.)
Overnight oats are rolled oats soaked in milk (dairy or non-dairy) or another liquid overnight. There's no cooking or additional preparation needed. In the morning, stir it, add a little more liquid if needed, and enjoy. It's one of my absolute favorite ways to eat oatmeal.
If you're looking for a low-effort breakfast that's extremely healthy and can even help you lose weight, you've found your solution with overnight oats. Unlike oatmeal, which is cooked in boiling water on the stove or zapped in the microwave, overnight oats are not cooked at all.
What Do Overnight Oats Taste Like? Overnight oats taste a little different than regular oatmeal—for starters, they're cold. Cold oats might not seem like a comforting breakfast, but they're actually very refreshing in the warmer months. The soaked oats have a hearty flavor that pairs well with fresh fruit.
You only need to let the oats soak and rest in the fridge for 2 hours. But, it's ideal if you soak it overnight… hence the name overnight oats! The next morning you have a ready-to-eat, delicious, creamy bowl or jar of “oatmeal.” The consistency is like a porridge or pudding.
Give it some time. For best results, overnight oats should take about eight hours to fully soak, though there is no set rule on how long you must let it soak. So make them before you go to bed at night and you'll have a delicious, hearty breakfast to enjoy in the morning–no effort required.
What kind of milk is best for overnight oats?
The classic milk option! Cow's milk offers a good amount of daily protein and calcium, and has numerous options in terms of fat content and creaminess. It's also quite neutral in terms of flavor so it is a great option for any choice of overnight oat mix-ins.
The main method is to soak the oats 12 hours or overnight in water. Using the same ratio of water to oats as you normally would to cook them. Soaking activates an enzyme in the oats called phytase that naturally breaks down phytic acid.
You can use any milk you prefer in these oats.
- Pair oats with roasted squash, sweet potatoes, puréed pumpkin, or homemade applesauce for an extra creamy punch.
- Add a spoonful of ghee for a beautifully rich and grassy flavor. ...
- Drizzle date syrup, agave nectar, or buckwheat honey for a more nuanced sweetness than straight-up sugar.
Old-fashioned rolled oats are the best choice for overnight oats. They soak up the liquid overnight, leaving you with a creamy (but not mushy) texture.
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats.
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk.
- 1 tsp milled flaxseed.
- drizzle of maple syrup or honey or a heaping tsp of jam (I like strawberry)
- sprinkle of cinnamon.
- sprinkle of salt (100% NECESSARY)
A glass jar is not the only option available for overnight oatmeal. Tupperware containers, plastic containers and a medium-sized bowl with plastic wrap also work well for soaking oats overnight.
The oats need to cold steep overnight to reach the optimal texture. We recommend cold-steeping in the fridge (45 degrees or colder) for a minimum of 6 hours but not longer than 24 hours. Remove from fridge when you're ready to eat it.
We recommend storing overnight oats in the refrigerator in airtight containers for up to five days. That means if you're meal-prepping on Sunday, you can make a work week's worth of overnight oats and not have to think about breakfast again until Saturday.
Overnight oats have been found to be perfectly safe, even enough to eat every morning if desired. Just as with any food, some may feel that uncooked oats give them digestive issues. Overnight oats are not unsafe unless someone has certain medical conditions that affect their ability to digest.
What are the disadvantages of eating oats?
- You could significantly increase your sugar intake.
- You're limiting your nutritional palate.
- It can lead to malnutrition and muscle mass shedding.
- It can cause bloating.
- It can lead to weight gain.
Warm it up: Overnight oats are typically served chilled. However, if you prefer warm oats, you can heat them in the microwave. Just use a microwave-safe jar and stir frequently while you're warming them up.
Oatmeal is also a great meal for weight gain since you can easily add extra calories. First, choose rolled oats, steel cut oats, or unflavored instant oatmeal. This way, you can add healthy, high calorie ingredients while limiting added sugar.
The rolled oats in overnight oats are raw, meaning they have fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals — without all that processed stuff (via NDTV Food). Soaking your oats overnight also decreases the phytic acid at a better rate than cooking your oats, according to research.
Though raw oats are safe to eat, it's recommended to soak them in water, juice, milk, or a nondairy milk alternative to avoid some unwanted side effects. Eating dry raw oats could lead them to build up in your stomach or intestines, resulting in indigestion or constipation.
Overnight Oats Have Increased Digestibility
When you soak oats overnight, it's almost like you're cooking them, but the process is much longer and slower, and it's done without heat.
Oats are rich in dietary fiber, and thus help in promoting satiety, lowering fat and carb absorption, and stabilizing your blood glucose levels. The daily recommended serving size of oats for weight loss is half a cup or 50 g. The best time to eat oats for weight loss is breakfast or dinner.
If you are particularly trying to shed kilos, steel-cut oats are better as they contain a high amount of fiber. The fiber content in it can keep you fuller for a longer time and control cravings for unhealthy food items. Eating fiber-rich food also improves the count of healthy gut bacteria.
Raw oats are not digestible, however overnight oats alleviates the problem by soaking the oatmeal in liquid. So, how long do you soak overnight oats? Soak overnight oats for a minimum of twelve hours in order to break down the phytic acid present in the raw oats.
Prior research with oats has shown that bitterness and associated off-flavours are linked to the accumulation of free fatty acids, their volatile oxidation products, and possibly amino acids and certain phenols.
Is oatmeal better with milk or water?
Milk=Creamy Goodness
The key to getting a creamy, not-gluey bowl of oatmeal is using enough water. Notice we said water—cooking oatmeal in milk tends to make a stickier, thicker oatmeal.
- Phase 1: Eat oatmeal for three meals each day for the first week. During this time, you should be eating only whole oats and not instant oatmeal. ...
- Phase 2: After the first week or phase, you'll eat oatmeal for one to two meals a day with a healthy and low-fat option for the other meals.
You can use any kind of milk you want such as cows milk, almond milk , coconut milk, oat milk, etc. Chia seeds: Chia seeds are not only a great source of antioxidants, fiber, and omega-3's, but they help thicken your overnight oats and make them extremely creamy and satisfying.
Overnight oatmeal is no-cook and doesn't need to be heated, but you may find yourself wanting a warm breakfast instead. It makes it super convenient to heat overnight oats to avoid being rushed in the mornings.
You don't have to use just chia seeds though: you can use flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, or any other kind of seed you like. But only chia will give you that tapioca effect. You can also add other stuff like chopped nuts, shredded coconut, cocoa nibs, or dried fruit.
That soaking process allows the oats to absorb the liquid and soften them enough to eat uncooked. You only need to let the oats soak and rest in the fridge for 2 hours.
