I have such a love/hate thing going on with breakfast. I mean, DONUTS. Need I say more? Can’t live without ‘em…can’t eat ‘em everyday. So, what are we to do the other 6 days of the week when we are scrambling out the door with one shoe on and half-dried hair feeling lucky that the office supplies semi-drinkable coffee? That’s where these beauties come in. I prep a whole batch of mason jar oats on a Sunday, and the hubby and I are both set for the week (leaving Friday open for donuts, of course.)

There are countless ways to make overnight oats, so feel free to sub things out and get creative. This is what I have found to be easy for me to make, packs my morning with protein, and tastes good enough to make me want to eat it 4 days a week.

First, the oats – so controversial. Seriously, why so much drama with the oats? Anyway, there are some great articles out there about how you can soak them overnight to make them easier to digest, and there is plenty of debate about whether to go with old fashioned, steel cut, organic, or some other type of grain or grain substitute. I’m just trying to make your morning a little easier, so I will skip the oat essay. Most recently, I happened to use steel cut oats I bought in bulk. And this batch, I didn’t soak overnight, but sometimes I do. Either way, you still end up cooking them according to the package directions, then add pure maple syrup and some cinnamon.

Now, the “goop.” I will try to figure out how to add another photo into this blog so you can see my layers, but the goop is key.  The base of the goop is plain Greek yogurt. In my opinion, the higher fat content, the better it tastes. Mix up your favorite vanilla protein powder with some almond milk (or regular milk if you prefer), then mix that into the yogurt. Don’t mix the protein powder directly into the yogurt. It will feel like you are eating sand. No one likes that. Dump the goop over the oats. Sounds appetizing, right? Just trust me on this.

Last, the toppings. Chopped walnuts are an awesome addition nutrition and flavor-wise. Fruit is a must to add more sweetness and flavor. I used to always do fresh blueberries, but one day I ran out and threw some frozen mixed berries in there, and it actually worked better! Now I use either frozen mixed berries or frozen blueberries. The mixed ones are more flavorful, but the plain blueberries make it this gorgeous purple color when you mix it up. And starting your morning by eating something purple is just kind of magical.

Recipe (8 servings):

The oats:

4 C oats, prepared – Add 1/2 C in bottom of small mason jar

1/4 C pure maple syrup – mix into prepared oats

Also add cinnamon, to taste.

The “goop”:

2 C plain Greek yogurt (the fatter, the better)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder mixed into 1 cup almond (or regular) milk until dissolved.

Mix the yogurt with the milk mixture.

Put 1/4 C “goop” over the oats in each jar.

Toppings:

Add chopped walnuts, if desired, to each jar.

Add fresh fruit right away or frozen fruit the morning of.

When you’re ready for breakfast, mix it all up together and eat cold.