Scrumptious Overnight Oatmeal 5 Ways
 
 
THM:E, Low-fat, Sugar free, Gluten/Egg/Dairy/Nut free if using water or another allergy-friendly liquid and unless otherwise noted
Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • ½ cup old-fashioned oats (use gluten free if necessary)
  • 1-2 cups liquid (unsweetened almond milk, water, or a combination of both; amount will vary according to which option you make)
  • ⅛ tsp. salt
  • ⅛ tsp. THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder (or other low-glycemic sweetener to taste)
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  • Chocolate: add 1 T cocoa powder
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  • Blueberries & Cream (not dairy free): add ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries and a dash of vanilla extract; let cool and add a dollop of low-fat Greek yogurt before refrigerating overnight (or top the hot oatmeal with Greek yogurt if you choose option #3)
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  • Banana Bread Batter: 1½ -2 inches banana, mashed (approx. 2-3 T); ½ tsp. banana flavoring, dash vanilla or maple flavoring, ½ tsp. cinnamon
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  • Apple Pie: ½ apple, chopped; ½ tsp. butter flavoring; dash vanilla; ¼ tsp. nutmeg; ½ tsp. cinnamon, dash Bragg's apple cider vinegar, optional (gives a slightly tangier flavor)
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  • Café Mocha (not gluten free if you can't find a gluten free instant coffee brand): 1½ tsp. instant coffee grounds (coffee lovers may need to increase this amount), 1 rounded tsp. cocoa powder, ½ tsp. each vanilla and maple flavorings
Instructions
  1. Option #1 (the most bang for your buck): In a large microwave-safe bowl (I use a serving bowl so the oats don't bubble over the top), microwave the oats, 2 cups of liquid, and salt for 3 minutes. The oatmeal will be fairly thin but not soupy; if your microwave isn't as strong as mine, you may need to cook a little longer, so just find what works for you. Stir in the sweetener and the rest of the add-ins of your choice. Taste and add more sweetener if desired. Let the oatmeal cool on the counter then refrigerate (covered) overnight. By morning, the oats will have soaked up the excess liquid (if they didn't, you needed to cook it longer). I eat the oatmeal cold, but you can heat it up in the morning if you like (you may need to add more liquid).
  2. Option #2: For a pudding-like oatmeal, decrease the liquid to 1 cup, don't cook, and add a rounded ¼ tsp. glucomannan. Shake the dry ingredients together in a pint-sized jar with a lid, then add the liquid and shake again. Refrigerate overnight and eat cold in the morning. For a slightly thinner result with more volume, increase the liquid to 1½ cups and use ½ tsp. glucomannan.
  3. Option #3: If you want to make any of these flavors fresh in the morning and eat them hot, just use 1 - 1½ cups of liquid (according to desired thickness) and microwave the oatmeal for 3 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached. I like to top my hot oatmeal with a splash of unsweetened almond milk, especially if I make it with only 1 cup of liquid and it's pretty thick.
Notes
I always use a microwave, but you can do this on the stovetop as well. For Option #1, just cook the oatmeal until the oats start to get soft and it's thin but not soupy. For Option #3, just cook until the desired consistency is reached.
Recipe by Briana Thomas at https://www.briana-thomas.com/scrumptious-overnight-oatmeal-5-ways-e/