Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Remember those Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Oatmeal No Bake Cookies? You mix chocolate and peanut butter and oatmeal together on a stove, then you stick them on a pan to let them cool...yeah, those might be my favorite kind of cookie. When I set out on my first overnight oats adventure, I wasn't planning on recreating these cookies, but it just so happened to work out that way. Apparently, when you combine peanut butter and Nutella- amazing things JUST HAPPEN. I don't know how or why it always works out, but I don't believe I've ever had a peanut butter/Nutella combo that was bad. I just haven't.

So, I've been looking for some healthy breakfast options recently. Normally in the mornings, I'm quite lazy. I don't really want to spend the time fixing and cooking a bowl of oatmeal, or finding a bowl that is clean to pour milk and cereal in...so I've been ending up eating a lot of Poptarts. Now- don't get me wrong. I firmly believe that there is a time and a place for Poptarts in a healthy diet. Healthy diets require balance- and a little "unhealthy" food is sometimes what is the healthy choice. But, I'm beginning to realize that fueling my body with Poptarts every morning doesn't really keep me going- and I end up mindlessly snacking, forgetting to eat lunch because I'm not hungry, and then I realize "Oh crap. It's 4pm, my husband will be home soon. He's going to ask me what I ate for lunch and I still need to start getting dinner ready." I like the accountability system we have- him making sure that I'm no overexercising or undereating or whatever- and and I realize the importance of sticking to somewhat of a schedule for meal times. It's what's best for my body, and my hunger cues work much more appropriately when I eat at "normal" meal times.

So, as I began my search for healthy breakfast options, I remembered something I had stumbled across on the internet when I first began recovery- overnight oats. I was terribly afraid of them because- well, calories. And how would it fit into my meal plan and exchanges? But now that I'm free from the confines of my meal plan and don't have to stick strictly to the plan...I can see how overnight oats can make a really great breakfast. They're easy, yummy, and since I fix them up the night before (or several nights before), they don't take much time in the morning. I just have to grab the jar from the fridge, grab a spoon, and I'm ready to take on the world! I like to eat these cold, but I've also heard that you can microwave them.

So, have I convinced you that you need to try them yet? Today, I'll be sharing the recipe, just in case you too want in on the Overnight Oats Craze.

What You Will Need:

• 1/4 cup Oatmeal (I use a packet, because that's what I have in the pantry right now, but you could totally use the oatmeal that comes in a canister)
• 1/2 cup Soy Milk (or Almond Milk..you could probably use regular milk- but I like my vanilla soy milk, so I stick to that)
• 1/2 cup Vanilla Yogurt (Sometimes I use Greek, sometimes I use regular- it depends what I grab at the store. But, I always use vanilla flavored- I need the sweetness)
• A scoop of Peanut Butter (I'm a fan of crunchy, because I like finding the peanut pieces in my oatmeal, but that's just me)
• A BIG scoop of Nutella (Or two or three...I'm not sure that the limit of what is too much Nutella exists)

Here's how you make it:

1. Grab a jar/cup/bowl thing to make your oatmeal in. I use these little mason jar cups that I got from our registry and they work perfect.
2. Pour 1/4 cup of oatmeal into your container.
   
3. Pour 1/2 cup of milk and yogurt (yes, both) into the container- on top of the oatmeal. Sometimes it makes a weird bubbly sound. Don't worry about it- it's okay. Sometimes chemical reactiony things just happen- it's only happened to me with regular yogurt, not Greek. (Note: if Greek yogurt isn't particularly your favorite due to the tartness, I might put in a little less.)

   

   Honestly, I normally eyeball the yogurt. Ain't nobody got time for measuring it out.
   Progress, not perfection.

4. Glop on your peanut butter and Nutella. I like to say to use a scoop of peanut butter and a BIG scoop of Nutella- but I really like Nutella (as previously stated). My ratio of peanut butter to Nutella is normally 1:3 or something like that. At least 1:2. Just eyeball it, it's not really a specific thing- it just depends how sweet/salty you like it.
   
5. At this point, you are probably going to wonder what the heck you are preparing. It might look like oatmealy stuff with poop in it- no worries, it will get better. Add a lid and shake (that's why I use a mason jar- you could probably just stir it together in a bowl, but I've never really tried that). I normally put a paper towel on the outside of the jar, just in case stuff starts leaking out. Shake it for...a long time. I don't really know the specifics, but when it stops looking like poop in the jar, and starts looking like chocolate milk- you're probably ready for step 6.

   

   Before shaking and After shaking.
   Don't shake your baby like this, kids.

6. Now, you are going to stick your jar in the fridge and WAIT. This is like the hardest part for me. Nighttime rolls around, I want a snack, I decide to make my overnight oats for the morning...and I look at them longingly. But trust me- these things need to sit for awhile (I let them "sleep" overnight, but I think official recipes say something like 3-4 hours).
7. Wake up in the morning and enjoy your peanut buttery, Nutellay, oatmeal goodness! I like to not stir my oats and eat them kind of clumpily and thick, but you could stir them if you wanted, or you could even heat them up. But me? I like them cold. Enjoy!

Now, as I'm not particularly sure how healthy they are...I'm not sure on the specifics of calories and fat and protein and all that stuff. But I consider this a healthy meal. I mean, it has grains/carbs (oatmeal), protein (greek yogurt and peanut butter), dairy (greek yogurt and soy milk), healthy fats (peanut butter and Nutella)- I think it's a pretty well balanced meal. Sometimes, I eat some fruit if I'm still hungry (but that rarely happens, these are pretty dense and filling)- and I'll normally have another cup of soy milk with my oats (hey- I like my dairy!). All in all, these keep me full until "lunch time"- when I can eat my second meal of the day at a proper time, instead of snacking throughout. Plus, it makes me feel like I'm making a healthy, balanced choice for breakfast. 

If you are interested in seeing some more of my recipes, before I get them posted over here on the blog, feel free to follow me on my food instagram! I was a bit tired of overwhelming my personal instagram (@laurenpotthoff) with food pictures, but I'm really excited about this new adventure I've started- learning how to cook, learning how to make healthy choices. You can find my food pictures at @RealFoodForRealLife. That name is another story for another day, but for now, go make some yummy overnight oats and eat them! Your tummy will thank you!