Few things bring me more joy than 1) a meal that tastes delicious and 2) doesn’t require much work. This cherry walnut overnight oats recipe does just that, while celebrating the bounty of summer cherries!
First and foremost, I know there are a lot of overnight oat recipes out there. But I personally feel loyal to this cherry walnut overnight oats recipe since it follows my favorite components for breakfast: protein, fruit, and grain. It’s also easy, no fuss, sweet from the cherries, tart from the yogurt, filling from the nuts and extra fiber they provide. It’s additionally perfectly made the night before to be enjoyed in the morning. Score!
FORMULAS MAKE LIFE EASY
When you get to know me better, you realize that I love formulas. Templates are what keep me sane. Honestly, who needs complicated recipes that take forever to make? Easy formulas take the guess work out of what you’re going to make by keeping things simple, and you get to doctor it up the way you want it to be. I’ll give you some ideas on how to doctor this up later and make it yours, but add this to your list of easy peasy breakfasts that you can make with any fruit that’s in season and it will always taste delicious. The formula is: oats, yogurt, fruit, and nuts/seeds. That’s it.
A note about water: the almond yogurt I purchase is pretty thick, so the 1/4 of water makes the whole mixture stir well together and it’s the perfect consistency for me. Some yogurts are super thin, so adjust this water amount to your taste (you may not need all of it, or even any of it). Try it first with the water and adjust it if needed, the second time around.
HOW TO CUSTOMIZE THIS CHERRY WALNUT OVERNIGHT OATS BREAKFAST RECIPE
- Change up the fruit for what is available seasonally:
- Oranges and citrus in the winter
- Berries and stone fruit in the summer,
- Persimmons, apples, pears, or pomegranate in the fall
- Change up the grain. Even though they would no longer be called overnight oats, consider: rice, barley, quinoa, teff, amaranth, fonio, even sweet potato
- Change up the nuts/seeds: I love pumpkin seeds, almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts (yum!), pistachios, sunflower seeds, pecans, cashews, peanuts, or just a mixture. You do you!
- Add in your favorite flavorings: consider orange zest, grated nutmeg, cinnamon, hazelnut extract, go crazy and try it with coffee even!
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Cherry Walnut Overnight Oats
Equipment
- Jar or bowl
Ingredients
- 1 oz rolled oats
- 4 oz yogurt (I love almond)
- 1/4 cup water
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 oz banana, sliced or mashed
- 3 oz cherries (frozen or fresh)
- 1 oz walnuts (or your favorite nut/seed/butter)
Instructions
- First, in a jar or bowl, combine the oats, yogurt, water, salt and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Next, add in the banana and mix well.
- Add the cherries on top, and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, add in the walnuts, or any nut/seed/butter you're using.
- Serve and enjoy!
I could live on these types of combos!
I could too 🙂 Thanks, Sam!