Strawberry Chia Overnight Oats (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Try this Strawberry Chia Overnight Oats recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Strawberry Chia Overnight Oats recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) 100% whole grain gluten-free oatmeal
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) chia seed
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh local strawberries sliced or chopped (reserve a couple slices for topping)
- 1/3 banana, sliced
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) almonds or walnuts (or nut of choice)
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk beverage of choice (almond hemp, brown rice, soy, coconut, for example)
- 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- drizzle (2.5 ml) of agave nectar or pure maple syr
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (0g)
- Sodium 0 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Place oatmeal, chia seeds, sliced banana and sliced strawberry together in a bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together milk and vanilla and pour milk mixture over oat-chia mixture.
- Place oat-chia mixture in fridge overnight.
- In the morning, remove bowl from fridge and top with almond or walnut and another couple slices of strawberry.
- You can also add additional fluid (milk beverage) if you like at this stage and a drizzle of agave or pure maple syrup.
- If you prefer to soak your nuts (almond or walnut) for digestibility, simply add them to the oat-chia mixture overnight rather than adding them in the morning.
Zero cooking equipment is required for this preparation, allowing a standard mason jar or basic kitchen bowl to serve as both vessel and storage container. Liquid absorption depends entirely on the hydrophilic properties of chia seeds, which contain soluble fiber capable of absorbing up to twelve times their dry weight in water. Rolled oats undergo a similar hydration process, softening as starches absorb moisture over an eight-hour resting window in the refrigerator. Choosing a high-protein milk beverage like soy milk yields a thicker final consistency compared to rice milk, because higher protein structures trap free liquid more efficiently during the cold-soaking phase. Fresh strawberries release cellular water into the mixture as they sit, so adjusting the initial milk volume downward by one tablespoon prevents the final texture from becoming overly watery. Walnuts or almonds introduced during the overnight soak soften through cellular hydration, whereas adding them immediately before consumption preserves their mechanical crunch. Storing the mixture past forty-eight hours causes the fruit to break down enzymatically, resulting in a mushy consistency that diminishes the structural integrity of the oats. Standard airtight containers maintain food safety during the refrigeration period, provided the internal temperature remains consistently below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
