Overnight Breakfast Jars – Recipe

Happy Fall Ya’ll – I am having so much fun this season with home projects, kitchen projects, editing my new book, re-connecting with family and friends, and being present.  Wow, these days when I take a minute to pause, and this is usually after meditating, I look around and see just how extraordinary life is. It makes me want to drop to my knees and say Thank You.

There is so much that is going right in life, so much good happening each moment.  This month I have committed to finding the good in each day. Uncovering the millions of little ways that life shows its support for me. It has morphed into a scavenger hunt of sorts and I have crowned myself team leader. What has come out if it is that I want to do it more, mostly because it makes me feel good and it reminds me that there is good all around. The added benefit is that when lemons appear I find myself grinning like a lunatic because I know that lemonade exists in a field of possibility I haven’t quite gotten to yet.

One morning when I was making breakfast I realized I was bored with the default breakfasts my family had gravitated to. I needed a change so I hopped online to find something healthy, easy, and different. That’s when I came upon Overnight Breakfast Jars. I checked out a few recipes and settled on the basic recipe listed below. It was an overnight sensation and it solved my problem of coming home starved from an early morning workout only to be hit with mom/toddler routine (wake-up, take off pajamas, potty, put on clothes, make breakfast, eat breakfast, wash up, shower, potty, get in car and drive to pre-school, drop-off at preschool.) The oatmeal jars were waiting for me in the fridge when I got back from the gym and I was able to eat one before or during our morning routine. This avoided any blood sugar crashes or morning crabbiness that I would sometimes develop because I was hungry. My husband who is not a fan of oatmeal was pleasantly surprised at how creamy and yummy they were and has been spotted grabbing one out of the fridge from time to time. So with such a positive response I thought it was time to share the Overnight Breakfast Jars with you. –Bon Appetite

Overnight Breakfast Jars – Recipe

Looking for something fast and fun to change up breakfast? I was…and then I discovered Overnight Oatmeal Cups. They have been so great for my family that I thought I would share them with you.

Overnight Oatmeal Cups Basic Recipe:

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

½ teaspoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Then add a variation:

Variation 1: ¼ cup frozen wild blueberries and 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

Variation 2: ¼ cup frozen wild blueberries and 2 tablespoons fresh or frozen chopped mango

 

You will need glass jars with lids or containers with lids. I save 16oz glass almond butter jars. You can also use 10oz wide mouth jelly jars.

I make 4 jars at a time and they last for 5-6 days. You can make up 5 jars on Sunday night and enjoy a healthy breakfast all week long.

One serving is between 8-10oz so my 16oz jars are about half empty.

After a few weeks I got to thinking about how to make these even more nutritious. Here’s what I came up with.

 

Oat and dairy free Overnight Breakfast Cups

¼ cup Grain-less granola (Trader Joes)

1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup coconut cream

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ cup frozen wild blueberries

½ teaspoon honey

This takes a bit more preparation because you will need 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk that you refrigerate for 5-6 hours or overnight. (Now I just keep a few cans of coconut milk in my fridge all the time.) Do not shake

Open the can and scoop out the top layer of coconut cream/fat that is on top. You only need this part. (You can discard the rest of the coconut milk and water or add it to a smoothie.) Two cans of coconut milk yield ¾ cup of coconut cream. This means you will be able to make 3 overnight breakfast cups from this batch. You will need to triple the amounts of lemon zest, cinnamon, vanilla extract and honey from the ingredient list above.

Add the coconut cream to a bowl and add the lemon zest, vanilla extract, cinnamon and honey. Whip until creamy with a hand mixer. You really won’t be able to get the whipped creamy consistency by hand you need a mixer. (about 5-7 minutes)

On Sunday night I line up my jars and add the basic ingredients to all the jars.

Then I add the variations to the jars. I might make 2-3 of each variation. I pile all the ingredients in and put the lid on. They soak all night and the next morning I simply grab a jar, open it, stir it up and eat it. A Yummy delicious breakfast! – With Love, Dr. Purcell