How Long Do Overnight Oats Take (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 2 Hours – Overnight

Overnight refers to the entire duration of the night. Thus, oats, which is a popular breakfast item, when left overnight in milk, water, or yogurt, are called overnight oats. One can prepare this delicious fulfilling breakfast by putting together the oats a night before to help it soak overnight, or can prepare it early in the morning, to have a scrumptious meal ready to have in the morning.

Overnight oats can be entirely customized as per one’s preference. It is extremely simple and easy to make without much preparation beforehand. Only one needs to be mindful about soaking the oats for a few hours to experience its maximum taste. These oats are the favorite of many people as they require no cooking and thus, can be served cold.

How Long Do Overnight Oats Take?

Oatmeal is undoubtedly one of the delicious as well as nutritious dishes one could add to their diet. Oats are loaded with beneficial nutrients, protein, fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, and other wholesome things. As an added advantage, oats do not contain any added sugar and thus, can be consumed even by people on diet.

Oats can be paired with a variety of items and it is sure to taste fantastic. Thus, oats are versatile and can be prepared in omnifarious ways. Hence, nowadays many health-conscious people opt for having oats as their breakfast as it is fulfilling whilst delicious and gives one energy for the entire day.

Overnight oats are nothing but raw oats that can be soaked overnight in any liquid of one’s choice. Most popularly, people prefer soaking overnight oats in almond milk, coconut milk, etc. However, it can even be soaked in greek yogurt or normal water as per one’s desire.

The oats when soaked absorb the liquid during the night and become soft. For the oats to get soften, they need to be soaked for a minimum of 2 – 4 hours. However, as these oats are called overnight oats, they should ideally be left to be soaked for overnight to experience their maximum taste and intended flavor.

Why Do Overnight Oats Take This Long?

Overnight oats have several benefits as compared to normal oats, the first of which is these oats require absolutely no cooking as the soaking process substitutes the cooking process.

The liquid in which the oats are soaked overnight, which can be milk, water, or even yogurt, gets absorbed by the oats and they become soft as they would have become if they were cooked. Thus, one can achieve almost similar results of cooking without doing any work except correctly soaking the overnight oats for the appropriate number of hours.

Also, overnight oats offer increased digestibility that can help one solve their problems of ingestion. As oats are prepared without using heat, it is beneficial for the body’s digestive system. Soaking might be a slow and long process, but when left to be soaked overnight, one can immediately have it in the morning without waiting.

Soaking helps the starches in oats to break down effectively as compared to cooking and thus, overnight oats are easier to digest as compared to normal oats. One can even add natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, etc to tailor it perfectly according to one’s choice without worrying too much.

One can get creative with overnight oats as it goes well with almost anything like chia seeds, flaxseeds, nuts, dried fruits, berries, etc. Having overnight oats not only saves time but also helps one save money. Oats are not super expensive and thus, are ideal to be had for breakfast daily.

One needs only about 5 minutes to prep the oats and can let them soak overnight before going to bed. Once this is done, one can have it in the morning without any cooking or making any mess. Thus, delicious overnight oats get ready without any fuss.

Conclusion

Having overnight oats is an alternative way of preparing oatmeal that involves no cooking. Instead of using the traditional method of cooking oats for breakfast, one can prepare overnight oats by soaking them in milk, water, yogurt, or any other liquid, for a minimum of 2 – 4 hours or preferably overnight for effective soaking.

Soaking for a few hours is important as this facilitates absorption of the liquid into the oats that sthem and help in forming a delicious texture that tastes good and is suitable for breakfast. One needs to simply stir the oats with one’s preferred choice of liquid to soak oats, add a bit of sweetener and nuts if desired, and put them in the fridge overnight and that’s it. In the morning, stir it again and enjoy delicious overnight oats that are ready for breakfast.

References

1. https://www.liveholos.com/blogs/journal/soaking-food-why-it-s-a-key-piece-to-holos
2. https://nutritionwithwendi.com/blog/tag/for-parents/
3. https://www.redeeminglifenutrition.com/blog/getaway-and-find-your-zen-this-august