I’m generally more of a morning person than an evening person. In college and grad school, I was never the person who could stay up late to study. My brain would pretty much turn off at 8-9 PM, so instead I’d wake up around 6 AM to finish up. Not to mention, I was always the first to fall asleep at slumber parties. Yep, I was that cool kid (still am).
All that being said, it’s hard to believe I’m technically a morning person, considering how crazy my weekday mornings are. I’m usually crawling out of bed at the last minute, throwing on whatever I [hopefully] picked out to wear the night before, grabbing my [also, hopefully] already packaged breakfast and lunch, and flying out the door. Meanwhile, I wake up at 7 AM on my days off – someone please explain to me how that works.
I don’t love that that’s how my weekday mornings are, and I would love to be that person who wakes up early, drinks a glass of water with lemon and a coffee at home, and maybe even does a work out in the morning… I have plans to eventually become that person.
Regardless, I will always love having my breakfast and lunch ready the night before. As much as I LOVE breaking routine and shaking things up, routine during the week is essential for me.
I love oatmeal, but it’s not always the most convenient in the morning. Enter: overnight oats. I love overnight oats because 1. there’s no cooking involved (just a little prep the night before). 2. it’s filling and satisfying. 3. there are so many variations and topping ideas, so it never gets old.
I’ve been making overnight oats for years, but I’m sharing one of my favorites today: Lemon “Poppy” Overnight Oats. It’s fresh, summery, and filling – not to mention simple and makes my mornings so much smoother.
Prep is easy: you combine the ingredients the night before (you can even double the recipe so you have 2 breakfasts or 2 days worth) in a container and in the morning, add whatever toppings and grab and go! I love fresh berries on it.
- ⅓ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup milk of choice (I use plain, unsweetened almond milk)
- 2 tablespoon plain greek yogurt*
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon agave syrup, or more to taste
- a squeeze of lemon or 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- Optional toppings: blueberries, granola, coconut flakes
- In a jar or reusable container, combine all ingredients.
- Stir well to combine and ensure oats are mixed in completely.
- Cover and let soak in the fridge overnight (~6 hours).
- The next day, open and stir, add whatever toppings you'd like, and go!
*To make it vegan/dairy-free, leave out the yogurt or substitute a vegan alternative.
Katie says
July 17, 2016 at 9:43 pmI made this with plain, unsweetened almond milk and plain, unsweetened coconut milk yogurt (as a non-dairy alternative to the Greek yogurt). It was a big hit!! 🙂
Christine says
July 18, 2016 at 9:14 amSo happy to hear you loved it! Love this for breakfast in summer!
Eli Grace says
February 11, 2019 at 2:11 amThis recipe is absolutely incredible! I told my friends and family about it and described it as a delicious, creamy lemon soft custard, but healthy. I used coconut yogurt, and one very ripe banana in lieu of the sweetener. It is so satisfying! Thank you for sharing, this is now part of my daily breakfast 🙂
Christine says
September 8, 2019 at 10:53 amSo glad you love it! I love having breakfast ready in the morning, and this one always feels like a luxurious treat 🙂