Bring on the berries and enjoy a bowl of antioxidant blackcurrant and chia seed overnight oats for breakfast.
I'm officially taking a break from Christmas this week (more of that soon) and having a bit of a seasonal reset. Mornings are not my happy time so I find it very easy to get stuck in a grumpy rut with breakfast, and that's not the best start to the day.
Overnight oats are a good way to shake it off by getting creative with new flavour combinations, and come with the additional bonus of helping make mornings easier because breakfast is ready before you've even woken up. I'm all for that.
Freeze dried blackcurrants
Blackcurrants are high in vitamin C and antioxidants, and have a delicious tangy flavour. I've never found them available fresh in New Zealand, but they are widely available freeze dried - both whole or in powder form.
I bought a packet of whole freeze dried blackcurrants, which are delicious in their own right and a very pretty garnish for desserts. They're incredibly potently coloured, so it was immediately obvious they'd also be perfect to create any kind of 'purple' dish.
I smashed some up to create blackcurrant powder, and was delighted to watch the colour develop and intensify as it rehydrated while I stirred it through my overnight oats mixture. So much fun.
Almond milk and chia seed overnight oats
I love the versatility of overnight oats, which you can flavour with almost anything. I tend to stick with a base mixture of rolled oats, chia seeds and almond milk, then add to that depending on my mood.
Chia seeds help thicken the mixture and provide a nutritional boost, and I find them more digestible when used as an ingredient rather than the main event (as with chia puddings or parfaits). This combo is also high in calcium, fibre and iron.
This time I sweetened the mixture with a little maple syrup, and sharpened it with a touch of lemon juice - which works really well with the blackcurrant flavour.
Top the overnight oats with whatever fresh berries you can get your hands on - the more the berrier (haha, I couldn't help myself there sorry!). I really enjoyed these overnight oats with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and sliced golden kiwifruit. So much yum.
Get the recipe
INGREDIENTS
Overnight oats:
- 1 cup rolled oats (gluten free if required)
- 2 cups almond milk
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ¼ cup freeze dried blackcurrants crushed to a powder (10g/0.35oz)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
- Pinch salt
- Lemon juice freshly squeezed (to taste)
Topping ideas:
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Golden kiwifruit
INSTRUCTIONS
- Stir all overnight oats ingredients, except the lemon juice, together in a jar or other sealed container. Refrigerate overnight.
- Stir the overnight oats and break up any lumps. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.
- Serve with berries and fruit of your choice.
RECIPE NOTES
- Serves two, or keep it in the fridge and enjoy over two days.
- Nutrition information calculated for overnight oats only (not including toppings).
Holly
I have my own black currant bushes and would like to make the overnight chia oats. How much of the fresh (or frozen) berries would you recommend? Freeze dried fruit is next to impossible to find in canada and a freeze dryer is hella expensive (I’ve looked)
Amber
Hi Holly, lucky you, and good question! I'd suggest roughly mashing about half a cup of berries, so that their juices are released. And perhaps reduce the amount of milk you use by quarter of a cup to allow for the extra liquid. If you try this, let me know how you go!
Agness of Run Agness Run
A perfect bowl for a great start of the day, Amber. Excellent combo of nutrient-dense ingredients. Can I use coconut milk instead of almond milk?
Amber
Thanks Agness, yes of course you can 🙂