Protein-Packed Overnight Oats

As much as I love a vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles straight off the ice cream truck and the fresh-from-the-farm blueberries that put to the imported winter berries to shame, my craving of overnight oats also returns with the steamy summer days.

It’s the perfect make-ahead breakfast that feeds a whole family (once babies get the okay to start yogurt, they can eat this too) . Plus, it’s cool, refreshing and infinitely customizable. Check out this post for three of my family’s favorite variations. But lately, I’ve been making a big old bowl of this basic version so each of the kids can choose their toppings—because there’s always one who decided he doesn’t like blueberries and another who wants kiwi, and another who recently decided that he will never eat another banana (insert three giant eye rolls). I make a huge vat of this and we’ll eat it for three days straight, which I would say is the maximum time it should spend in the fridge

But no matter the topping, at the base is this: a delicious and hearty overnight oats that gets protein from Icelandic yogurt (17 grams per serving!), as well as chia and ground flax seeds which also add DHA and fiber. We all need the energy for day trips, camp, and all the on-the-go summer fun.

Overnight oats also feeds a crowd, so if you’re entertaining this summer or are sharing a shore house or vacation home, it’s an easy breakfast that doesn’t require hours of cooking and cleanup. Here’s the version I made for July 4th (I added the berries the in the morning). Everyone happily served themselves!

Protein-Packed Overnight Oats
In a rectangular dish, stir together 2 cups rolled oats, 1/4 cup each chia seeds and ground flaxseeds, 2 cups of choice (we used @califiafarmscoconut-almond milk), 3 cups plain Icelandic or Greek yogurt (we use @siggisdairy), 1/3 cup honey 🍯 , 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Cover with plastic and chill overnight or for at least 8 hours.