People have been raving about overnight oats for a while now, and I desperately wanted to love them.
But whenever I tried the recipe, the one that was supposed to convert me from a plain ol’ oatmeal enthusiast to a lover of this surprisingly low-maintenance variety that I could (gasp!) prep before bed, I woke up ready to sing its praises.
But after one bite, then two, then three just to be super sure, I felt kind of meh about the experience. I mean if I ever wondered what oat-flavored wallpaper paste tasted like, then mission accomplished.
After trying and not liking seven different recipes, I concluded I was done with the overnight oats. I’d given them a fair shake, and they weren’t for me. It was like me and green juice. Great idea in theory, super healthy, but NOPE.
As it turns out, however, overnight oats and I weren’t quite over yet. While staying at a cute little B&B out East this summer, they were featured on the breakfast buffet. Everything from homemade banana bread to jam tartines to the aforementioned oats were served in cute little dollhouse-sized portions in pretty little bowls.
It was pretty fun watching the men in the room navigate this rather dainty breakfast spread. I couldn’t help wondering how many return trips would it take for them to actually feel full. There were no scrambled eggs or bacon or waffles, after all, just elegant little pastries perfect for high tea and a couple bites of chia seed pudding, fruit parfait or oats to choose from.
At first I thought I only liked the oats because I was really hungry, but a couple of bites confirmed that, with the right accompaniments, they were actually quite tasty. The texture wasn’t all thick and gloopy and unpleasant, so naturally I had to ask the chefs how they made them. They graciously shared their secrets and assured me it wasn’t difficult to get them right.
After mastering the basic formula, I gave a similar recipe from Food Network a whirl because I was craving something pumpkin-y. The only changes I made was adding a 1/4 tsp. of pure vanilla extract, plus a tiny bit more almond milk to thin them out slightly and a few lightly salted almonds to the top for crunch. What can I say? The eighth time was a charm.
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