Easy Overnight Steel-Cut Oats

I’ve never enjoyed being stressed in the kitchen first thing in the morning, which is why I love this recipe. It sits overnight, so all I have to do once I wake up is allow it to heat through while I’m doing something else like making coffee. All of these ingredients are always in my pantry (make it your own with whatever you have!), so I know I can make it last-minute if needed and it’s a great treat if you have overnight guests to feed. And let’s not forget, this recipe is packed with protein, healthy fats, fiber, and stimulating spices to kickstart your day.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the oatmeal:

1 cup steel cut oats
4 cups water
1/2 cup hemp milk (or any non-dairy milk)
1/3 cup oat bran
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
2 tablespoons shredded coconut, optional
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

For the topping:

1/2 cup raw walnuts, roughly chopped
2 pitted dates, finely diced
2 tablespoons maple syrup or coconut nectar
1 tablespoon shredded coconut
2 teaspoons pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped
2 teaspoon candied citrus peels, finely diced, optional 
1 tablespoon hemp seeds

Instructions

1. Bring water and oats to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Turn off the heat, stir in remaining ingredients, cover, and let stand overnight. 

2. For the topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. You may also add all ingredients except hemp seeds to a food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped, then stir in the hemp seeds.

2. In the morning, stir the oatmeal well and bring it up to a simmer on low-medium heat and continue cooking until heated through and creamy, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add more hemp milk, depending on how creamy you like it. Serve each bowl with a heaping spoonful of walnut topping and an extra drizzle of hemp milk and maple syrup, if desired.