Cranberry Overnight Oats.
A hearty, comforting autumn breakfast that’s packed with good-for-you ingredients like oats, chopped walnuts, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, cinnamon and frozen cranberries.
This sweet, tart and nutty breakfast takes just 5 minutes to prep – just combine the ingredients in mason jars or a bowl before you go to bed, let it sit overnight in the fridge then grab it in the morning on your way out the door.
With cold and flu season upon us, the best defense may be good gut health. Since much of our immune health begins in the gut, it’s the perfect time to share this autumn inspired Cranberry Walnut Cookie Overnight Oats breakfast!
You’ve probably heard quite a bit about gut health over the past year, because the connection between gut health and overall health is real. Foods that contain beneficial bacteria aka “probiotics” can positively affect the health of the microbiome (gut). Early evidence suggests gut health plus the diversity of the bacteria in the gut may play a positive role in immune health, mental health, weight control, cancers and beyond.
A plant based diet (produce/beans/lentils/grains/seeds/nuts) is most beneficial for gut health because it’s rich in both pre and probiotics. (Prebiotics are food for the probiotics and are found in foods like oats (found in this recipe), bananas, artichokes, garlic, onions and more. Probiotics are found in yogurt (found in this recipe), kefir, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh and more. Probiotics in the gut can help with both the absorption of nutrients as well as production of nutrients in the gut.)
These Cranberry Walnut Cookie Overnight Oats are packed with gut health promoting and immune health supporting whole food ingredients, including:
- Oats: rich in prebiotics + rich in cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber
- Walnuts: may benefit probiotic diversity in the gut + rich in heart smart omega-3 (ALA) fatty acids + rich in plant-powered protein
- Greek yogurt: rich in probiotics + rich in protein
- Chia seeds: rich in fiber + heart smart omega-3 (ALA) fats
- Cranberries: rich in health-promoting proanthocyanidins (these “PACs” help prevent bad bacteria from sticking in the urinary and digestive tract) + rich in immune-system supporting Vitamin C + digestive health supporting and hunger satisfying fiber
These Cranberry Overnight Oats are a satisfying breakfast – sweet, tart, nutty and oh so delicious.
I used frozen cranberries because I had some on hand, but feel free to use fresh, since it’s cranberry season. And, I prefer an almost equal ratio of nuts/seeds to oats for the taste, staying power (more protein and healthy fats), but feel free to up the oat amount, if you’d like more carbs than fat and protein. I prefer these oats as overnight oats, because I don’t like my oats hot. But, if you’re a hot oatmeal type of gal or guy, I’m sure these oats would be delicious as a hot breakfast.
Here’s how to make these Cranberry Walnut Cookie Overnight Oats:
Cranberry Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole frozen cranberries or sub fresh
- 3/4 cup toasted* and chopped walnuts
- 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk (or dairy/non-dairy beverage of choice)
- 1/2 cup vanilla Greek whole milk yogurt
- 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats regular cooking
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus more for sprinkling
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine cranberries, ½ cup walnuts, soymilk, yogurt, oats, chia seeds, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt in a medium-sized bowl and stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to serve, divide oats between two mason jars or bowls. Top with remaining ¼ cup walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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